June 23, 2006 12:27 PM PDT
Windows-friendly desktop Linux launches
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Xandros 4.0, the first version of the operating system in 18 months, includes features to read and write Windows-formatted drives and import user settings from Windows installations. It's based on v3.1 ("sarge") of Debian, with improvements from the Linux Standard Base (LSB), thanks to the DCC Alliance's Common Core.
Xandros' distinctive feature is its effort to carve out a commercial niche as an easy replacement for Windows. "The target audience of Xandros is primarily corporates looking to switch their workstations from Windows NT/2000 to Linux," commented one user on a Debian discussion board. "They've gone to great lengths to mimic the look and feel of Windows for this reason."
The OS includes Paragon Software's NTFS for Linux, which allows users to read-write to Windows-formatted drives, so they can add the operating system and still have access to work they did in Windows.
It includes the WINE-based CrossOver Office from CodeWeavers, an emulator that allows users to run Windows applications. It also imports settings and data--including e-mail, photos, desktop sound and music--from Windows XP and other versions, using Versora's Progression Desktop.
For consumers, the basic Home Edition costs $39.99. To get full versions of the Windows immigration programs, users will have to pay $79.99 for a Premium version. Users of earlier Xandros versions can upgrade for less money. The Premium version also caters to iPod users, with a music manager based on amaroK, and includes a photo manager, improved wireless connectivity and better security.
A business version, Xandros Desktop Professional, is coming in September, with support for Active Directory, multiprocessing and hyperthreading support. It will also have a centralized control application for enterprises, called Xandros Desktop Management Suite.
The OS has the KDE 3.42 desktop interface, and the usual open-source applications Firefox, Thunderbird and OpenOffice. At the other end of the scale, a free version, using only Xandros code and GPL code from others, is also planned.
Although several Linux desktops are bidding to replace Windows, they've made only small inroads. The Xandros team believes the way to change this is to start from where users are now.
"It's not intended for intermediate Linux users, or Linux users who enjoy the bleeding edge, customizing their OS, or learning all the intricacies of the powerful Linux operating system," commented one discussion board user. "It's for people who have work to do and want to get it done with as low a learning curve as possible."
Peter Judge of ZDNet UK reported from London.
See more CNET content tagged:
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http://www.techknowcafe.com/content/view/166/42/
Would I pay to switch to Xandros? Probably not, I have tried Linux and still find to many gaps in basic software programs that I use on a regular basis to make me switch... yet.
It's time to encrypt data...
It is useful to folks switching from Windows to something else (say, a dual-boot setup or a new machine where they want to recover backed-up data to their new Linux box), but once you have everything switched over, it's about useless IMHO for those who don't do tech work.
1) Have old hardware and cannot upgrade to windowsxp, but need security and reliability. I wonder how well linux multimedia software will work with outdated hardware.
2) If you are hobbist and want to use/like linux, then you have lot of free distributions of linux (feodora, ubantu linux etc).
3) You are able to get hardware without windowsxp and you want a linux OS, then paying $79 for premium edition makes sense.
I wonder how many fall into above three scenarios. Most people ugrade machines because, they want speed or hardware has failed.
When you buy pc with windowsxp, the reality is the windowxp for manufacturer costs only $30 to $50 for home edition and consumers never pay actualy retail value for the windows OS (Which is anywhere between $90 to $300).
If you are concerned about security, reliability, looks of pc and functionality, then Mac OSX is the best option.
Windows Vista may be a option - however, it is not yet in the market. In my opinion because of all these xandros may not see much success.
I do not know if one license of xandros linux will allow users to install it on multiple machines. If this is the case and user is not interested in mucking around the internals of OS or customization the os, then xandros linux can benifit the entry lever user.
Enough of my rambling.
Give Suse a try, it is rock solid, good looking, and very easy to use.
- Xandros 4 Premium is a Winner
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by justwally
July 1, 2006 12:10 AM PDT
- I just installed and checked out Xandros 4 Premium, and it is definitely delivering what it says it will.
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See all 30 Comments >>I am well pleased with this release.