| A review of Novell Linux Desktop 9 |
Dec. 04, 2004
ExtremeTech takes a close look at Novell Linux Desktop 9 in this review, in an attempt to determine whether or not it has a place on the desktops of non-corporate users. Editor Jim Lynch finds much to praise, but also comes up with a few gripes.
Novell once "ruled the roost for PC network operating systems," Lynch notes. "In fact, a term was coined, NOS (network operating system) to describe Novell's flagship product," he says. "But the Redmond juggernaut eventually overcame Novell's efforts. Novell shops still exist, but they're getting to be few and far between."
Lynch reports "almost no problems" with his install, a dual-boot configuration along with Windows. "Don't worry if you're new to Linux, the Yast installer used by NLD is about as easy as installing Windows XP," he says. "If you've used Windows, Gnome, or KDE before, you aren't going to have problems navigating the Novell desktop," he adds.
"NLD comes with a decent selection of software -- but not nearly as much as Suse 9.2 Professional," Lynch points out, noting that "there's just enough software available for the most common computing tasks, but not so much that the average user would feel overwhelmed by choices."
Lynch heaps praise on NLD's ease of installation, intuitiveness of desktop navigation, networking and disk functionality, and Yast 2 and Red Carpet administration functions ("managing NLD is pretty much a breeze").
One complaint, though, is the lack of Virtual Private Network (VPN) support ("How are laptop users who work from home supposed to connect to their corporate networks via VPN?"). Another is the lack of tools to run Windows apps under Linux, such as VMWare, Crossover Office, Win4Lin, or Wine, which Lynch calls a "must" for corporate offices.
Get the full scoop, and read Lynch's Pros, Cons, summary ratings, and n-out-of-10-points scoring for NLD 9, at DesktopLinux.com sister site ExtremeTech.
Read the full ExtremeTech NLD 9 review
Related Stories:
(Click here for further information)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
