I chose to checkout Lindows 3.0 because it had been in the news a lot and it had interested me. I had expected more from it though. I expected more applications and much better configuration tools as it is aimed at the Desktop audience.In Lindows 3.0 you can find: *A Lindows modified KDE 3.0.1 *Linux Kernel 2.4.19 *XFree86 4.2.0 *Mozilla 1.0 *OpenOffice 1.0.1 *Netscape 7.0
1. The Lindows Installation:
The installation was very quick and very easy. The install just extracts an image on to the hard disk or partition you choose. I really found that the fast installation let me get on with life and I didn’t have to leave my desk for like 30-2 hours. It only took about 10 minutes total!
2. After Installation:
After the installation was finished you will be greeted by LILO, the LInux LOader. Of course the company’s name and logo is the background image. They put transitions like fading in and out on your choices in the menu.
IMHO, I thought it was looked cool. Lindows is the only distro that I’ve tried that actually identified the correct version of Windows (which is W2K) and the I had an installation of SuSE Linux 8.0 Pro. You had a choice in the LILO menu that stated, “Welcome to SuSE.” I thought it was pretty nice being that other distros do not do it. Lindows left everything else on my hard drives alone, which was good. So far so good!
3. Other Good Features:
Lindows included great documentation that is easy to access and understand, which is a plus. Lindows interface is also very simple with their nice crystal icons and keramik window decorations.
4. The Bad…
Now for the bad….Lindows comes with almost no applications, and being that my wireless card did not work in Lindows, I can not use click-n-run to receive more. It also has no configuration tools of its own. The little bit of apps that it has are hard to find and could be difficult for a linux “newbie” to use.
5. Hardware support:
In comparison with some other big distributions, hardware support is pretty good, but not as good as I would like. I had to manually set up my HP DeskJet 932C and that is a very common printer. Yet again, my wireless pci card did not work, which was another minus. Lindows did support my nForce chipset with all features. Only two other distros besides Lindows support it this well. The other two are Redhat and SuSE. Video, sound, and ethernet all worked fine.
6. Other features:
Lindows included Netscape 7.0 as their default browser. This is the first browser that I have tried that has included it as default.
They have a well organized menu that is similar to that of Microsoft Windows.
7. Conclusion:
After installing Lindows again I was actually kind of impressed. If they include more applications, their own configuration tools, and better automatic hardware detection and setup, I will most likely buy it again.
8. Final Verdict
Pros: Great installation, fast, easy…good interface, LILO was configured nicely.
Cons: Had to manually setup my HP DeskJet 932c, wireless pci card did not work, and they do not include any easy to find and use configuration tools.
Final Verdict: Lindows is a great distro, with a
little work it will only become better.
9. Final Score:
Lindows: 7/10
10. Few after thoughts:
Hopefully this helps some of you if you are interested in Lindows. Please feel free to put down your comments. Thanks.
CompUSA???
>I expected more applications
CNR contains over a zillion applications including
Tuxracer de luxe, staroffice 6, more..more..more..greedy
its a short brief review. look at the title, lindows overview….about the more applications, i know about click-n-run, but i expected more to be installed my default. my wireless card does not work so its kind of hard to get click-n-run to work. and uhhh no i dont work at comp usa, im 12. child labor laws…ever heard of them
A zillion huh? Is that an exact figure?
most of the apps in there are free for download, so why doesn’t lindows make u go through the hassle of downloading and installing only to find out u cant because ur network adapter doesn’t work
Brandon,
Lindows is based on Debian so you want to check the
debian site to see if you card is supported and/or/if you can make it work to get CNR to work. BTW CNR is also available as a program som yo can use it on other Linuxes. I agree you card should have been working OOTB but as long as manafacures are
not shipping their products with proper Linux drivers…you get the idea..
ps. I think Lindows 3.0 and 3.1 are far more loaded then Windows 98/2000/XP after a clean install
Brandon,
What type of card man./model do you use?
Bas,
Man=Belkin
Model=PCI Wireless Card Model F5D6001 versoin 1
Chipset: 2.4.19 usually includes the appropriate modules but lindows did not. it uses the prism 2/2.5 chipset. when he card has worked in other distros it used the orinoco_pci module-that module supports some prism 2 based cards
Brandon
I agree Lindows comes stock with more apps than windows, but compared to other desktop distros, it doesn’t come with very much.
prism 2 can use the orinoco driver which i had loads of problems with (dropped the connection after 30 – 60 min under heavy load)
i had much better luck with the wlan drivers. get yours at
http://www.linux-wlan.com/linux-wlan/
as for lindows i cant comment but i hear you can change your apt sources and bypass click-n-run. ask google i guess
When you buy Lindows on CD you get lots of application from the cnr-warehouse on the other CD included, like StarOffice and much more.
