David Finkelstein, VP of Sales & Marketing
of Xandros, was very kind answering some of our questions about their upcoming product, Xandros Desktop 2.0. Dive in to read our quick chat and get more info directly from Xandros.
1. When is Xandros 2.0 estimated to be released?
David: Xandros v2 will be available in the second week of December
2. What are its main features? What technologies are included?
David: Attached is a .pdf highlighting all the new features in V2 (edit: exported as Jpegs in this article)
3. How do you see the competition lately? Are your competitors Lycoris and Lindows or Microsoft and Apple?
David: We see our competition as MSFT and Suse.
4. How Xandros 1.0 was received by the consumer after a year of being available for purchase?
David: Xandros v1 was really well received. We continue to get tremendous positive feedback on v1. PC Mag this November ranked us as the #distro 4 out of 5 stars and that was a one year old version
5. Do you believe that Linux on the desktop is adequate today or more maturity and finishing touches are required? If yes, which parts of the Linux experience needs to be worked out yet?
David: We believe V2 is the closet thing to giving users the desktop experience they desire.It’s interface, ease of installation and hardware support are best of breed and comparable to anything they are used to using.
6. Is there a Xandros 2.0 server product on the works too, or your main focus is the desktop version?
David: In January Xandros will announce a spate of enterprise focused products. Really exciting stuff!
not that I expected anything less after being blown away by their first release. They were far beyond other dsitributions back than in most areas, but they were not quite as up to date.
Xandros 2.0, will be even more up to date than most distributions and the first to ship with Samba 3. I’v especially gald that they updated GCC, OpenOffice.org and KDE to the most up to date stable versions.
Can’t wait for this! Now even the price is right, less than $90 for all that is a great deal.
It’s looks pretty good. I like thier custom file manager. What kind of package manager do they use? It looks like a lindows warehouse type deal(subscription), but can you use apt or anything free?
As far as I know, Xandros is based on Debian, so it uses deb + some graphical front-end for apt-get.
I think I will try the 30 day trial and buy if I like it. Seems like just the right system for me. Hey, I dont need 15 different text editors!
I am not going to pay that much for a file manager especially a proprietary one. I might pay up to $20 or $30 for the disk if it was made up of 100% GPL compliant software but not $99 or even $39 for a disk I cannot legally copy or use on more than one commercial desktop.
Those in the product papers are not very good.
It’s not about free, its about comparitive value and putting into the community what you took out. Xandros took thousands of free GPL applications that a large community of good programmers has built up and worked on for years, packaged them a little differently then added a tiny proprietary app so they can limit their customers use of what is essentially a Debian Linux distro.
This file manager looks like a modified xfe. Xfe is free and it’s good enough for me.
Do you call that an “interview”? You ask: What new features do you offer? He says: “See attached PDF file”. That really hurts!
Nobody mentioned if their tool (file manager, control panel…) are GPL. Are/Will the sources be available?
Xandros appear to have a pretty respectable attempt at desktop GNU/Linux. I’ve got to say – this seems like the best attempt so far and interests me alot. It’s a shame they’ll just miss out on KDE 3.2 and Linux 2.6, but $39.95 sounds like quite the deal, especially when you consider the amount of work they themselves have put in. Software updates through APT sound great too. They also seem to have one up on Lycoris with KDE 3.1, and one up on Lindows with some software actually coming with it, out of the box.
Their “file manager” is NOT open source. The parts of their system that are GPL are available for download from their web site:
[ http://www.xandros.com/source_code.html ]
_______________________________________________________________
Much of the software that comprises Xandros Desktop is Free or Open Source software. Many of the licenses that govern the redistribution this software require Xandros to make the source code for these components available to anyone who receives a copy of the product. You can access the source code for the Free and Open Source software components in Xandros Desktop in our FTP archive.
_______________________________________________________________
[ ftp://ftp2.xandros.com/src/ ]
What about free download version? Where can i get it and what the conditions?
Anyone knows when Mandrake 9.2 will be available for download??? i’m not a club member.
Thanks.
