
My test machine is an 800MHz AMD box with 256MB of RAM, a 20GB hard drive, RAGE IIC graphics, 17" monitor, and C-Media sound. It is a used system that came to me with a trashed MS install and was a good candidate for recycling. I refreshed it with some new components and it has run Debian Sarge and KDE 3.3 spiritedly. I expect similar performance from Xandros as it too is based on Sarge yet runs a custom 2.6.9 Linux kernel.
I won't go into specifics of the install suffice to say that it's a purely graphical affair and a walk in the park. I allowed Xandros to assume the entire hard drive and after a few clicks, the install took approximately 30 min and was pleasingly uneventful. Xandros has so polished this process that MS could take notes.
Moving on ...
The default account is the user, which is a good practise, and after entering the appropriate password, KDE 3.3 booted up.

Applets crowd the taskbar especially when other apps populate it — an XP user would expect an auto-hide feature here. The Xandros Update applet is there to remind, or nag, you of available updates. One click on the clock brings up the calendar window, which also allows you to configure time zone and servers for NTP update. Across the screen, the quick-launch panel is nicely filled and the K-menu sports a simple "Launch" icon that's easy to comprehend.

Applications for most tasks are already installed and I feel Xandros has taken the time to cover all bases including writing some of their own spiffy wizards. There is a smattering of desktop games available but nothing serious. 3D acceleration was not available for my pathetic video card but 2D rendered fine and at a good resolution. Fonts and icons look nice as well.
Firefox and Thunderbird are first choices for surfing and email chores. These are fine apps and may already be familiar to Windows users. An abbreviated Kontact is included should people wish for PIM functionality.
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