Articles & white papers about Linux on the desktop ...

home | news | articles | forum | polls

Keywords: Match:

Articles

Defenestrating Windows (Part 3) — (continuation) — Turning the corner

Thus it was, that my "quest for a daytime Linux system" became my principal hobby -- one which I pursued relentlessly during evenings and weekends (just ask my wife!). And for the better part of a year, that was my status quo: "Windows guy" by day; "Linux ...

Defenestrating Windows (Part 4) — (continuation) — The light at the end of the tunnel

With the announcement of a new version of XFree86 that incorporated a font-server that supported scalable fonts, I felt a surge of hope that my Netscape-ugliness problem might soon be a distant memory. So I downloaded and installed the latest XFree86 -- ...

The Best Free Desktop Linux . . . and how to make it better — (Conclusion) — Conclusion

Almost three years ago, I wrote for the first time that the existing crop of Linux distributions could not compete with Microsoft Windows XP but many of them were superior to Windows 98. I received a lot of negative e-mail from Linux users. Most of the people who wrote ...

The Best Free Desktop Linux . . . and how to make it better — (Part 3) — Voice Over IP (VOIP)

Skype

SimplyMEPIS comes with a program called Skype. Skype is from the inventors of KaZaA. Skype is free to use and is available for Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, Pocket PC, and Linux. What makes Skype attractive is that there are so many adopters of the ...

The Best Free Desktop Linux . . . and how to make it better — (Part 2) — Installing

In general, I find installing Linux easier than installing Windows. The reason is that most Linux distributions install the user software along with the OS. Depending on the distribution, it is possible to have a fully operating system in anywhere from ten minutes to two hours.

Some Linux distributions ...

Defenestrating Windows (Part 5) — (continuation) — Look ma: no Windows!

So here I am with my fully functional Linux system -- capable of serving my work-day needs -- and with a big smile on my face!

Looking back, I can say it's certainly been an interesting year. (For example, at one point I decided to see ...

The Best Free Desktop Linux . . . and how to make it better — (Part 4) — Office

SimplyMEPIS installs OpenOffice by default. OpenOffice is the Open Source project derived from StarOffice. OpenOffice is one of the most successful Open Source projects available. OpenOffice replicates most of the functionality of Microsoft Office and includes many features that are not included in Microsoft Office. One of ...

The Best Free Desktop Linux . . . and how to make it better — (Part 7) — SimplyMEPIS Makeover

SimplyMEPIS is a very good looking Linux. Some dedicated SimplyMEPIS users have set up a website to support the MEPIS Beautification Project. As attractive as SimplyMEPIS is, it is easy to change the style. By default, SimplyMEPIS uses KDE. KDE is a great windowing system for ...

The Best Free Desktop Linux . . . and how to make it better — (Part 5) — Graphics

I have been through many generations of digital cameras. About eight years ago, I paid $800.00 for a Casio camera that captured images at 320 x 240 resolution. Everyone I showed the camera to was impressed. Many people asked me to print out images but I told them that ...

The Best Free Desktop Linux . . . and how to make it better — (Part 6) — Internet

SimplyMEPIS' default browser is Mozilla. I experimented replacing Mozilla with FireFox. I decided to continue to use Mozilla. The reason is that a lot of work has been done integrating everything into Mozilla and switching to FireFox means that you have to do all that work yourself. ...

Looking into the future of Linux — by Tom Adelstein (Oct. 13, 2004) — We caught up with Ricardo, who lives and works in London, England and came out with an interview.

Desktop Linux – Ricardo, you own a Linux gaming company and say you immediately gravitated to Linux as a development environment for that purpose. How does Project Looking Glass fit into you ...

Seven Linux distros fight over one old ThinkPad: Mandriva snapshot — (Oct. 5, 2006) —

Mandriva One 2007 KDE1

Distro overview

Mandriva is a full-featured distro that represents the convergence of the Mandrake (France) and Conectiva (Brazil) distros. Mandriva One, distributed free as a "fully-featured," downloadable live/install optical disk, is offered in KDE and GNOME versions, and in a variety of language configurations.
...

Seven Linux distros fight over one old ThinkPad -- Conclusions — (Oct. 5, 2006) —

Conclusions

Summary scorecard

The following table compares how all seven Linux distributions stacked up in my tests on the old ThinkPad. Click each distro's name in the table to read its mini-review:
...