I notice that there are a lot of critics who haven’t actually tried Xandros. With Xandros 1.0 that was understandable to a certain extent as there was no trial version. For Xandros 2.0 there is a trial version, so I encourage those are skeptical to try it out. Critics who refuse to at least try the distro aren’t doing anyone any favours.
My favourite features of 1.0:
– Really easy windows networking (I just hate samba configuration files)
– Excellent autoconfiguration of hardware
– Common third party plugins already configured (e.g. flash, java, real player, Windows Media Player (via codeweavers) etc)
– Automounting of cdroms, usb hard drives, thumb drives, flash card readers, digital cameras etc.
– Logical default settings like write access to vfat partitions etc.
– Access to full debian archive of software (just don’t update core kde)
Add to that in 2.0
– A new easy to use cdrom burning software (I think one of their employees use to work at nero)
– Xandros Networks for driver updates, bug fixes for free and a subscription model for netraverse, and other proprietory apps. But unlike Lindows, they won’t charge for access to free apps.
– And I’m sure that there are other little hidden surprises as there were with Xandros 1.0.
Give it a go guys, even if just for the fun of it!
i can’t wait till 2.0 comes out, beta testing with xandros has been successful thus far, and their developers are really helpful.
their file manager is the BEST i have ever used, much better than microsoft explorer, yet has the same look and feel.
and you cant beat the crossover office stuff it comes packaged with, it is a real great bargain. i suggest everyone pick up a copy when it is released
i have used other distro’s
suse 7.1, 8.1
red hat 6.1, 7.3, 8
win 95, 98, 98se, Me.
none of the above done what Xandros V1 done
thats work first time of install
V2 is coming and it is my OS of first choice
(No, i do not work for xandros)
for myself there is no other that can do what Xandros can do.
for about £25.00 u get the best, forget the rest.
Here are the 2 real screenshots that were made available yesterday
http://www.xandros.com/images/ss_xdsk_v2.jpg
http://www.xandros.com/images/ss_xn.png
The desktop theme is very similar to the one in Xandros 1.0, I’m sure they did that on purpose. The second Screenshot is of the Xandros Networks program. From here you can download, for free; Driver Updates, Security Updates, Critical Updates, and of course the free software from the apt sources you choose. You can also choose to buy comercial software by clicking on the “Shop” tree in the left pane.
More to come I’m sure.
–Andrew
It’s not a modified xfe. Looks can be very deceiving.. thank goodness you didn’t say it looks like a modified windows explorer 😉
It’s a very beautiful program and for people working in mixed OS networks (read win networks) it’s really worth the money.
@zaphrod
> added a tiny proprietary app so they can limit their >customers use of what is essentially a Debian Linux distro.
Can u elaborate your point.. what way are they limiting use?!
These guys are on the right track. Just about everything that annoys me about Linux has been fixed except for one last big one: A standard installer for apps. Everytime I try one of these new distros everything goes perfect until I try to install something I’ve downloaded. Most of the time I’m left in dependency hell or the executable just doent run at all.
I dont want to read a 20 point instuction list on how to get the program to run!!
Paul said:
” Most of the time I’m left in dependency hell or the executable just doent run at all.
I dont want to read a 20 point instuction list on how to get the program to run!!”
I agree, it almost drove me away from linux when I was first getting into it. But it’s the goal of Xandros Networks to simplify Software installation and Removal. Think of it like the Add/Remove Software program in windows, except it actually does the “add” part. Xandros is debian based, this means that it uses the “apt” packaging system to resolve dependencies. It works very well, but there are still issues I suppose.
–Andrew
They modified the kde menu to look like windows. yuck. This means: click launch, click applications, click category, click program instead of KDE’s default; click on the large K, click your category, click the program. Why adopt the design flaws of windows??
cuz having ALL the apps in the root of the menu looks cluttered and it’s more inviting to current windows users.
“Can u elaborate your point.. what way are they limiting use?!”
by placing restrictions on how many Commercial PC’s they can install it on.
1. LICENSE:
A. Xandros Desktop (“Software Product”) is a modular operating system made up of individual software components that were created by various individuals and entities (“Software Programs”). The End User may install the Software Product on unlimited home computers of his or hers for non-commercial use and one commercial use computer.
This post is directed not so much at the posters on this particular topic, but at certain individuals who show up on most of the posts I read at OSNews.