Brandon,
As dave pointed out you can use apt-get to update/install.
Edit your /etc/apt/sources.list and comment out the debian
server..this might get things to work.
I myself use LinkSys cards and they work fine in all distrobutions i use. Maybe Lindows 3.1 will reconize and configure your card prob.
Forgot the paste it in..
more info on wireless and Linux is here..
http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Jean_Tourrilhes/Linux/
What a classy rag *this* is! Posting a review by a guy who didn’t bother to hook the machine up to the internet. Kinda like a car mag publishing a review by someone who couldn’t get the key in the ignition.
**What a classy rag *this* is! Posting a review by a guy who didn’t bother to hook the machine up to the internet. Kinda like a car mag publishing a review by someone who couldn’t get the key in the ignition.**
I’d say it was pretty good, considering the author is only 12. Try making some constructive comments on how he can improve his reviewing process instead of flaming the kid.
-G
1 – how could he when his network card wasn’t supported *out of the box* like windows (the userbase which Lindows is targetting its product at)
2 – the ‘guy’ is twelve…and I wish I’d been able to write an overview of a linux distro like this at that age. I’d probably never have dreamed of installing an OS at that age. But then again I only had my Amiga 600 back then
I got here through google news, its easy to confuse bboards with news that way.
Great review, Brandon!!
Off Topic, I know. But had to post. I’ve been comparing Redhat 8.1 beta3 & Mandrake 9.1 rc2 the past few days. I gotta say that Mandrake is very, very nice. Galaxy unified theme is really nice, simple, elegant & functional. Seems a little more aesthetically pleasing than bluecurve. Out of the box full multimedia functionality, that’s a plus! Beautiful font rendering. Speedy. My scanner worked with no conf editing needed. Excellent overall. I’ll buy the final as I do with any distro I use for more than ‘trying out’.
The Overview is EXCELLENT!
Cheers m8
well, it’s a shame that the network card didn’t work but I dont think that’s the killer some people make it out to be. Isn’t the “big deal” with Lindows that Wal-mart is selling Lindows-loaded PC’s? I would assume those PC’s would come with hardware Lindows actually works on (and possibly some software as well).
Very good review Brandon. I’m happy to see such honest and fair review about the distro everyone loves to hate, Lindows. (the distro I love to love:-)) Too many people give unfair and biased reviews that are only written to trash a very good (and very young) distro.
Have you gone to the Lindows forums yet to see if anyone there can help you with your NIC?
Kreek
Lindows Insider
I agree with those of you that were impressed that a 12 year old installed the os and wrote this review. I wish I had been that far along when I was in high school, as far as installing and os goes.
Let me say that I did not want to like Lindows as it seemed too damn commercial, but after trying it out it is the best Linux distro that I have tried. For references sake: I tried out Ark, SuSE, RH8, Lycoris, Mandrake 9, and United Linux. Ark would be my second choice after Lindows.
My experience with Lindows has been, in a word, excellent. Ths install was painfully effortless and unbelievably fast… 7 minutes in total and everything worked OOTB which was very refreshing. My only complaint is the aforementioned lack of applications, like Open Office, that come with the distro. Forutnately I knew how, as you all do, to circumvent my limited CNR alotment (bought the $49 downloadable version which came with a very limited number of possible CNR’s) by using the all powerful apt-get feature. Needless to say, that with very little effort I had all the app.’s that I needed and had a Windows comparable system for FAR less money and no draconian features running without my knowledge.
Buy it, try it and see what you think. I’m sold.
“I wish I had been that far along when I was in high school”
I wish I had been in High School when I was that far along.
As for Lindows I’d say $129 is a little steep, for another $70 you can get a walmart computer with it.
http://www.discount-software.ws/microsoft/windows-xp-home-oem.html
You can get an OEM copy of XP home for $129.99, the only major real difference with the OEM edition is that it won’t “update” an install. If you want to update you can buy the update for $99
Very good review Brandon. I’m happy to see such honest and fair review about the distro everyone loves to hate, Lindows. (the distro I love to love:-)) Too many people give unfair and biased reviews that are only written to trash a very good (and very young) distro.
Have you gone to the Lindows forums yet to see if anyone there can help you with your NIC?
Kreek
Lindows Insider
But aren’t you just as biased as the guys that hate Lindows? So doesn’t that make your point as void as theirs? I hate hypocrits.
