Xandros free trial

It did not, however, manage to configure the laptop's sound correctly -- it did not recognize the device, leaving me without audio. One thing you won't find with Xandros is a LiveCD version. This means that your opportunities to "try before you buy" are limited to physically installing the trial version, and installing something else later if it turns out you don't like it. After installation, you'll be asked a few more questions when you first log in, dealing with internationalization, time zones, and selecting a desktop look and feel.

The default Xandros look is probably intentionally very reminiscent of Windows XP, with a Launch button in place of the Start button and little icons representing running programs on the bottom right.

If you want, you can choose from several other themes, including a generic KDE interface. The standard install doesn't include some things you might have expected, such as the OpenOffice suite or the Gimp image manipulation app although both are available for install via the Xandros Network.

You also won't find the Gnome desktop. Unlike many distributions, Gnome isn't available in the standard Xandros installation as a choice -- in fact, it isn't available at all, even through the package manager.

Xandros has clearly decided that KDE is the app of choice, and the company is sticking with it. Interestingly, the install does include some of the usual suspects, such as Firefox and Evolution , the integrated mail, address book, and calendaring app. You also get a copy of CrossOver Linux , an app that allows you to install Windows software on a Linux system, which makes one wonder if they expect most of their potential users would rather install Microsoft Office than use the open source alternatives.

Incidentally, Xandros does a good job of making a number of tasks friendlier than usual for Linux. For example, it has a printer driver installation wizard that walks you through the process, and seems to know about most common printers, such as the pair of networked Brother laser printers I used it with. It combines a number of functions that most distributions keep separate: package management, updates, and news from Xandros.

The package management component, where you install new applications, looks pretty much like that for any other distribution.

However, the update section is another place where Xandros has gone for a Windows look and feel, with highly readable descriptions of the updates, divided up into security updates, normal updates, driver updates, and service packs yes, Xandros has even borrowed the Service Pack nomenclature from Microsoft. Another small very small in fact, only 2 developers company is Libranet, but the support is beyond imagination: they would even write a driver specifically for you.

Do you understand that? If you like the trial then buy it, help them out. After all, look at Mandrake, they have had and still do have financial problems. I have downloaded and tested this now, and to my supprise it was no April fool. It worked as it should, and is the very latest Business Edition. I used Libranet for a while, but found that the support was nonexistant. Jon and Tal apparently never read their forums.

They almost never post to them either. I became disgusted with their ignoring the users requests and questions. I also have an issue with people allowed to engage in open harrassment on their forum without warning or censure. The only software they write is the Xadminmenu which usually only runs the standard Debian tools for configuration. Compared to Xandros, which has a wealth of innovative additions Libranet is poor.

They actually contribute only about kb of code, and they expect to be paid for the whole system. As far as writing drivers they only use the Debian ones that are included with Sarge.

I believe in supporting small developers, but they need to develop something first. My personal opinion is that Xandros has a windows 98 feel to it. I used windows 98 for a while as my sole system. It worked and had a nice look and feel. But if you tried to do anything outside of its comfort zone then it became very unstable.

Thats not to fault windows 98 in a sense as it wasnt designed for certain things. So xandros has many nice features one of which i commented on above. It was without a doubt the fastest install.

It also has a very nice useable interface and definitely doesnt try and overwhelm the user. Xandros big claim to fame is the xandros file manager which i think is built on the konquerer core.

What they did was try and emulate explore in many ways. And I have to say xfm is a very nice piece of software and does quite alot out of the box. But when I tried to customize it in certain ways I found I couldnt. As far as their support and forums for newbies its ok I guess.

Im not sure how many support people they have but I think its one or two. I saw one in the support rooms and he answered some questions. But when people asked anything above some very simply questions they often got admonished beyond belief and treated in very poor ways. And when I made comments regarding all these facts I was pretty much ignored and then blacklisted. SO I came to the conclusion that xandros is in the realm of lindows but apparently alot better. And this is fine as not everybody can compile a kernel and use something as advanced as gentoo.

I have also found that i prefer gnome to kde. SO my plan is to give slackware debian mepis and arklinux tries and maybe if i get myself drunk enough i will try gentoo. I cant compile a kernel to save my life so it should be interesting. After safe update the system becomes unstable and the package manager becomes broken quite easily. It sets up a configuration which causes LOTS of issues should you apt-get upgrade.

Dependence problems run rampant at that point. They are apparently trying to give the illusion of having a Lindows style archive using the Debian archive in order to enforce the buying of a new version to get the high demand upgrades. I abandoned it as having no real future because both Xandros and Lindows are set up this way, but at least you get something in the tradeoff.

If no one pays for linux or linux based services there will be no more linux. This elitism has cost the open source community dearly already. Even Windows timebombs which are very complex and hard to find have been removed. GG Xandros. My opinion is that even if the safe update comes as a default in future versions, changing the apt configuration and restoring full Debian compatibility should always be possible.

My suggestion would be downloading 2. What commercialization of LINUX means is that around a given core product infrastructure there is equal-playing-field competition — if you want to make dollars selling LINUX, you need to convince people that you offer more than the other guy.

And because LINUX distros are so cheaply and easily put together as opposed to making a BeOS or a Windows — from scratch, in-house , there remains a strong likelihood of non-commerical competitors e. If I understand matter right, the commercialization of LINUX is set up to do just what the market is supposed to create competition forcing the production of better products while not preventing home-spun efforts provided sufficient interest exists.

And, as I see matters, things are working out for consumers: LINUX continues to close the gap on Windows and OSX in usability but, alas, not me beloved BeOS — she broke my heart , offers its own distinct set of plusses and minuses, sells for less, and convinces you to update with new features and improvement obsolesence as a good thing! OR have I read too many biased on-line rants? Am I making sense? I tried an older version of Xandros a few years ago. But is it any better than the free ones?

I tried the Xandros 3. Its good to be spoiled for choice. Looks like maybe their server crashed. Odd… I was getting the same thing with Microsoft Passport trying to download Expression Web Designer to test on ubuntu under crossover. When I used it, it just felt like a crippled version of Konq.

In light of this, I tried to upgrade to a newer version of KDE by adding my Debian repos to my sources. On the other hand… things might be different now? I switched to Debian, which I liked very much, then found Kubuntu… like Debian but more stuff works out of the box, and never went back.

So first they get with the product activation and now they are coming up with long ss names like MS. I wish them the best; but what I advise them to do is to buy a small OEM company and start supporting execlusively their code on them rather than trying to be another distro or windows wanna be.