Everytime anyone posts a postive article about any distro on this forum, you get the usual batch of crybabies and pussies offering their two cents, which is more than they want to pay for a distro. And why would they want to spend $70 or $80 for a well-crafted product? It cuts into their beer money. Half of these crybabies are probably still living at home with their mommy anyway.
If you’re happy with Slackware or whatever your distro is, fine; stay with it. But you don’t need to attack Xandros or any other reputable Linux distributor. Maybe Xandros isn’t for you, but how many of the critics have even tried it? Constructive critcism or questions about distros; yes. But if all you have to do is take shots at what other people have created, and then hide behind some anonymous e-mail address, you need to get a life.
@Andrew,
Now that Red Hat has basically thrown in the towel on desktop linux maybe now should be the time that Linux distros that are aimed at the desktop team up and make a standard installer.
To me, this is the current #1 reason why people give up on linux. Everyone I know that has run everything from Windows to AmigaOS agrees with me on this. All the Commercial OS’s since the 80’s have had this.
So what’s so wrong with that. I can’t see why someone using a software in a commercial setting can’t pay for it. Especially something like Xandros which has some really nifty things to ease networked operations.
It seems really odd that you are willing to make money (in a company) using a software but not willing to pay for it.
If you don’t like the licensing, don’t use it!
And I agree 100% (maybe 99% 😉 ) with Phil Hall that most rants here are from people who obviously haven’t even tried the product.
I wish he was asked how he knows that Sarge will be Debian 4. I hadn’t heard that before, and I wonder if they have any special insight into the Debian development process. Do any Xandros people participate in the Debian community, or do they just base their distribution on it?
That is a loaded question. Legally I think they are on safe ground as they appear to be releasing sources for the GPL parts of the distro and I don’t think the non-GPL code is integrated enough to required being released under the GPL also but they are definately not Open source supporters otherwise they would release their innovations to the community as the community have given them much more than they are giving back. What companies like Xandros, Lindows, Etc do is essentially like the farmer kicking the cow he gets his milk from. Still, this is just my opinion.
I agree with Zaphrod about ethics of Linux companies – giving back to the community.
Lindows has a lot of code in WINE. And frankly speaking, nothing else they did is really innovative IMHO.
Redhat, Mandrake, Suse’s contribution to the community is unquestioned.
Xandros has decided not to GPL their File Browser. Fine. That’s a company decision. But they have fixed a lot of issues in KDE, etc. Does anyone know if all these fixes went back upstream?
well, it will be shipping with a new installer and a new kernel and a new compiler. basically there is no binary compatibility with woody, so a 4.0 would be acceptable as a version number.
you mean like companies that have been around for a while like suse?
Yast2 is a proprietary piece of software, in-fact, you would have a hard time doing anything in Suse graphically with out Yast2. why is SUSE better than Xandros then?
Your not paying just for XFM, try the evaluationa nd than speak. Xandros also gave to KDE and all the projets they modified.
@Paul Gallant:
“Now that Red Hat has basically thrown in the towel on desktop linux maybe now should be the time that Linux distros that are aimed at the desktop team up and make a standard installer. ”
This statement is incorrect. RedHat has thrown in the ‘home user desktop towel’. RedHat is still concentrating on the Enterprise Desktop.
@shawn,
thats what I ment.
then use a more restrictive licensing than the GPL, the GPL allows companies to profit the way xandros and lindows do off free software. that’s part of the licensing, no harm in that, got a problem with it, don’t release software under the GPL, those people who released their code into these apps KNEW that this could happen. so there you go. if you don’t like it, don’t support it i guess. but quit bitching about it
It looks like Xandros is using the new KDE style, Plastik. Good for them. It’s the best one out there on any platform.
