Customer Reviews

SuSE Linux 10.0 (DVD)

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

First of all, to the person that only rated this 1 star because it was the CD-ROM version: There is no such thing as a CD-ROM version. All boxed SuSE versions contain both CDs and a DVD or two. If anything, this is Amazon's problem in the way they listed it, not a problem with SuSE.

I really like this release of SuSE for desktop use (it probably makes a good server too, but I'm not using it for that). One tool that I really like (which was also included in 9.3, but never seemed to work for me in that release) is Beagle. It is a great, real-time search utility.

For me, the things that make this version really great are:
Easy installation
Good hardware detection
Well thought out default installations for both Gnome and KDE
Nice list of default applications
YaST
Lower price than previous releases

I don't know what these other reviewers are afraid of - blaming Linux because they forgot their password? Claiming it ate their dog? For whatever motivation, people are writing these idiot reviews so they can vote one star and drive down the rating. (Employees of the "other" OS maybe?)

I run SuSe 10 and in fact have it on three computers plus my computer at work. It's wonderful. It recognized and configured all hardware, the office applications are great and read and edit all the MS office files. SuSe (and other Linux distros in general) comes loaded with thousands of applications that the other OS would have you pay extra for.

And yes - Linux comes free without the blue screen of death and you are much safer from having your computer infected, keystroke-monitored, zombied, or botted. I would never order anything online using the other OS. I do it all the time under Linux - simply because it is so much more secure.

And if you really just have to run MS Office, you can install an application called Crossover Office and run MS Office natively under Linux - you can even run security holes like Outlook Express and Internet Explorer if you want to. But Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Access all run like champs - perfectly - if you need 100% compatibility.

I've got one computer set up as a server with Apache, NFS, and BitTorrent. The others as regular office desktops. For those willing or even eager to learn something other than "Start" with all of its security issues, Linux is a dream come true. If you want to get under the hood you can configure away and learn a lot of valuable tips and tricks that are of real value in the computer world. Or you can go with the GUI install, setup, and full GUI desktop and never have to learn anything more. The default desktop is extremely familiar to other OS users and there is not much of a learning curve at all.

So included free - no blue screen of death (except the mocking screensaver that just looks like it), lots of security, your own Web servers should you be interested, lots of valuable and powerful applications (Kstars is free in the Linux world and over $100 for PC), and the opportunity to free yourself from the mentality of those who post worthless reviews about how Linux ate their dog or how it's Linux's fault they forgot their password.

Seriously. I paid for one boxed set of Linux CDs and legally and legitimately have it running on four computers simultaneously. There is no "phone home", no 20-character serial numbers, and no lockout if I upgrade hardware. Linux itself is free and you can download a number of very good distros - all for free and install it on as many computers as you want. If you buy the boxed version, you help support the commercial distros where companies like SuSe/Nevell integrate everything, add extra apps, and make sure it all works together.

Linux has come a long way from its beginnings. It's easy to use yet extremely powerful. It's heritage is multiuser, multitasking operating systems and that brings security. It doesn't cripple your computer wit bloatware either. Computers that barely run under the other OS will fly with Linux.

And if you feel the need to keep the other OS training wheels, SuSe Linux will spot the other OS and install alongside (if you so choose) and allow dual-boot. Want Windows? Just reboot. Want Linux? Reboot. Linux will also see your Windows partition and allow you to read or copy files over to the Linux side. It cannot write NTFS but at least you can read data over. Windows? It does't even try to read data from the Linux side - unless you set up a Samba server and then Windows doesn't even know it's talking to a Linux box.

So instead of saying Windows ate my data - which it actually has on occasion - I'll say Linux is wonderful. It's a great OS and the other OS company is very afraid of it. The USA is the last real hold-out for the other OS while other entire countries are swithcing to Linux. A lot of the world's fastest supercomputers run Linux. Like it or not, the future is Linux. I'm sure the other OS will be around a long time and they will keep pushing out bug-ridden and security weak versions for those that want it and think they are getting an easy to use OS. But everyone else is going Linux.

And the Apple Mac? It runs BSD UNIX under the GUI. That's one of Linux's ancestors. Mac OSX and Linux have an amazing amount in common.

