Thursday, April 14, 2005

1,200 improvements create slick, easy-to-use computing experience

In past lives, Lindows/Linspire was a good-to-fair operating system. Good for computing beginners; fair for knowledgeable Linux users. For instance, version 4.0 was hard to configure but was better than version 4.5 in handling the hardware on my laptop. I found that annoying and a possible deterrent to computing neophytes. I’ve found no such problems with Linspire 5.0. It takes the operating system to new heights.

5-0 sports more than 1,200 improvements over version 4.5, including a revised graphical interface, laptop and hardware support, Internet optimization, and dozens of enhanced software applications. Linspire uses Linux kernel 2.6.10 and includes the KDE 3.3 desktop, the Open Office software suite, a Mozilla browser, plus upgraded e-mail clients, instant messaging and lots more.

For the record, Linspire 5-0 can handle many of your favorite Internet, office and media file types including QuickTime, Windows Media, Flash, Java, Real, .doc, .xls, .ppt, .mp3, .pdf, .mpg, etc.

Linspire calls their product the world’s easiest desktop Linux. I cannot disagree. Of the different flavors of Linux that I’ve tried in the recent past, Linspire is, hands down, the easiest to install, configure and use.

As for my experience, it took me a grand total of 21 minutes to boot my old Pentium III laptop, put in the Linspire CD, reboot, install 5-0, reboot again, adjust the time, date and sound level, and then start computing.

Everything worked out of the box. Picture, sound, everything. That was not the case with previous versions. What really amazed me was that Linspire 5-0 not only knew I had a Wi-Fi card in my laptop, but it had it working before I told it the name of my wireless network. This is a first for any Linux distribution I’ve ever played with.

Linspire 5-0 still features the wonderful, optional CNR (Click and Run) software downloading warehouse. For a yearly subscription price, you can download and try hundreds of software titles that automatically install on your computer with one click of the mouse. It also keeps track of any software updates and invites you to download them. There are also some pay-for software titles on CNR like Star Office 7, VirusSafe and SurfSafe (for parents and kids).

The digital version of 5-0 sells for $49.95.