OSNews learned that the Gentoo project is porting their software distribution system, Portage, to Mac OS X. This makes Gentoo the third project developing such a system for the Unix-based OSX, after Fink and Darwin Ports. The Gentoo project also plans to create a GUI for OSX at some point, there is no ETA for it so far. Update: There might be some collaboration with Fink to also support their .debs. Update 2: The news are now on Gentoo's front page.

There seem to be many reviews on Red Hat 9.0, but all seem to be written by Linux junkies who really know their stuff. What about the MS Windows Convert? They say people like the first thing they use (i.e. if you learn to drive a manual transmission, you prefer it over automatic). If this is true, how does Red Hat 9.0 introduce a novice pc user to the world of computers? I hope to answer some of those questions in this tiny review.

FreeBSD Release Engineering Team's Scott Long has uploaded FreeBSD RC1 for i386, he says that alpha RC1 is in the works. Kris Kennaway has uploaded i386 packages. Marcel Moolenaar is working on RC1 ia64, ISOs for which will be available sometime tomorrow. You can find RC1 at one of your preferred mirror sites.

BeOSJournal is previewing YellowTAB's Zeta beta 5a. Read the interesting review and check their screenshots. Additionally, the web site features an interview with Mike Popovic, ex-Be employee, mostly known for his comical BeOS-related site, BeDope. Additionally, YellowTAB published information on a new set of Zeta-only applications they are developing, ZumlE. UPDATE: Learn about BeTunes!

The latest OpenBSD 3.3 release arrives with even stronger attack defenses coupled with an amazing record of just a single remotely exploitable vulnerability in more than seven years, the best security track record for any general-purpose operating system around. Read the review at eWeek.

Windows Media Center or MCE for short is a little shell that sits basically on top of Windows that has a few shortcuts and stuff like for T.V. Word has it that Bill Gates started funding for his personal use back in 1990's to actually integrate his PC with Entertainment System. Check the screenshots. Free alternatives are FreeVO and MythTV and the best commercial seems to be ShowShifter.

AppleLinks offers an overview of the Pegason PPC platform. OSNews' is here.

In a recent Slashdot article (and an OSNews one), someone asked if it were possible to create a fully-featured bootable Linux LiveCD for the Macintosh. Gentoo thought this was a great idea. So today, they are releasing two full-featured LiveCDs for the PowerPC: one with KDE 3, and another with GNOME 2. Screenshots here and here. To use the LiveCDs, simply boot one on your "new world" PowerPC (by pressing "C" during the machine bootup).

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IT decision-makers should avoid 'platform religion' and rule out Linux on the desktop until at least 2005, says analyst Giga Information Group. Research fellow Rob Enderle told delegates to the GigaWorld IT Forum at Disneyland Paris this week that experimenting with alternatives to Windows could prove a costly mistake.

Secret software interfaces hidden in Windows and previously only available to Microsoft's own developers have been exposed to the wider developer community. Using NSELib Namespace Extension Library, created by software engineering firm Whirling Dervishes, developers can create applications that reside in Windows Explorer.

Amiga has released an extensive CAM article regarding the history of the Amiga file system. The article is written by Olaf Barthel, a leading figure within the AmigaOS4 development team. Upcoming Saturday the 'AmigaOS4 on Tour' events will start in Europe, but the highlight Amiga event this summmer is planned for 26th and 27th of July at the AmiWest show in California.

Visopsys is a new operating system for PCs. It has been in development since late 1997. The kernel is small and fast, operates exclusively in 32-bit mode, and features real preemptive multi-tasking and virtual memory. The package includes a small suite of UNIX- and DOS-like commands, with which most users will be familiar, although Visopsys is not - and does not try to be - a clone of any existing OS. The binary distribution features an easy-to-use Java installation program, which works on Linux, Windows, and Solaris. You can install and demo the distribution on a floppy disk. Screenshot.

AmigaWorld interviewed Darius Brewka, the author of a StartMenu utility named AmiStart for classic AmigaOS. A screenshot shows that this is one of the better looking application launchers available for the classic OS, features include background-patterns, transparency and antialiased TrueType fonts support. Also Pixload4, a docking utility for classic AmigaOS and MorphOS has been released.