Desktop 4 Professional

Xandros 4 Professional tries to set itself apart from the majority of popular Linux distributions in two ways. First, by making the installation and administration procedure as simple as - or simpler than - the best free distributions. Second, by integrating commercial software offerings into its package management system.

Computerworld

  • Review
  • Specs
  • Images
  • User Reviews
  • Buy Online

To a lot of people, Ubuntu represents the most end-user-friendly nongeek-compatible Linux distribution. But there are other commercial distributions that work even harder to create a desktop experience that is, frankly, Windows-like. The two most well-known of these are Xandros and Linspire (formerly Lindows). Since Xandros recently acquired Linspire, that leaves it pretty much in sole possession of that segment of the marketplace.

Pros

  • Makes a number of tasks more friendly than usual for Linux

Cons

  • No liveCD, not free, trial version very limited, not many packages available in Xandros Network store

Bottom Line

Xandros will no doubt offend Linux purists, both by the tight integration of commercial software into its business model and by the lack of features such as Gnome. On the other hand, for a Linux newbie who wants a Windows-like experience, it may make a reasonable choice.

Would you buy this?

  • Price

    $ 135.45 (AUD)

Xandros 4 Professional tries to set itself apart from the majority of popular Linux distributions in two ways. First, by making the installation and administration procedure as simple as — or simpler than — the best free distributions. Second, by integrating commercial software offerings into its package management system.

While distributions such as Ubuntu try to make the installation process easy for nontechnical users by offering reasonable defaults for the various setup options, Xandros takes it a step further — in essence, by offering no choices. The first thing that the installer asks is whether you want an express installation or a custom one.

If you select express, you have made your last decision — the installer will take over the entire disk, install a standard set of packages, set your network port up for DHCP, and so on. About all you'll be asked for is the required security information for the system login. (As you'd expect, the custom install gives you a bit more control.)

The Xandros installation CD performed well during testing, installing nearly flawlessly on both VMware running on a Windows Vista quad Core 2 workstation and a trusty three-year-old Toshiba laptop. It correctly identified and configured the 802.11g wireless system in the laptop, something that not every distribution we've tested can boast. It did not, however, manage to configure the laptop's sound correctly — it did not recognise the device, leaving us 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 internationalisation, 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 us wonder if Xandros expects 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 more friendly 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 we used it with.

Keep up with the latest tech news, reviews and previews by subscribing to the PC World newsletter.

Be the first to comment.

Post new comment

Users posting comments agree to the PC World comments policy.

Login or register to link comments to your user profile, or you may also post a comment without being logged in.

Most Popular

What's the difference between an Intel Core i3, i5 and i7?
Five reasons to avoid the Samsung Galaxy S4
Laser vs. inkjet printers: which is better?
Samsung’s 2013 Smart TVs: everything you need to know
How do I connect my TV to the Internet?

Best Deals on PCWorld

Software and ServicesView all »
SecurityView all »
Servers & StorageView all »
Desktop PCsView all »
NotebooksView all »