A reviewer below was complaining that this is the CD version. It actually is both - it contains 5 CD's and a DVD. There seems to be only one version, and this is it.

If you are thinking of taking the "plunge" and trying an OS other than Windows, now is the time to try. With Suse 10 you get the best of the best in a Linux distro thats fast, easy to set up, and works flawlessly.

I am running Suse 10 on an AMD 1500+ homemade system as I type this (while listening to mp3's). The Suse install to a 100 gig drive went without a hitch. Suse detected ALL of my hardware perfectly and installed the necessary drivers. I was up and running in about 20 minutes total install time. The dvd comes with tons of software and even a few cool games. There is also an included update service that will update drivers, programs, etc. after the install. I would suggest you install Linux on its own hard drive. I have read that multiple boot on the same hard drive can lead to problems if Windows is one of the bootable OS on it.

All in all Suse 10 looks gorgeous. The included drivers for my Nvidia 6800 gt installed perfectly and I am running at 1280 x 1024 at 24 bit color. Windows pop up instantly and the whole KDE destop is super fast and super pretty. There are a bunch of extra "themes" you can download to personalize as you like. Suse also connected to the internet (I have a router) with no problems using DHCP.

If you have been thinking about trying Linux now is the time. Suse 10 is a must have. I rarely boot into Windows now (mostly to play World of Warcraft) and am using Linux as my primary OS. One thing you may want to check out if there is not an included driver for your printer is http://www.turboprint.de/english.html
they have drivers for all major printer brands in Linux. I have a Canon Pixma IP 8500 and there is no driver for it in Suse 10 so I bought the turboprint one and it works perfectly. Get Suse 10 and experience the power of Linux ! You won't be sorry, especially if you like to tinker a bit :)

Yes, you can get the SuSE 10.0 Evaluation and OSS versions 'free' for download.

What I like is SuSE runs on PCs which Windows and vendors give up on. I've replaced Windows XP several times with SuSE, and used it to rescue the harddrives. I do this as soon as XP became unmanagable and vendor support melts into uselessness and Microsoft recommends re-installing. That problem usually seems to show up in about 2 to 3 months these days, especially if hooked up to the internet. I then install SuSE for dual boot, and often get back the malingering Windows XP in the deal, plus I get back access to all my data files on Windows. It sure beats $200 Geeksquad or similar support costs.

Open Office 2.0 indeed performs quite well, more power than most of us need. And now has Access like database capability to go with it.

Programmers will love all the languages and development kits that work on SuSE. Monodevelop is like using a simpler Visual Studio.Net. There's perl, Java, C/C++, PHP, Ruby, LISP, and much, much more. Kate and KDevelop are great for writing scripts. There's great HTML and XML editors too. Plus, since web servers and web services are included with SuSE, you can prototype entire web projects with databases, email, etc. on your own PC.

But you don't have to be a programmer or nerd to enjoy SuSE. You can browse the internet using SuSE without fear of being hijacked, IM friends, and do so safely. You can use Open Office and as productive with it as most are with Microsoft Office -- without the $399 cost. SuSE has support for a very large number of printers, networking, and common USB accessories. You won't be downloading tons of extra drivers and add-on software to make stuff work. Most PC features are now recognized at install time. Just have your printers, USB and wireless devices hooked up on install and SuSE will very likely find them and configure them. What it can't figure out it will ask you for details on. Typically you'll have a couple small details to fill in for maximum performance.

The SuSE 10 retail package offers several things which aren't free and this is what you are paying for:
1) 90 days of installation support and Novell website usage. SuSE technical help answers your phone or email concerns about getting SuSE installed and working on your hardware.
2) Printed documentation (what's a good IT book cost?).
3) Full Retail version on dual layer DVD, includes more software than free version. See the SuSE website for details.
4) A chance to reward an IT company for truly backing Linux.
5) Software is on reliable install media. Novell will replace any disk that doesn't read right.

With SuSE you get more server power and network connectivity options than Windows XP Pro or Server offers, and there's never extra license fees. Your SuSE box can support many user accounts and you can switch between sessions. It has real multiple user features, so you can log into your SuSE box from other SuSE PCs or PCs using rdesktop or WierdX.

