Review of New Xandros 4.1 Professional Linux 139
holden writes "OpenAddict has a review of the new Xandros 4.1 professional.Some of the big changes in professional include a newer kernel, AIGLX, and support for 3G wireless. One of the subtle, but still very important changes, is that Xandros has finally removed the registration requirement, and users can now access Xandros Networks without registering first. Techworld is one of many that is already looking at Xandros as a possible challenger to Windows Vista"
Re:Linux interface just like windows?! (Score:1, Interesting)
The shared bar between applications on MacOS still infuriates me
Xandro 'Free Copy' Consists Of A 30 Trial Only?? (Score:-1, Interesting)
Thats all I found after nearly a 1/2 hour of searching their site.
Even DistroWatch doesn't have access to a totaly free version of their work.
If this is true then they are seriously violating the GPL-- if they are under it :(
-- Firmly entrenched at the very bottom of 'Terrible Karma'.. now I can FINALLY speak my mind..
Features? (Score:5, Interesting)
The ability to write to Windows NTFS partitions
Seamless Microsoft Exchange connectivity
If an enterprise already has a Windows environment, why would they be interested in upsetting everything and installing new Linux workstations? I'm not saying Linux can't perform, but keep in mind that if things are running smooth already, the least of their costs are going to be Windows client licenses. They are spending money on Windows servers for file storage, mail, directory services, etc, so they may as well use Windows as the client software as well. Vista isn't going to be this enormous expenditure because most corporate computers will not upgrade to Vista until the computer hardware is replaced anyway.
This sounds like just another one of these "Linux Is Read and Poised To Overthrow Microsoft on the Desktop!" articles that Slashdot sees every couple months (especially around the end of the year, when next year just might be the Year of Linux).
Re:What's its niche? (Score:3, Interesting)
I would suspect (I haven't used this particular version) that its niche is the same as RedHat/SuSE. It aims to be a Linux distribution mainly for business use, with a specific emphasis on Windows compatibility.
That said, I would like to see how Xandros reacts to the Novell/Microsoft deal. With Novell poised to take the lead in Windows compatibility, it seems that Xandros is fading into another "me-too" Debian based distro.
Re:I am impressed (Score:3, Interesting)
Ku/Xu/Ubuntu is free as in beer. Of course, Freespire is as well, but they have the "we used to be Lindows and the community turned its back on us" gorilla on their back to this day. They've made good strides and I've suggested it as a Windows replacement to a few family members.
Another thing is that Ubuntu has pretty successfully taken most of the ideals of the Free Software movement and made a pretty polished distro that Just Works. They do a good job of straddling the line between idealism and functionality. I went to Debian Etch from Ubuntu Dapper mostly because I used a lot from universe which was updated regularly in Etch. And, of course, Shuttleworth has thrown tons of cash at Ubuntu in order to help make it the disto du jour.
I can't speak to how good either distro is because I've not tried them. If it works for you, that works for me.
Great Yippy Waaaahoooo (Score:0, Interesting)
Re:Linux interface just like windows?! (Score:2, Interesting)
A nice fluxbox/windowmaker, multi screen, I run 5 with keyboard shortcuts CTRL/Right-Left arrows. So a bunch of instantly accesible windows. No damn bar at all. Right click on vacent screen, or the wierd key between the windose and ctrl keys on the right, for a menu. Lots of keyboard shortcuts. Alt-m for mail is as fast as you can do it.
It's so much faster and easier than any of the commercial setups.
PenGun
Do What Now
PenGun
Do What Now ???
Re:What's its niche? (Score:3, Interesting)
FWIW, this Xandros 4.1 Professional Edition seems to be the replacement for Xandros Business Edition; they are both aimed at desktops. The only thing really new for Xandros niche-wise is their enterprise-level server.
Re:I am impressed (Score:2, Interesting)
*IF* such a case were to happen, and beings that Apple with their Mac OS-X runs only on Mac hardware (which costs a bundle compared to normal PC hardware), and that I don't see everybody running out to buy a Mac ("But this computer worked fine, now I need a Mac?") I would say OS-X is kinda out of the question the way things are.
Since OSX is out of the picture now as an OS to convert to, that leaves Linux and BSD variants. Out of the 2, I would think that Linux would be more likely for 2 big reasons. 1: more people currently use Linux than BSD as far as I know right now. 2: even among people that aren't at all geeky (and don't want to be), I can bet you more people have at least heard of Linux running on servers and whatnot - and even if they haven't heard of Linux, mention it and they'll go "What the heck is that?" - whereas if you try to tell them about BSD, I can see a person saying something like "BSD? What is that, the new name for LSD/Acid?"
Now that we've for sure narrowed it down to Linux, people will want to know which distro is most compatible with their Windows apps (you actually expected people to realize there are OSS alternatives?) which distribution is most user-friendly (not even having to user CLI - ever, because it has a front-end application to manipulate configuration files with check-boxes and radio buttons), and which distro works best out of the box (mp3, mpg, etc playback) which I would include with user-friendly.
And from the way I see it - *THAT* is why (or at least partly why) there is continually a search for a Linux competitor to WindowsXP and Vista (or whatever version is out or coming out).
Re:Use versus deployment vs management (Score:3, Interesting)
fast forward 10 years into the apolyptic future. linux is the desktop king. you don't think spyware, adware, et al is going to exist? i mean by that notion, microsoft had it pretty damn easy in the windows 3.1 and early 95 days, remember? if linux can solve the problem, explain why a bunch of heavily paid microsoft researchers cannot do the same thing.
Re:Linux interface just like windows?! (Score:3, Interesting)
As far as the OS goes its pretty but a distant second to Windows.
I have a Mac and a PC (XP) and I won't take sides on what's a better overall system because both
have their merits. But in terms of usability, OSX has that infuriating icon bar at the bottom
which doesn't nest with sublevels. The file system has a weird horizontal orientation in the
'explorer' which smacks of "we need to look different from Windows" logic. The window maximize
feature (which doesn't lock to the screen) is also infuriating. But most of all... and this is
something that I cannot forgive Apple for: The one button mouse is fundamentally inferior.
Support for two buttons is limited in the OS.
Apple is always getting credit for being design intensive -- but this is more of an aesthetic
judgement IMHO. Microsoft (as much as I love to bash them) deserves far more credit than they
get for designing an extraordinarily usable UI.
My two cents of course. Nothing intended as a flame here. As I said, I have both machines
and use them both.