It’s not that people are Lindows haters they just have actual technical knowledge and some pride. I wouldn’t pay a cent for anything like Lindows when I can get something just a good for free, I don’t see the need to fuel the Lindows band wagon.
>1 – how could he when his network card wasn’t supported *out >of the box* like windows (the userbase which Lindows is >targetting its product at)
I bet Linux reconizes far more hardware OOTB then Windows, even XP needs drivers constantly…the belkin wireless card is only just reconized in Windows but you still need to install the drivers.
I’ve installed a lot of distros and so far this was the easiest to install and fastest. as for my wireless card, i have tried the wlan-ng drivers but have never gotten them to work. i’ll keep trying as it would be nice to get click-n-run working. also about this last comment before mine, kreek is used to biased reviews because he was a lycoris community member and they were always putting out very biased reviews. i’m part of the lycoris community and i felt that they needed a fair “overview” i will get the drivers from wlan-ng and the newest orinoco and try to compile them. thanks a lot everyone!
D3M0N-lycoris community name
“the distro everyone loves to hate”
Yes, it’s true. I’ve never used Lindows (I’m a Win98/Mandrake man myself), but people need to keep something in mind: Linux is fragmenting into market segments, and that’s good. Lindows is for a certain set of users (those with little or no technical proficiency), so comparing it to, say, Slackware is rediculous. That’s like saying that a Caddy Catera sucks because the Lambourgini can blow the doors off it.
Brandon: good job; keep up the good work.
irregardless of age. Very fair without pulling punches.
I think distro’s like Lindows, Lycoris, and ELX are great. Its what the Linux-on-the-desktop crowd has wanted all along (even though some of the same now hate them). I also think they’re not quite ready for prime-time either. At least not from the point of a clean install.
Its good places like Wal Mart are selling machines pre-installed, but most average joes who would be willing to try Linux already have a Win PC.
Just the few problems Branon had would send a lot of home users screaming back to Windows. And after $30-$130 for a box version they’d bad-mouth Linux and never try it again. I recently tried Lycoris and the install asked hardware questions even I had to look up.
In the latest Michael’s Minute, CEO Michael Robertson explained that there is a Lindows version available for just 49 dollars.
http://www.lindows.com/lindows_storefront.php?own=no
Age is just a number its whats inside that counts.. A 50 year old can be just as stupid as an 8 year old and a 12 year old can be just as smart as a 20 year old… it all depends on the person (no im not 12)
So saying that uhm……”good review for somebody that is 12 years old” is just plain stupid and show how ignorant people can be…(Call this flaming if you wan’t to I dont care its not like i post here often anyway) The review would still have been good if it had been written somebody twice his “age”.
Good review, Brandon.
I dual-boot Lindows3 and WinXP. Being new to Linux, I wanted a user-friendly distro. Although it’s not perfect, Lindows suits me well. Installing/updating software is very easy with Apt; I installed Synaptic to make it even easier. It’s nice that they included Netscape7 too, although I installed Phoenix 0.5 to use as my main browser.
I think the most important thing to remember is that Lindows is not for everyone. Linux gurus will not like this distro.
I was thinking of trying out lindows but i heard it was bad…well…Im definately getting it now
So saying that uhm……”good review for somebody that is 12 years old” is just plain stupid and show how ignorant people can be…
This really the wrong standpoint to come from MPX. I am sure anyone who picks up something they wrote while they were young when they are older would see things that they think should be changed. I attend a University, and when I look back at the stuff I wrote as a freshman in high school it is obvious to me how much my writing has grown (and I’m not saying I am good at it now, I’m not… just better).
Sure someone who is 12 may be able to write better than someone who is 20, but in that case either the 12 year-old is “good for a 12 year-old” or the 20 year-old is “bad for a 20 year-old”. On the whole an adult will write better than young person, not because of intelligence, but because of maturity and completeness of education.
By the way. Brandon’s review was excellent, and I think it is great for kids to write about something they are interested in. If I had taken the time to write like that when I was younger, maybe I would be a better writer now. I encourage OSNews to continue to be willing to post stories by younger fans. I find it an interesting practice that is good for both the youngsters and the community.