And if you have an AMD 64 bit system, you get full 64 bit performance now. If you have dual core CPU or hyperthreading, you get the full performance now, without extra CPU licenses or upgrading from Windows Home to Pro. If you have 5 PCs, you can load SuSE 10 on all of them. No installation restrictions like Windows. You only get the prepaid installation support on the first one however, additional installation support is available at reasonable rates.

With automated SuSE YAST Online Update, security patches and upgrades are daily downloaded and applied. There are few security issues plaguing Linux, and with this sort of 24x7 online support from Novell, these problems are few and far between.

As a systems, network, and security consultant, I can highly recommend Suse 10.0 from Novell.
Let me start by getting this one point clear, Suse 10.0 is an Operating System, what this means is that it will replace Windows on your computer. Linux distributions (Suse, Mandriva, Ubuntu, Redhat, etc) are all distributions that have a different style, or way of packaging the programs that are available for the Linux Operating System. If you are New to the idea of Linux, pay attention to the fact that Suse will ask you to a) format the drive, or b) resize the partition and dual boot the computer. If you choose a) you will lose everything on the hard drive,.. ie, if you have no backup to another drive or cd's, then you will have lost everything. If you choose b) to dual boot, the Suse OS will be an option when you start the computer, you will then be able to select to run Linux or Windows. If you have a fairly new computer, ie 60 Gig hard drive or newer, I would suggest you go for a dual boot environment to get your feet wet with Linux. Linux is different than that of Windows XP or Windows 98. It has a different feel, different set of menus, and a different way of identifying programs that are installed. Also, the programs installed don't necessarily describe their function, which is one of the largest obstacles to get used to when moving to linux. Suse is however very well thought out, and it gives you choices that some distributions don't give you. For instance, you have the choice to Install KDE or Gnome. Both of these are graphical interfaces that are similar to the windows desktop or Mac OS desktop, but different enough to set them apart. You will find that options and control is the main difference between Suse and Windows. Suse is a Programmers/developers dream environment, it allows the user to customize everything. As an end user, if you select all the default settings, you will have a good all around system. You will find the help system both intuitive, and user friendly. You will also find that Suse users on the internet are very helpful and you will find support from all kinds of sources. Suse has all the programs that most every user needs when starting up a new OS, from web browsers, to email clients, to chat clients, and Office Suites for writing docs, spreadsheets, powerpoint presentations (all through Open Office) and it has a great configuration interface called Yast. Yast will be your primary tool, both for software and hardware configuration, updates, and adding new software. Be sure to read all the help files associated with Yast. For those of you that format the drive and have buyers remorse, and long for a program that was only on Microsoft Windows, Please look at Crossover Office. It is an optional program available through Codeweavers, it will let you install purchased Microsoft applications in to Suse. It is easy to install with Yast or Kpackage and runs a host of software you wouldn't think would run in the linux environment. If you have questions or doubts, contact Novell and ask them about their product as a pre-sales question. Their support staff responds promptly and is quite knowledgeable. Anyway, this entire text is simply me saying that I highly recommend Suse Linux 10 as a desktop Operating System, and if you are looking at trying Linux, or if you are a seasoned user looking for a solid work environment, you can't go wrong with this distribution. 5.2.2006

I've bought every version of SuSE since 8.0. This is an excellent upgrade over the 9.x versions. Installed on my circa 2000, 850Mhz laptop, 10.0 is noticably faster than 9.3.

The distro is loaded with a phenomenal amount of software. If you choose to install the "standard" set of packages you'll have SuSE up and running in about 20 minutes. However, I installed pretty much everything for development, multimedia, databases, and games, and it took HOURS to install all the packages -- that's how much is available.

Some people complain about the "crippled" multi-media, but everything necessary for watching encrypted DVDs is available for download from the internet. It's not brain surgery.

Personally, I would have liked a physical copy of the Administrator's Guide. It is included in the distro as a PDF file. As 10.0 is approximately $40 cheaper than the retail price of the previous version, I think I can manage to find a Kinkos and get the Administrator's Guide printed if I really become upset about it.

