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 - Xandros is GreatXandros 4.1 has out done it's self. I would and have recommended this OS to everyone I know. Rating:  - Ideal and stable Linux distribution for the business user!Xandros Desktop is a Debian based Linux distribution which is intended for business users. As such, it is stripped off the usual "geek-ware" found in most Linux distributions but includes applications most commonly used by business users, including OpenOffice (a full featured office suite which is file compatible with MS Office) and Code Weaver Crossover Linux, which actually lets you run your MS Office and other Windows applications natively! I have been using Linux since 1997 and have used many flavors and distributions, including Red Hat, Slackware, Mandrake and Caldera OpenLinux. Xandros 4.1 Desktop (Open Circulation Edition) was by far the easiest to install. It installed painlessly on my Toshiba Satellite P100 laptop and spared me of the usual trick questions during installation. It recognized my Window XP installation, resized the Windows NTFS partition painlessly and installed its own boot manager - allowing me to dual boot with Windows XP. (Xandros also supports dual booting with Vista, and the information is in the website FAQ). I was quite pleased with its plug-n-play capability. It even recognized my Targus PA095 port replicator, and allowed me to use an external keyboard and mouse connected to the port replicator. The only problem I had with my installation was the sound did not work on my Toshiba Satellite P100. I found that the problem was with Toshiba's Differentiated System Description Table (DSDT) in the BIOS. Detailed steps to fix this are posted in the Xandros user forums under the Sound category. Now, with sound working, I am able to enjoy DVD movies and listening to CDs. If you are a Linux geek, or a quasi Linux-geek like me, then all the geek-ware you need like C/C++ Development environment, Linux source code, KDE Dev tools, etc. are available in Xandros Networks, accessed by an icon on your Desktop. Installing them is a breeze. Just a couple of clicks, max. You can also use the familiar Debian "apt-get" command to get other tools you may need. The Xandros KDE Desktop is the most intuitive Linux Desktop I have experienced. With in-built as well downloadable custom themes, wallpapers and screen savers, the Desktop experience is a rich and elegant one. It is certainly better than Windows XP. Initially I thought the Desktop was not as good as Vista. Boy was I glad to be proved wrong! My laptop has an nVidia GeForce Go 7300 video card, which supports 3D graphics acceleration. After upgrading the nVidia driver in my Toshiba laptop pretty painlessly with instructions in nVidia's website, I got the Linux 3D Desktop to work wonderfully. (Type '3ddesk' in a terminal window). I also got the "3D Effects" feature to work by just tweaking a couple of files. (Search for Compiz and nVidia in the Xandros forums). This feature allows you to rotate the desktop as a three dimensional cube. It also has the cool "wobbly window effect". Check out the "Customer Images" under the Xandros image at the top left of this page. This Desktop experience puts Windows Vista to shame!! Overall, I am pretty pleased and will definitely keep Xandros in my laptop to dual-boot with Windows XP. I would have rated Xandros 5 stars, but took away one star for the problem with the sound - which required a manual procedure to resolve.
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