Xandros Linux desktop hits Walmart.com

Desktop Linux ^ | Dec. 03, 2004

[stainlessbanner]

Linux software maker Xandros has joined the growing number of open source software offerings on PC desktops at Wal-Mart's online store. Like other PCs available from Wal-Mart, the Xandros-powered systems don't come with a monitor, and range in price from US $200 to $600.

The Xandros-powered PCs have 1.5 to 3 GHz AMD processors along with 128 to 256 MB of memory, CD-ROM or CD-RW-DVD-combo drives, 40 to 80 GB hard drives, and a comprehensive set of software based on Xandros Desktop Standard Edition v2.0.

In 2002, Wal-Mart introduced PCs with Linux preloaded from "white box" manufacturer Microtel. Walmart.com also sells the systems with desktop Linux software from Novell (SuSE), Lycoris, Lindows, and Linare. Linux market leader Red Hat rolled out Linux PCs early last year in Wal-Mart-backed Sam's Club member warehouses starting at US $300.

Last summer Xandros released a free download of its desktop Linux OS. The Xandros Open Circulation edition is freely available for download from the company's website.

[Prime Choice]

Slackware is a good to actually learn linux instead of use it.

I've been using Slackware since version 3.1. Far superior to Deadrat...er...Redhat.

[fat city]

Thanks for the tips. I don't do any gaming but a lot of sound and graphic work-- I suppose software is very limited, right?

[Happygal]

Well, gimme yer phone number and we can negotiate culpability! *ROFLMAO*

I guess I'm a wicked Catholic girl! *LOL*

[foobeca]

HOLY CRAP Batman! Where can I get a 3Ghz AMD processor? Is it liquid nitrogen cooled? The FX-55 only runs at 2.6Ghz!!!

[The Electrician]

if you really want to learn linux, Slackware is a good to actually learn linux

Just curious - what is your rationale for saying that?

[Nick Danger]

You must buy and install Microsoft Windows.

Linux is double plus ungood.

It will make your computer blow up, and kill your puppy.

It is too hard to learn.

There is no software for it.

You must buy and install Microsoft Windows.

[Brian328i]

Alot of the distros, i.e. RedHat/FC, Mandrake have alot more features built into them that do more for you, such as package managers and auto updaters and they are very graphical. They work great to bring people into the Linux community that might never have desired to try Linux since Linux is often considered to be intimidating to those that have hardly strayed from Windows. Slackware as well as other distros like Debian may be very intimidating to new users since the setups are not really graphical but more command line and menu driven. Slackware also is considered to be the "vanilla" distro compared to the rest, except of course LFS. Slackware also requires you to explore and read the conf files to configure the system to your needs.

[The Electrician]

Interesting... It sounds like Slackware is like Red Hat was back in 1999 which is the last time that I touched it (until last week, that is, when I installed Fedora, which is indeed very Windows-like). I can see how Slackware might be a good choice for actually learning the guts of the OS...

[Brian328i]

Also, forgot to mention, IIRC Mandrake and RedHat come with alot more programs such as OpenOffice and the such that are equivalents to alot of Windows programs. I believe they even come with lots more which ups the CD count. Slackware comes as a base system with a window manager or Desktop Environment and some essential programs and you have to basically install the rest of the programs you want, of course there are package sites to download prepackaged programs if you decide to go that route.

[edchambers]

Do they just sell the software?Yes I know this is supposed to be a free OS but I have not had the best of luck with downloading and installing it off the web.I'm getting a little bored with everything in the house running 98se or XP.I do play games but mostly on one computer the others I use mainly for the internet,internet radio, and as a spare when my main is down for upgrades or repairs.

[Brian328i]

Try it out, you might like it, I do and I get frustrated using other distros because of little things since I'm too biased to Slackware's workings. ;)

[The Electrician]

I was in CompUSA last week and noticed that they had several Linux packages on the shelf, although I don't remember exactly what was there.

I recently downloaded Fedora Core 3, which was pretty painless (once I figured out that Roxio doesn't like burning IMG files and switched to Nero). Installation was amazingly simple, too, although it helped to do ten minutes of reading ahead of time in order to choose a partition and boot manager setup.

Once upon a time I knew a reasonable amount about Linux (I actually wrote a kernel driver for a video capture and MPEG encoder card), but I've forgotten almost all of it in the ensuing years.

[Brian328i]

You might want to try a live distro, such as Knoppix (Debian) or Slax (Slackware Live) and see how you like it. They are very well at configuring support for a system, and they come on a single cd. While most Linux Distros are usually free, they sometimes require you to pay for continued customer support and sometimes upgrades. Off the top of my head I can only really count on one or two hands the number of companies that require payment for software. A few games play well on Linux using WineX/Cedega, but there can often be a few bugs that arise trying to run them.

[MTR]

"but I hear the learning curve is steep and I'm too short-winded as is."

Linux is much easier to use than Windows. Installing is the hard part. Red Hat, Mandrake, Suse, Xandros and Lindows (or whatever they call it now) have very easy installs. PCLinuxos has a little bit harder install, but is by far the easiest to use and upgrade. I don't believe there are any install instructions for it, but I can explain it if you would like to try.

What I like about PCLinuxos is that you can download the ISO, burn to CD and then boot the OS from the CD to see if all your hardware will work with it and you like how it works.

[edchambers]

Thanks I'm not so much worried about the games, I have DOS 6.22, Win98se, and Xp SP2.I just want to experiment with some of the alternatives.I've tried downloading SUSE off the net before and could not get it to boot in fact I had to pry open my CD drive with a butter knife just to get the disk out.At the time it was an old beater and I had alot of spare parts laying around, nowadays I have more working computers than spare parts.

[MTR]

"I don't do any gaming but a lot of sound and graphic work-- I suppose software is very limited, right?"

There are truckloads of sound and graphic programs for Linux. Just look through freshmeat.net (not a porn site) and SourceForge.net to see some of them.

Not knowing exactly what you need to do, allow me to suggest a couple programs. The Gimp is used for web graphics and home photo inhancement. CinePaint is for professional photographers and motion pictures (you can obviously use it for home photos and movies). Blender is used for 3D modeling and creating some very interesting animated movies. Audacity is an audio editor that handles most formats and has some simple effects.

I don't know if you are aware of it but Linux is used by the motion picture industry to help make such movies as Titanic, Harry Potter, Cats & Dogs, Dr. Dolittle 2, Little Nicky, Grinch, Sixth Day, Stuart Little, Planet of the Apes, Stuart Little II, 2 Fast 2 Furious, The Last Samurai, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Elf, just to name a few.

[I_dmc]

To compare the Xandros versions, see link.  The free download is via BitTorrent, as is LinspireLive! CD (formerly known as Lindows).

Xandros Desktop Matrix         

http://help.lindows.com/cgi-bin/lindows.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=397&p_li=

[I_dmc]

Well, now that Crossover Office v4.0 is out....(supports iTunes).

[I_dmc]

Here are two you can investigate, Nvu and Ginf.

Nvu - The Complete Web Authoring System for Linux

GINF: Ginf Is Not FrontPage(TM)

 

[Joe_October]

$399 buys the Windows machine at Dell with Monitor and Printer.

These machines are for people who shouldn't waste their money on them.