Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A MUST for beginning Linux users, August 19, 2005
If you don't have any Linux experience or knowledge and want an EASY transition...Xandros 3.0 is the way to go.
I disagree with the previous review of 3 stars. This is not a limited version. Upgrades can be done. If your a heavy, Linux geek, you would not use Xandros anyway! But if your a home user looking for a quick, affordable and VERY FRIENDLY product...go with Xandros.
Xandros has made the specific effort of trying to be just like Windows XP using the Linux kernel. It succeeds! If you want a more full featured version, try Xandros 3.0 Business Edition. More than likely, if your the typical home user or even power user, you won't use half the features. However, the business edition does supply you with Star Office 7 (the Linux/open source version of Microsoft's Office 2003)and CodeWeaver's CrossOver Office (a program that allows you to run many Windows programs in a Linux environment). You can also purchase these separately. CodeWeaver will be releasing version 5 in September and version 6 in December. I would wait and buy version 6, it is going to knock your socks off with rich features and compatibility!!!
To sum it all up and keep this review short, simple and sweet -
Xandros Desktop 3 is an excellent Linux distro to learn on, it is extremely easy to use, learn and install. It acts just like Windows XP, it automatically configures itself right out of the box, to communicate with an existing Windows network.
If you want a more full, in-depth experience, I would recommend Suse 9.3 and the Dummies book that will teach you step by step.
However, Xandros is more beginner/user friendly. You will feel right at home and it will only cost you $45 !!! Windows XP Pro costs $200.
There are many FREE distros of Linux out there for you to learn on but Xandros is full featured and the simplest for a beginner in my opinion. If you know Windows...you will feel right at home from the start!
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Easy to use with innovative features but not for power-users, May 1, 2005
Pros: Rock solid Debian base, a lot of clever applications, very easy to use, installation is all automatic, comes with excellent documentation, provides great media support and includes Codeweaver (Deluxe version only), Apache and FTP server.
Cons: Stripped down version of KDE, root acccount "disabled", only available in English, Linspire-style database of free software that you got to pay for. Default destop theme and fonts of debatable taste.
I had been waiting for a while to test the new version of Xandros, the Deluxe edition 3 that is. Critics have been raving about it, maybe my expectations were a bit too high but it left me with a bittersweet after taste.
Overall, Xandros does a very good job of making this distro as user's friendly as can be. Simple to use but not simplistic. Some menus and commands are cleverly designed. The Xandros File Manager allows you to access all your drives including your Windows partition and Network drives. Any Linux distro can do that. What's clever is to have put all of it under the same folder.
The Xandros networks connects you to the Xandros database of software programs, many of them would normally be installed automatically, but can be downloaded sometimes for free, sometimes for a fee. Installation is as easy as can be.
Unfortunately what this comes down to is a stripped down version of KDE and the need to access a database instead of installing everything from CD's as other distros would provide you with.
The root (super user) account has been "disabled". So if you don't know anything about computers you won't mess up with the core of the operating system. But say you just want to move a file (like a language file or codec file) to a program file, you would need to enter complicated unix command line instructions to do it.
Another drawbacks overlook by many reviewers is that Xandros is only available in English while many other distros like Mandriva, Ubuntu, Red Hat, Fedora Core, etc can be installed in many languages.
If you know very little about computers, are looking for a user's friendly Linux distro with many innovative features, and want to say farewell to spywares, adwares and viruses that plague too many Windows computers, this is for you.
But if you just want a basic Linux, easy to use and secure, consider Ubuntu. It is also based on Debian, includes security updates, comes with a beautiful Gnome interface, can be installed in many languages.
Linux is not compatible with the vast majority of commercial software so power-users will need to look eslewhere.
And did I mention Ubuntu doesn't cost a penny?
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great OS for beginners and power users, May 26, 2006
I have been using Redhat Linux for several years, and then switched to Xandros a month ago. What I can say is that this is the first time I could make Linux my main OS (my disk is partitioned into Linux/Windows) and use it as default bootup option. It almost runs everything I need and I rarely need to switch back to Windows.
The installation is easy and straightforward. The utilities are great and work with ease, I didn't find much complications with anything in Xandros. It comes with 30 days installation support and an online forum, where you can find answers to a lot of your "why/what" questions.
First let's start with negatives
- Xandros Linux wasn't as stable as I expected a Linux OS be (I have experience with Redhat and Suse Linux).
- Xandros Linux does not automatically detect serial mouse. You either have to set configurations for that manually or use a PS2 or USB mouse.
- For one thing, Xandros desktop is a stripped down version of Linux, comes with no standard developement tools. However, everything can be readily downloaded from Xandros Network.
- It is a little slower than Windows and other versions of Linux, but it won't give you hard time.
Positive
- Xandros simulates a Windows-like environment using KDE, so beginners have no problem getting accustomed to it.
- Xandros file manager gives you direct access to Windows partitions, USB disks, removable medias, etc. No fuss, no errors, no warnings, it just connects you in a second.
- Network and wireless utility worked excellent for me. Xandros uses a version of "ndiswrapper" to translate your wirless Windows driver to be used by Linux.
- Xanros Linux recognized my Fuji digital camera easily! I tried so hard with Redhat to make it work and failed.
- You can switch users right on the screen without logging off. This may not be as important for private computers.
- It uses "CrossOver" wrapper to make Windows applications such as Microsoft office to run under Linux. For one thing, the CrossOver is a trial version and after 30 days you have to pay for it. Second I am not using it much because 1)it does not work with every Windows application, 2) When using Linux you would use LaTeX as your main editing tool not Microsoft. So this wrapper should be more useful to the new fans rather than power users.
- You can download virtually everything you need from Xandros Network. Xandros has two repositories : Supported and Unsupported. [...]
I would say this OS can be equally exciting and useful to both new users and power users.
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