I am not 100% sure on this; but I think the “real” XandrOS 2 will have a slightly different graphical design. Thats at least what I would have done… First concentrate on the technical/programming part of the OS, then to the end put a nice GUI on it…
Xandros doesnt seem to be coming out with anything “new” anyways. Stuff like the new cd burner, the network compatibility with windows, and the windows software compatibility has already been there for a long time no in Linux. They are merely improving upon their sucky OS v.1.1. Also, who would want to include the Cross Over Office in a linux distro so it can run OFFICE XP? It goes against the whole purpose of GNU linux to be using applications like OFFICE XP on linux. Also, OFFICE XP is very unstble, which challenges the stability of Linux. I think Xandros should be supporting the “true” GNU office suits like Open Office. Xandros doesnt have nething which other distros dont have! I would go with Suse Linux 9.0 over Xandros neday.
Xandros installs OOo out of the box. Buy the Standard Edition and you won’t be paying for CrossOver.
It’s interesting to see your use of “new” – ‘cos almost all distributions then would be guilty of that 🙂 After all, distros are more or less a collection of packages. It’s the integration and finish that set them apart.
It could be the most polished distro yet .. I only wish they had waited for kernel 2.6.
I like how you would “go with SUSE Linux 9.0 over Xandros” after mentioning how they include CrossOver Office. SUSE includes CrossOver in their Enterprise Desktop edition, so why does that make Xandros any more guilty? In my EXPERIENCE, something you don’t seem to have with this project, Corel Linux, let alone Xandros, worked better on the Desktop than SUSE does now.
Many people say they should have wait for KDE 3.2 or kernel 2.6 or other thing. Why? We want something stable and well integrated, and we want a release! With almost a year since the Xandros 1 release they needed to upgrade and a lot of people are waiting for it and they don’t want to wait for them to integrate softwares that are not even released yet. I trust the Xandros team and I’m sure the product will be great (like the first one) and that the next release (2.x or 3) will use a well integrated kernel 2.6 and newer version of KDE.
Oh, come on. Whine whine whine that you have to pay $39 or *gasp* $89 for an integrated, supported OS! OMG!!! Go back to windows. Please. Be prepared to pay a lot more than that, BTW.
If you want to whine about proprietary apps and closed source in conjunction with OSS/FS, then you just plain don’t understand 1) business, or 2) the GPL. Go, read, then come back when you can make intelligent comments.
Don’t forget that the money you pay goes into the mouth of an OSS/FS developer, and not the maw of Redmond. Does another, Linux company make money? I sure as hell hope so, because I seriously doubt that a Fortune 500 company is going to go for widespread integration of an OS that is unsupported and has noone solidly behind it (read: someone with a profit motive. Profit ain’t bad, folks, it’s what free, Western civilization is built on). So give your money to someone that is doing a Good Thing. I have supported Linux with my wallet for over 7 years now.
I have been using Xandros since it came out last year. For stability and integration, I have yet to see a distro that even touches Xandros. Xv1 was not the latest greatest software, but I never suffered a crash or loss of data while using it. Were I a business looking at rolling out a Linux distro, that is *exactly* what I would look for.
Wait’ll you see X2 – I have… 😀
The reason why they include Crossover Office is to smooth the migration path from Windows to Linux.
If I had one knock on Xandros, and it’s a minor one, their icons still look like they’re homemade. Eye candy isn’t everything, but they could do better.
Yes, the ‘look and feel’ finish of Xandros is lacking. I have tried out both v1 and v2 and would love to use it for its stability and ‘just works’ integration. But I am a stickler for pleasing interfaces.
And since I am comfortable with tweaking around Mandrake till it works the way it should (for me), I don’t mind the extra hours spent on doing that. Hell, I am not a business and time ain’t exactly money for me 😉
But I can see that for business desktops, Xandros could very well be the OS.
Freedom to choose.. that’s what I love about Linux 🙂
I evaluated their product last spring, and it was a complete disappointment. It is a desktop based on KDE 3.0 when 3.1 was already out for half a year. Its graphic theme is lacking compared to latest KDE or Red Hat.
Their file manager was the worst of all! Just because they charge for it doesn’t mean it’s any good! Believe me, Konqueror is easier to use AND has more features!
Now they finally have a release based on KDE 3.1 when 3.2 will be out only weeks later, with significant improvements.
I have no problem with Linux companies making money, that is the point of most of them. I have purchased quite a few Linux distros in the past and will continue to do so but I will not purchase from a company who uses their tidgy little proprietary addon to place restrictions on their distro not normally allowed by he GPL. These companies adhere to the letter of the GPL but not the spirit.
