Responses
(A) Don't like the Notes client interface? Don't use it. Use the browser for email/calendaring/apps, with a Domino server. No additional servers or addons required.
(B) Windows 3.1 was crap{ *I* was scarred by it!} But (most) people were willing to give later versions of Windows a chance. But these same people will use Notes 3.1 or Notes 5 (pre-Y2K people!) as excuse not to consider Notes 8.5. If this were a political argument, you'd all be accused of being closed-minded hypocrites. I CHALLENGE the lot of you to go download the free trial 8.5 and blog your experience.
(C) RE: AC "2gb plus of ram ". Release notes for 8.0.1 client, 32mb ram min. Plus, as has been said before, Notes client runs applications - java, eclipse, etc... Not just an email client. That's why it would require more memory.
(D) Yes, Lotus has an interest in showing numbers that measure them close to having market share with MS. But I agree with other posters on questioning the accuracy of the Reg survey's results. Small sample set. Also, Reg readership might not encompass a lot of Domino shops, considering Reg Very Rarely covers Domino press releases, events, or product reviews.
(E) A lot of the 'Notes' problems people are reporting here sound like they were really 'talk to your helpdesk' problems:
Lost your address book when upgrading? = We upgraded 300+ users and not one lost their address book. Sounds liek they configured your auto-upgrade service wrong.
Slow? = Did your IT department make sure your server and PC had enough RAM...and what about network traffic?
Weren't sending outbound email for a week because admin didn't notice SMTP was down? = Incompetent admin for not checking and not setting up alerts.
Still running Notes R5? = Do they still have you on Windows 98 as well?
(F) RE: Wrong Problem By John Savard - Actually, you've got the wrong problem. Lotus was never really trying to compete with word processors or spreadsheets. It was busy building a single SERVER that did HTTP, SMTP, LDAP, IMAP, POP3, applications, JAVA, etc. Sure, they threw an office suite out there, and they have a new, more competitively designed one with Lotus Symphony office suite. But the Lotus brand has always been more about the do-everything back end server and development.
(G) @Lunatik - your IT department is FAIL. Afraid you would lose your email (which is stored on the SERVER) if they upgrade your CLIENT (on your PC). Not possible. You obviously do not have an actual Domino admin there. Your problem is with staffing, not Notes.
And finally - our users don't complain about the Notes client. We keep it upgraded, and that helps in any environment. We have a dev and an admin who know what they're doing, and that helps in any environment. We've had a lot of new hires in the last few years, and I've set up most of them myself. I've not had one come back and ask if they can use some other mail client. Overall, their reaction to Notes client email is "well, that isn't so different after all". Imagine that.