Not the greatest product ever.. Isn't as stable as 9.3 but will work well for most people.
BTW, the version says CDROM, but it's just a bug the Amazon.com website has, which doesn't allow any other type for software.. but yes, the product includes a double layered DVD with the whole stuff, as well as the CDs.

I like the new(ish) version of Suse 10.0 (the default iguana desktop picture in KDE just seems really cool to me)...

I use Suse 10.0 as a general purpose desktop machine, connected to the internet, chatting, connected to my LAN, and do a little bit of programming on it (java, c++, even looked at Mono- the open source version of c#, which comes with suse 10). It comes with open office 2.0 with is about 1000 times better than version 1. The machine I run it one is an old P-3 600 with 384M ram and 32Meg Nvidia TNT 2 video card. And I be damned if the old beastie doesn't just chug along fine. I must admit that compared to version 9 (up to 9.3) it's hard to notice much performance difference on older hardware (Look at Mandriva 2006 if you're performance conscious because that distro rips along!).

Personal experience: I find suse 10 stable, easy to configure (Yast is a fantastic system tool -> instead of Yet Another System Tool they should change its name to TST- The System Tool) and installation is a snap. I use KDE and find it works really well on an old machine. In fact installing suse gave my old machine a purpose: a virus resistant internet machine, which realistically, is underspec-ed for WIndows Xp and forget about VIsta when it comes out. SO rather than throw it away -> install suse and use it for something useful. Better than the scrap heap. Warning though: usb modems tend not to go to well with linux distros and suse 10 is no exception. Other Usb devices- no problem. Though a dail-up is a snap to install and configure.

Suse 10 comes with vasts quantities of software of various quality. Yast makes it easy to find and install/uninstall and work with dependencies so you don't have to!

Of course the moral of my story is that Suse works great for what I use it for. You might need to consider what you want to do with your machine, your hardware and what OS will best meet those needs. Suse may be it. One thing is for certain though: it's a good peice of work. It is not arcance or 'intuitive' (euphemism for please call the 40 year old computer geek living down the road with his parents to explain it to you) -> everything you probably want to do is easily located and performed. Novell (+ others) is putting the power to do back into your hands and slowing working Suse toward a mainstream desktop: try openoffice 2.0 and see what I mean.

So in conclusion: a good, solid distro that is dependable and easy to use. Enjoy!

SuSE linux is by far the best all around version of Linux for anyone who is used to Windows, or anyone new to Linux.
First, let me clarify that it is not the best version to host webpages on. It is not the best version to emulate Windows on.
Where SuSE does excell, though, is exactly where it counts most for the average person. SuSE is increasingly easier to install compared to other versions of Linux with each and every new release. Installing Linux is one of the worst changes to adapt to when switching from Windows, but SuSE automated everything. It's so close to idiot proof.
On top of the easy installation, SuSE is a very smooth, quick, and user friendly OS. Almost every setting is automatically optimized for your hardware, where other Linux distributions have quite overwhelming in forcing you to configure everything. The hardware support is extensive and reliable. Any hardware conflicts I have seen in SuSE 8, and SuSE 9 have been resolved beautifully.
There are only a few downsides to Linux in general for anyone considering running it for the first time. Be careful not to play around with files you are unfamiliar with. Also realize that KDE and Gnome may look similiar to Windows, but they are very different. You will have to learn how to use it correctly. Try buying a book on Linux or at least find a few websites with information on how to get started.
Another thing to note about this version of Linux is the office suite built in. Windows users have come to expect to buy seperate word processing software. Do not fear, SuSE 10 has an extensive Office program that has software equally as useful, if not more, than Microsoft's Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and more.
On top of an excellent office suite, you will find CD/DVD burning software, media players, and much more included in this box.
What it comes down to is this: If you want a simple, cheap, and easy Operating System for a computer that will be primarily used for internet, email, and office applications, then this is for you. You can buy this one cheap piece of software and get everything you need for daily use. You will save hundreds of dollars over Windows, and even more over burning software and that expensive Microsoft Office.
If you want to get into Linux for the first time, then this is for you.
If you want to run a server, then try a different distribution of Linux with more focus on that.
If you want to play alot of games and utilize the newest software, then stick to Windows.