Good point
Lindows insider, or Michael Robertsons dime peice, Kreek My opinion as stated before is that Lindows is crap, cut down Debian and a $99.00 price tag for free software, Lindows will die, it wont make it. Not because the distro sucks but the CEO Michael Robertson keeps dragging his name thru the mud, He killed MP3.com, he will kill Lindows. The inevitable is coming, because of his reputation and the negative press and lies he has brought down upon his distro, nobody will ever take him seriously. In fact my Linux User Group will not allow Lindows to be installed nor will we assist. At this last installfest, we had 11 newbies who wanted Lindows, we got them on assorted others, SuSE, Mandrake, Red Hat and even 1 FreeBSD install. And they are excited with the others. We do not consider Lindows a distro and therefore it is banned, for the existing Lindows users, mainly 1 guy, we banned all access to C-N-R. We arent doing it to be mean, we just dont consider Lindows as a good choice for newbies, due to the fact of the Microsoft Windows frame of mind we fill it represents. If we have a person that wants Lindows, we try to convince them to try something else, which 99.9% of them do, or we will allow you to access the Lindows stores and order the CD’s but we dont want the digital edition to tie up bandwidth for others that are trying real distros, as for the overview, good layout, too info limited, and the grammer of a third grader. If I was a newbie who was considering Lindows but just on the edge of buying the overview would not convince me.
but you certainly made a strong case for *not* joining your user group. Sheesh.
If you are selling a distro that is supposed to leverage the internet, then suporting 99.99% of the network cards out there is of first importance. But I had/have this problem with Windows 2000 too. Does not support my network card and I had destroyed my drivers.
I actually had no drivers for anything and I had reasoned that if I had the internet, the rest I could get pretty trivially.
Damn, why can’t these companies make ethernet cards that will work without special drivers. These things should be commodities. Maybe any special functions should require drivers, but the basic thing, connecting to the network should not be a big deal. I can’t imagine buying a video card, and not being able to see anything until I put drivers, should be the same with network cards.
My 2 cents though. But I know how the reviewer felt.
Sir,
what i get from your opinion is like a 12 tr. old temper tantrum because he can’t have milk and cookies before dinner.
The only way for Linux OS (or any other product) to develope is for greater access by more people.
If Linux is so great as an OS, then why does it have such a small share of the market?
I too like linux, but to believe it will ever get where we want it to be by closing doors (in a fascist model) to input is counterproductive.
You can take all of the free-Linux geeks in the world and not come close to brain power working on the overpriced Windows OS. It is book one economics – the more knowledge working on a product/project, the better results. (This is one of the many reasons (a great sounding)socialism fails).
To shut out people you do not know is indeed counterproductive, but I, as a free-marketeer, won’t stand in your way. Things will happen. Linux needs more people working on it.
Thanks for reading!
Not its not a temper tantrum, its a prime example of how serious professionals take Lindows. We do not believe in forcing users to leave one demon to embrace another. We do not shut anyone out, We will help With Xandros, we will help with Lycoris. Becuase even tho they charge a fee, they still abide by the GPL and other governing licenses, Lindows does not. It was a decision that was not made lightly we had many discussions on it and even had a vote, even the one Lindows user we have agreed that Lindows is not a distro that we want newbies to use right off the bat. We even had two college user groups in the area that followed our example and banned Lindows from their installfests as well. This past installfest alone we had over 48 new faces, 48 new installs, 48 new Linux users who are very happy with the distros with which we provided and who we feel will have a much better user experience.
Thanks for reading
You should contact the kids at Tux Reports. They are about your age.
http://www.tuxreports.com
Keep up the good work !
i know some of the people around there…some are on lycoris.org…thanks a lot every1
Just thought a review of lindows should include the support for windows applications…
So far I’ve found no information except on the lindowsOS site…
But aren’t you just as biased as the guys that hate Lindows? So doesn’t that make your point as void as theirs? I hate hypocrits.
It’s not that people are Lindows haters they just have actual technical knowledge and some pride. I wouldn’t pay a cent for anything like Lindows when I can get something just a good for free, I don’t see the need to fuel the Lindows band wagon.
Yes I am biased. That’s why I didn’t write a review!
Kreek
Lindows Insider
Lindows insider, or Michael Robertsons dime peice, Kreek My opinion as stated before is that Lindows is crap, cut down Debian and a $99.00 price tag for free software, Lindows will die, it wont make it. Not because the distro sucks but the CEO Michael Robertson keeps dragging his name thru the mud, He killed MP3.com, he will kill Lindows. The inevitable is coming, because of his reputation and the negative press and lies he has brought down upon his distro, nobody will ever take him seriously. In fact my Linux User Group will not allow Lindows to be installed nor will we assist. At this last installfest, we had 11 newbies who wanted Lindows, we got them on assorted others, SuSE, Mandrake, Red Hat and even 1 FreeBSD install. And they are excited with the others. We do not consider Lindows a distro and therefore it is banned, for the existing Lindows users, mainly 1 guy, we banned all access to C-N-R. We arent doing it to be mean, we just dont consider Lindows as a good choice for newbies, due to the fact of the Microsoft Windows frame of mind we fill it represents. If we have a person that wants Lindows, we try to convince them to try something else, which 99.9% of them do, or we will allow you to access the Lindows stores and order the CD’s but we dont want the digital edition to tie up bandwidth for others that are trying real distros, as for the overview, good layout, too info limited, and the grammer of a third grader. If I was a newbie who was considering Lindows but just on the edge of buying the overview would not convince me.