Seven Linux distros fight over one old ThinkPad: Xandros snapshot — (Oct. 5, 2006) —

Xandros Desktop Home Edition, Version 4

Distro overview

Xandros Desktop 4 is touted as a beginner-friendly distribution with a customized version of KDE and a host of intuitive desktop utilities designed to ease migration from Windows to Linux. Xandros says its Debian-based Linux desktop combines highly regarded open source technologies ...

Seven Linux distros fight over one old ThinkPad: Kubuntu snapshot — (Oct. 5, 2006) —

Kubuntu 6.06-1

Distro overview

Kubuntu is the KDE desktop version of the popular free, community-supported Ubuntu Linux distribution. It's built on top of Debian, and is commercially supported by Canonical Ltd.
...

Seven Linux distros fight over one old ThinkPad: MEPIS snapshot — (Oct. 5, 2006) —

SimplyMEPIS 6.0

Distro overview

SimplyMEPIS is a live CD/DVD distro that installs or runs right from the disk. The latest release is an Ubuntu-based distro that uses the Dapper LTS package pool and the KDE desktop as a default.
...

Seven Linux distros fight over one old ThinkPad: Linspire snapshot — (Oct. 5, 2006) —

Linspire (unspecified version)

Distro overview

The Linspire distro is the commercial big-brother of Freespire. It does not include proprietary drivers, codecs, and applications at this time.
...

Seven Linux distros fight over one old ThinkPad: PCLinuxOS snapshot — (Oct. 5, 2006) —

PCLinuxOS P93A "Big Daddy"

Distro overview

PCLinuxOS is an offshoot of Mandrake Linux. In its brief three-year history, it's been striving to become a strong desktop contender in its own right.
...

Seven Linux distros fight over one old ThinkPad: Freespire snapshot — (Oct. 5, 2006) —

Freespire 1.0.13

Distro overview

Freespire is Linspire's free Linux distribution. It's a Debian-based desktop Linux operating system, which uses the DCC Alliance approach to Debian. It combines open-source software with legally-licensed proprietary drivers, codecs, and applications. For software management, Freespire comes pre-installed with Linspire's commercial CNR (Click N Run) technology, ...

Linux from the trenches: A frank analysis of Linux as it moves toward critical mass — (continued) — Q: Open source advocate Bruce Perens has declared that the "ingredients are ready" for Desktop Linux. Sun and SuSE have released products targeting the enterprise desktop. Red Hat has not been as willing to talk about the desktop, but is more focused on the server. ...

An interview with CodeWeavers CEO, Jeremy White (Part 2) — (continuation) — After playing with -- and being suitably impressed with -- CrossOver Office's added support for Quicken and QuickBooks (see Part 1), I prevailed upon Jeremy White, CEO of CodeWeavers, to answer some questions I had regarding his company's latest CrossOver magic. Here's what I learned . . .

Lehrbaum: ...

wIndependence Day Essay: My Switch to Linux — by Aaron Gosztyla (July 18, 2002) — I first discovered Linux the same way that I found many cool, life-changing things, like my first LPs (King Crimson 'Red' and Black Sabbath 'Paranoid'), Book of the Sub-Genius, and Slackware, left in a shopping mall bathroom. I don't know how or why this happens but it does; I just ...

wIndependence Day Essay: Learning Linux — by Mark Finlay (July 18, 2002) — After 10 months of non-use, my MS Windows 98 partition has gathered a thick layer of dust. People talk about missing features when they try to switch to Linux, but I am at a loss when I try to find any. When it comes to missing features in windows: I ...

wIndependence Day Essay: Family Migration to Linux — by Alexandr Fetisov (July 18, 2002) — You could say that simple curiosity made me look at free OS systems. It started off as a little bit of an experiment. When I was in University, I read about the power of Unix-based systems and decided to try out the penguin at home. Of course, it was difficult ...

wIndependence Day Essay: I Did A Crazy Thing — by Brian Jamison (July 18, 2002) — Last year I did something crazy. When I announced my plan, most of my friends shook their heads sadly and said, 'you'll be back.' They were wrong. I'm never going back.

Last year I had had enough of past frustrations and expenses. Because of this, I took a big plunge ...

More Articles...

Approaching the Linux Desktop
The purpose of this paper is to help organizations evaluate the Linux desktop against their own enterprise needs and discover what benefits the Linux desktop might bring to their organizations.

Migrating To Linux: Application Challenges and Solutions
Several solutions exist to help organizations migrate in an orderly fashion from Windows to Linux desktops. This paper establishes the characteristics of an ideal cross-platform solution and reviews these alternatives in light of this ideal standard. The paper takes a closer look at the pros and cons of various solutions and outlines the business benefits that can be achieved.

