Following a deal with software developer CodeWeavers in June, Lycoris has released PowerPak 1.4 which incorporates Window PCs emulation into its Linux desktop software.
Jon Parshall, chief operating officer at CodeWeavers, said late last week that the integrated software will make migration to Linux easier for Windows users and will save on licensing costs.
"Our system does not require a fully licensed copy of the Windows operating system, unlike other emulation solutions," said Parshall. "The system works by spoofing Microsoft applications so they think they are on a Windows PC."
He said the system makes the transition to Linux for home users or small businesses easier as they can continue using Word or Excel. Parshall claims that Windows applications can be run at native speed because the CodeWeaver application is integrated into the Lycoris file system.
James Governer, a software analyst at Red Monk, said he thinks that packaging Lycoris with CodeWeaver is a big step forward, but that the release is less likely to appeal to Linux fans as it is less flexible than other Linux distributions.
"Most distros throw in everything including the kitchen sink when it comes to media handling, productivity tools and so on. SuSE, for example, packages pretty much every piece of relevant open-source code available. This is not an offering for Linux fans," he said.
Lycoris PowerPak 1.4 is priced at US$75 and is available online from the company's Web site.
ZDNet UK's Ingrid Marson reported from London. For more coverage from ZDNet UK, click here.
I admittedly remain quite confused as to why anybody would need office emulation, particularly in light of the free availability of Open Office. I work in the book publishing industry, and regularly work with authors who use Open Office to create material that is transparently passed to our editors, in .doc format, who use MS Word. This might have been useful a few years back when Open Office was still immature. However these days, barring a few annoyances, which will surely be fixed in the coming months, Open Office is a very solid product.