You obviously haven’t used Xandros, as their earlier product used kde 2.x not 3.x. You clearly do not know what you are talking about. Troll!
Someone wrote: “I evaluated their product last spring, and it was a complete disappointment. It is a desktop based on KDE 3.0 when 3.1 was already out for half a year. Its graphic theme is lacking compared to latest KDE or Red Hat.
Their file manager was the worst of all! Just because they charge for it doesn’t mean it’s any good! Believe me, Konqueror is easier to use AND has more features!”
Wrong, wrong, and wrong. Your post makes me think you *did not* evaluate Xandros. X1 is/was using KDE 2.2, and having both Xandros and RH9 side-by-side on hda, I feel there was no appreciably more beautiful graphical theme. Not that eye candy a better distro makes, but of course it’s not the latest KDE or RH – it’s a year old (and voted as high as Suse9 just a week ago – too bad they didn’t have X2 for *that*…).
I have used both XFM and Konq, and Konq, although nice, does not even approach XFM for ease of use and functionality. Seriously. Konq ain’t bad, it’s just that XFM is *noticeably better* for this task. Why? A file manger is a tool – XFM is designed and intended to be used within this one distro, it is specialized, where Konq must, of neccessity, be able to be used across many distros. Brings the old saying to mind : “Jack-of-all-trades, master of none.”. Had you used it for any length of time (or, at all), you would have seen this. I did use both, concurrently – I am not speculating.
Try the 30 day eval that Xandros is making available soon, and then, after using it, perhaps your comments will be both more accurate, and pertinant.
Mr Beeblebrox wrote: “…I will not purchase from a company who uses their tidgy little proprietary addon to place restrictions on their distro not normally allowed by he GPL. These companies adhere to the letter of the GPL but not the spirit.”
Pardon me, but exactly *what restrictions*, and where does the GPL say that this sort of thing is “not normally allowed”?
It seems that you continue to misunderstand the letter, and the intent, of the GPL. The point of the Gnu Public License is *not* to make all software free for everyone, and turn the whole world into a totally non-profit arena. The point of the GPL is to make software released under the GPL adhere to the philosophical and legal intent of the GPL. If you go to http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html and read the GPL, you will soon find this out.
“When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom, not price.” Some of Xandros apps *are not* GPL, but most *are*. Those that are GPL follow the rights and restrictions placed upon them by the GPL, and those that don’t, use the license Xandros chooses to use. How do you interpret this to mean that it is wrong for Xandros to use GPL software in conjunction with proprietary software in order to make a product and sell it for a profit? I don’t see that anywhere. Maybe the following will clarify further for you:
Q – “Does the GPL allow me to sell copies of the program for money?
A – “Yes, the GPL allows everyone to do this. The right to sell copies is part of the definition of free software.” (from the FAQ, under “General Understanding”)
Maybe if you read this page http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/selling.html , you will understand this part of the GPL a little better. The page says things like this: “Distributing free software is an opportunity to raise funds for development. Don’t waste it!” So, Xandros, by distributing much of their product under the terms of the GPL, does exactly this. Nowhere on this page (or any other I have seen on the gnu.org site) does RMS or gnu.org explicitly state or infer that what Xandros is doing is wrong. Yet somehow you seem to think this is so.
I doubt that anyone at gnu.org or RMS would mind if Xandros would suddenly release their work (the proprietary part which sets them apart from other distributions) under the GPL. Yet, given the choice, I am sure that they would rather see Xandros continue to survive and thrive as a company which primarily uses the GPL along with a specialty app which they developed and use as part of their appeal to buyers, to one that used to do that, until they were unable to pay their developers, programmers, or electric bill. I am also sure that it is a good thing that Xandros makes it easier for end users to migrate away from totally proprietary OS’es.
I think I understand you might like everything to be GPL’ed, but I also think you are missing the very real point that that *will not* happen – unless all software companies are the same, distributing the same products, and service of the product is the only thing they sell. That worked really well for the desktop version of RedHat, as we have all seen…
Xandros may not be a *totally* free (as in “beer” or “speech”) distro, but they continue to contribute to both types of free, and to be able to pay their programmers, all the while furthering the penetration of GNU/Linux into a largely microsoft dominated world. Go Xandros! That’s good enough for me.
