Next Generation Desktop (?)

Being on the bleeding edge of a GNU/Linux operating system means having to deal with some of the most exciting next-generation applications.

I am running Ubuntu Feisty Fawn on my laptop and as of today I had very few problems with it. I enjoy seeing how many beautiful pieces of software are packed for tomorrow's desktop.

Two of them are really great: PulseAudio and Avahi.

PulseAudio is a sound server, a nice replacement for ESD that offers better performance and shiny features like network audio sources and so on… Not being inside the audio programmers' world, I cannot understand some of the most deep details of it, but I'm happy with good new software to test.

Avahi is described like The Next Big Thing in networking: automatic IP assignment, automatic discovery of services, share folders, printers (and audio streams, with PulseAudio), zero-configuration messaging with buddies in your local network…  the question is: how in the world can I make use of this heaven? I mean in real life, in my department laboratory (with static IPs 😐 ) where there are no other GNU/Linux computers other than my laptop, have I got some chance to see a buddy jump out in Gajim, a shared folder in Nautilus, or can someone see my shared items being on Windows? Are MS network administrators aware of the existance of zeroconf networks? Do they like it?