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SuSE Linux 8.2  |
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Red Hat Linux 8.0 |
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CNET review
(12/2/02)
By Neil Randall
Linux fans: we're getting there.
Ever since Linux made its mass-market debut, would-be adoptees have wondered whether switching from Windows would ever be a truly practical option or whether Linux would forever remain a server-side OS for die-hard technophiles. A few early attempts at a consumer Linux OS--remember Corel Linux?--died on the vine, leaving the future rather bleak for this low-cost OS alternative.
Early Linux versions sported an installation routine far too technical and terrifying for the vast majority of Windows users, and getting the X Window GUI up and running often took both time and courage. Even when everything was working, day-to-day Linux applications were much harder to use than their Windows equivalents--X Window's spindly fonts alone made onscreen reading an abysmal exercise.
Things have changed. Two of the year's most user-friendly Linux distributions--SuSE Linux 8.1 and Red Hat Linux 8.0--have closed the gap between Windows and Linux. For those who have at least a few years of PC experience, it's now feasible to switch from Windows to Linux or, at the very least, use both--in a dual-boot environment or on separate machines. So, which of these alternatives should you choose? Read on.
CNET Reviews contributor Neil Randall has reviewed hardware and software in the computer press for almost 20 years. Got a question for him? We'll pass it on.