Linux Advantages: Publicly Available Information on Linux Software
This paper offers a brief summary of readily-available Linux information to help businesses sort out this widely misunderstood operating system.

Top 5 Strategies for Managing Linux
Despite continuous evolution in the manageability of Linux, a 2006 survey cited manageability concerns as a top reason why organizations are hesitating to adopt Linux. Levanta believes Linux can be as manageable, if not more so, than other operating systems by following key strategies. These strategic recommendations were developed from experiences in numerous customer environments, both large and small.

Why Choose Novell for Linux?
This paper outlines the benefits of switching to the Linux platform and choosing Novell as a high-performance, enterprise solution.

Enterprise Linux Selection Guide
Considering moving your enterprise to the Linux operating system? Since there are so many similar versions, choosing the right one can be tough. This paper offers a clear process to help you make an informed decision and get the features, support, and cost that are right for your business and technical needs.

Overcoming Challenges in Managing Linux
Levanta has created a new administration model with innovative technology that breaks down the barriers to making the most of Linux systems. This paper will provide an in-depth look at the workings of Levantaâ€™s product, the first Linux appliance of its kind.

SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 for Retail Businesses
Discover why major retailers have switched to SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop in the back office. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 is a low-cost desktop that offers a complete set of productivity applications and interoperates seamlessly with the other Windows, Macintosh and UNIX desktops in your store.

Moving to a Linux Desktop
Migrating from Windows to Linux on the desktop can be a substantial undertaking because it has the potential for touching -- and perhaps disrupting -- every user in your organization. Unlike a data center (server and infrastructure) migration that is largely transparent to users, the cultural and administrative transitions and environment readiness required to support a Linux desktop migration are extensive.

Seven Good Reasons to Exchange Exchange
This paper describes seven compelling reasons why you should switch from Exchange to Scalix.

Got a HOT tip? please tell us!

ADVERTISEMENT
(Advertise here)

Resource Library

Popular recent stories: • Linux an equal Flash player • Linux, netbooks threaten Microsoft's fat profits • gOS 3.0 goes gold • Browser swallows OS • Lenovo denies ditching Linux • Lightweight, Linux-compatible browser evolves • GNOME 2.24 gains "Empathy" IM • Review: Pardus Linux • Ubuntu to fund Linux development • Ubuntu "Intrepid Ibex" available All-time Classics: • Choosing a desktop Linux distro • Banshee -- the next best thing to Linux iTunes • Running World of Warcraft on Ubuntu • A simple Linux backup method • The Best Free Desktop Linux . . . and how to make it better • Linux-powered Asus Eee PC mini-laptop arrives • The well-tempered Debian desktop • Lenovo launches a netbook • What's the best Linux for beginners? • Getting to know Puppy Linux • Xandros 4: The best desktop Linux for Windows users • VirtualBox: The best virtualization program you've never heard of Linux-Watch headlines: • Amid controversy, Microsoft launches open source foundation • As open source surges, Microsoft admits Linux threat • Open source lobbying group emerges • Open source Linux device drivers submitted by -- Microsoft? • Google names Chrome OS partners • Google's new OS marries Linux and Chrome • Debian plans draw sharp warning from GNU guru • OpenSource World announces keynote speakers • Linux 2.6.30 gets new filesystems • Intel to buy Wind River for $884 million Join our Desktop Linux discussion forums: • Moving to Linux • Linux/Windows debate! • Linux Q&A . . . and more	Visit the...

BREAKING NEWS

• Knoppix Live CD distro rev'd
• Debian Linux-based Google Chrome OS debuts, goes open source
• Mint 8 achieves RC1, and Fedora 12 goes final
• Dell PCs cram multimedia power into tiny package
• OpenSUSE 11.2 and Novell's Mono Tools ship
• ABI's Jeffrey Orr on rising Linux netbook sales
• Moblin v2.1 goes beta, adds 3G support
• Linux owns 32 percent of netbook market, says study
• Skype working on open source VoIP UI
• Ubuntu 9.10 final ships as IBM spins Ubuntu-based cloud distro
• CentOS rev's to version 5.4, tries on KVM
• Fedora 12 optimized for Atom-powered netbooks
• Puppy Linux 4.3 gains bugfix, rave reviews
• Hulu comes to Linux
• Reviews praise Ubuntu 9.10, knock Ubuntu Moblin Remix

Linux Netbooks

Linux smartphones!

news feed

Or, follow us on Twitter...

Use of this site is governed by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Except where otherwise specified, the contents of this site are copyright © 1999-2007 Ziff Davis Enterprise Holdings Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.