“Pardon me, but exactly *what restrictions*, and where does the GPL say that this sort of thing is “not normally allowed”? … It seems that you continue to misunderstand the letter, and the intent, of the GPL”
*what restrictions*
From the Xandros EULA
A. Xandros Desktop (“Software Product”) is a modular operating system made up of individual software components that were created by various individuals and entities (“Software Programs”). The End User may install the Software Product on unlimited home computers of his or hers for non-commercial use and one commercial use computer.
Which Conflict with sections 4,5 and 6 of the GPL
4. You may not copy, modify, sublicense, or distribute the Program except as expressly provided under this License. Any attempt otherwise to copy, modify, sublicense or distribute the Program is void, and will automatically terminate your rights under this License. However, parties who have received copies, or rights, from you under this License will not have their licenses terminated so long as such parties remain in full compliance.
5. You are not required to accept this License, since you have not signed it. However, nothing else grants you permission to modify or distribute the Program or its derivative works. These actions are prohibited by law if you do not accept this License. Therefore, by modifying or distributing the Program (or any work based on the Program), you indicate your acceptance of this License to do so, and all its terms and conditions for copying, distributing or modifying the Program or works based on it.
6. Each time you redistribute the Program (or any work based on the Program), the recipient automatically receives a license from the original licensor to copy, distribute or modify the Program subject to these terms and conditions. You may not impose any further restrictions on the recipients’ exercise of the rights granted herein. You are not responsible for enforcing compliance by third parties to this License.
If you read and can understand those sections then you will see, placing the restriction on the purchaser of installing on only one commercial system that the GPL is against the GPL, the only reason they can get away with it is by placing the restriction only on their proprietary bit that could conceivably be removed so can in a round about way be considered to be a separate program so not subject to the GPL. They tread on the knife edge of legality but have fallen in to the pit of unmorality.
So who misunderstands the GPL? It’s not me.
The first line of the last paragraph should read:
If you read and can understand those sections then you will see, placing the restriction on the purchaser of installing on only one commercial system is against the GPL.
Would be nice to be able to edit posts.
The rest of the first part of the Xandros license (which you convienently neglected to post) is below (the whole thing can be seen here: http://www.xandros.com/Xandros_EULA.html ). In it Xandros makes no restrictions on the use of GPL software, instead they ask that you read and be aware of the rights granted or restricted to you by the license of said software.
A “knife edge of legality”? Either something is legal, or it isn’t, and no matter how descriptively you choose to couch your argument – Xandros breaks no laws, nor even bends the GPL as far as their license is concerned with GPL software. Nor do they make any bones about the terms imposed by their own license for their own software. What is wrong with that, besides the fact that you personally don’t seem to like it?
“fallen in to the pit of unmorality”? Want part of the Xandros distribution that is GPL’ed? Go download it – Xandros makes it freely available.
Xandros follows both the moral and legal intent of the GPL’ed software they use, and quite exactly. Nothing you have said or pointed out would lead me to believe or interpret otherwise. Additionally, I have read nothing in the GPL which states or infers that what Xandros is doing is immoral.
Thus, the judgement of “unmorality” is yours alone. The fact is that Xandros is acting in accordance with both the GPL and the law. They also provide a quality product and good service to their customers.
Seems to me that they understand both the GPL, and how to conduct business in a manner which ensures survivability in the open market.
———————————————————-
The bold text below is my emphasis.
B. Many of the Software Programs included in Xandros Desktop are distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License (“GPL”) and other similar license agreements that permit the user to copy, modify and redistribute the Software Programs. Please review the terms and conditions of the license agreement that accompanies each of the Software Programs included in Xandros Desktop.