I feel sorry for the poor people who join your user group.
You obviously don’t know your ass from a hole in the ground!!
I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t be posting that even as I do.
But MAN what a JERK!!!
Kreek
Lindows Insider
” I feel sorry for the poor people who join your user group.”
Why feel sorry for them Kreek? they get to enjoy a usable distro of Linux, they are happy. Thats what makes the world go around, happiness. Lindows in my experience and alot of other peoples experience does not offer a good Linux experience. SuSE, Mandrake, Red Hat and FreeBSD have a wider availability of Apps which Lindows doesnt offer, or should I say Lindows charges an arm and a leg for? SuSE, Mandrake, Red Hat and FreeBSD allow people to experiment with the system and actually learn and have fun.
Sorry you dont agree with opinions and attitudes that differ from your own.
” But MAN what a JERK!!!
Kreek
Lindows Insider ”
If I had a dime everytime somebody called me a jerk I would be a very rich man.
” You obviously don’t know your ass from a hole in the ground!! ”
Actually I do know the difference, thats why I dont use Lindows
I had very good results on two different systems installing LindowsOS, and in both cases, it was at or under ten minutes to perform the initial installation. In the case of the Dell, I’d say that I had quite a bit of useful software available in under a half hour, typical of what good installation programs, coupled with decent networks, are capable of these days.
I believe I had a core Xandros installation installed in 15 minutes and the complete system installed in about 30 minutes, so these two systems, roughly based on the same underlying code, are pretty similar, and both are good.
SuSE, Mandrake, Red Hat and FreeBSD have a wider availability of Apps which Lindows doesnt offer, or should I say Lindows charges an arm and a leg for?
Ever heard of apt-get? Lindows is Debian you know. I think you’d be hard pressed to find more applications than what’s available for Debian. CNR is an OPTION! You don’t have to use it. Apt-get is still there and is not disabled in any way. You don’t even have to edit the sources.list. But of course you can add your own. You can purchase the $40 version of Lindows that does not come with CNR and you still have a very easy to install Debian that installs in under ten minutes that is very easy to use. Then just apt-get all the software you want! If you don’t like Lindows that’s fine, don’t use it. But for you to forbid members of your user group to use it, that is just arrogant and wrong! Lindows is about choice! I guess you don’t like the idea of users being able to decide for themselves. And you claim that Lindows has a “microsoft windows fraim of mind”.
Kreek
Lindows Insider
Sorry,
“microsoft windows frame of mind”
I never said we forbid them to use it, I just said we do not assist with installation and that we deny access to C-N-R, As stated we have one man that uses Lindows in our group who is an insider and he even agreed that Lindows is not a good first time Linux experience. We merely suggest alternatives to the people that want it and the ones that dont want the alternatives we point them to the Lindows store to buy the CD’s. We are not the gestapo. Yes Lindows does have a Microsoft Windows frame of mind. charging for free software is not right. Abusing the GPL is not right. Running the Linux name through the mud with false statements and controversy is not right. Robertson went down the same road Corel did, no one takes him seriously. Why do you think he is charging 40 bucks for his product? He cant sell it thats why. Once people do find out that there is a real choice out there then they go for it. As for arrogance, not so, we have a different philosophy than Robertson, we see Linux as an alternative he sees Linux as a bank slip. We dont allow Digital Edition download because yes we need the bandwidth for the real Linux distros.
Sorry you dont agree with opinions and attitudes that differ from your own.
” Lindows is about choice! I guess you don’t like the idea of users being able to decide for themselves. And you claim that Lindows has a “microsoft windows fraim of mind”. ”
Michael jr. hehehehehehehe, sounding just Like Robertson everytime you post.
Michael jr. hehehehehehehe, sounding just Like Robertson everytime you post.
Thanks for the compliment!
Now it’s obvious you are not going to change my mind and I am not going to change your mind. Only time will tell who is right and who is wrong. I’m gonna walk away from this one now.
Good luck and best wishes to you sir. I apologize if I ever sounded like a jerk, (I’m sure I did) sometimes I should just keep my mouth shut instead of clicking that dang submit button.
Kreek
Lindows Insider
Good luck to you