C. In addition to the freely distributable Software Programs, some versions of Xandros Desktop may also include certain Software Programs that are not distributed under the terms of the GPL or similar licenses that permit modification and redistribution. Generally, each of these Software Programs is distributed under the terms of a license agreement that grants the licensed user to install each of the Software Programs on a single computer for the user’s own individual use. Copying (other than for archival purposes), redistribution, reverse engineering, decompiling and/or modification of these Software Programs is prohibited. Any violation by the user of the applicable license terms shall immediately terminate the license to use the Software Program. In order to view the complete terms and conditions which govern the use of these Software Programs, please consult the license agreement that accompanies each of the Software Programs. If the user does not agree to comply with and be bound by the terms of the applicable license agreements, do not install, distribute or otherwise use the relevant Software Program. If the user wishes to install these Software Programs on more than one computer, please contact the vendor of the program to inquire about purchasing additional licenses.
It’s been fun debating this issue with you, but I have to go to work now. Have a good day, and I agree, the ability to edit a post would be nice – I would have liked to have added this to the above.
C ya’
Just try it. I am a beta-tester and just installed RC1. I have finally got an OS that I can use for work AND use for play. I have never been so thrilled in my life with a distro.
Lots goodies that is going to knock your socks off. I signed an NDA when I became a beta-tester; so can’t list them here, but I will be more than glad to enumerate as soon as it ends.
This distro is SWEET!
As for doing what other distros have been doing for a while… Download the trial. Take a gander at your ntfs drives, your networking, … just look around. You are in for a surprise. This distro is going to have redmond shaking in their boots.
solanjie
I’ve been using Xandros 1.0 for the past eleven months and I’m very anxious for 2.0. It looks like even more of a very good thing. I use it for my small business. I work on the computer 8-10 hours every day (most weekends too). The PC runs 24/7.
If you want to be on the bleeding edge, Xandros is not for you. If you want a rock solid OS that is very easy to use, with the legendary Linux security and stability, Xandros is the OS to get.
No, it isn’t free. But it’d be cheap at twice the price. The Xandros File Manager is excellent, and it’s hard to beat the simple 4-click installation (able to repartition a Win XP hard drive and dual boot if you like). Xandros automatically detects and configures almost all hardware. Maintaining Xandros is very easy. I think it’s the perfect combination of ease of use and Linux power.
There are too many nice features to list. Just try Xandros and see for yourself. It just works the way an OS should. I’ve greatly enjoyed using an OS that was designed for the users. And the one time I had a small tech support question, it was quickly and thoroughly answered by a knowledgeable developer. How many software companies do that?
I haven’t used Windows since I booted Xandros on my new HP laptop PC. I’ll never use Windows again. Good ridance. I use CrossOver to run QuickBooks accounting software, until a there’s a suitable Linux version. Most people won’t need CrossOver because Xandros ships with world class native Linux open source solutions for email, web browsing, spreadsheets, word processing, etc.
If you want to complain about the price, I suggest you start asking why we still can’t buy a name brand computer without paying $80 for WinXP, and can’t even sell the customized OEM version of XP to someone who wants it. Repeal the M$ tax.
If you want to criticize Xandros, try using it first instead of maligning a fantastic product you’ve never used.
True Linux geeks may prefer playing with their long favorite distro, and that’s fine. But Xandros is the Linux distribution with the power to topple the MicroSoft monopoly. I can’t wait for that to happen.
My friend was an employee there and he just recently quit. He quit because they go months without paying their engineers. Recently they gave out the payroll checks with a note attached saying not to cash it because they didn’t have the funds in their account. They owe a lot of money and may soon have to file bankruptcy, as it doesn’t appear they can pay their debts or payroll.
According to my friend, this latest version doesn’t have hardly anything changed in it, other than KDE 3.1. They have lost many of their engineers and are left with a skeleton crew that seems to be OK working for free. (Maybe they should just open source Xandros and let the community help?) He said they USE to have great engineers but have never had any decent leadership on the business side of things and the company is run very poorly.
I got this first hand from a recent employee, but take it as you wish. They started two years ago with some good technology from Corel, but it’s nothing special by today’s standards being set by SuSE (Novell), Red Hat, and Lindows.
Pete
FYI…
http://comments.fuckedcompany.com/fc/phparchives/search.php?search=…
The last time Xandros laid off any employee was in June 2002 during a time when no one in industry was doing particularly well. We have since more than double our R&D team.
Please stop spreading rumour around for things that you obviously have no information on.
Ming Poon
VP of Engineering
Xandros Corporation