Virtual PC 5.2 for Windows released recently and fixes a number of issues, but it will now only work on the NT/2k/XP/2003 Windows versions. In the meantime, next week, VMWare will begin shipping the 4.0 version of its desktop virtualization software, VMWare Workstation.

This release of GNUstep-gui features a brand new text system with better font and layout support. In addition, printing has been fixed so that images are printed correctly. The rest of the GNUstep libs had updates recently too. On other toolkit news, this article over at DevChannel.org will introduce the C++ wrapper libraries for the GNOME foundation's GNOME C framework, Gtkmm.

I installed Red Hat Linux 9 (Shrike) to see what has changed between it and the previous major version of Red Hat (8.0). The article features some installation screenshots and of course some post-install screenshots showing Bluecurve in Gnome and KDE (more shots here), user experience and discussion of whether you should upgrade or not.

Yesterday, MandrakeSoft uploaded the three ISOs of their new release, Mandrake Linux 9.1, disquised as RC3. Now the press release is up, RC3 is really 9.1-Final (OSNews had the golden master for a week now, as you read in our yesterday's review). Features, mirrors and make sure you pre-order or join the Mandrake Club. Additionally, you can read here an interview with Gael Duval of MandrakeSoft.

"Seldom in life do you find things that are stable. That is especially true in the world of Linux, where software is ever changing (spend a day reading the kernel development lists if you don't think so). Slackware's commitment to releasing a stable operating system though, is one that has stayed true. Last week we saw the release of Slackware 9.0 and in true slack fashion, things are good, things are very good." Full Review.

In a sign of growing discord over Web services guidelines, Microsoft has pulled out of a key Web services standards working group.

At $200US the new version of eComStation, 1.1, is available for purchase. No news yet about new features as the press release is not up yet to the newly redesigned eComStation web site. Additionally, OS/2World.com published a recap of last year's OS/2 activities and happenings in an editorial. Our Take: Any idea why the SMP version of eCS 1.1 is cheaper than the non-SMP version? Anyone?

Knowing that ArkLinux is the offspring of Bernhard "Bero" Rosenkraenzer (interview here), a former Red Hat employee and KDE hacker, should make it one of the more interesting and, arguably, credible new Linux distributions to hit the streets in recent seasons. With the rise of Lycoris, Lindows, and Xandros, among others, Ark Linux is certainly a far cry from a surefire success. Let's take a look.

The new Yellow Dog Linux 3.0 brings recent Linux user interface improvements to the PowerPC architecture. Smooth, anti-aliased fonts and the clean, refined style of Red Hat's Blue Curve theme make this a beautiful creation to look at. There are screenshots here, though they aren't big enough to really do it justice.

A new DirectX 9.0a End-User Runtime download has appeared on the Microsoft website. This release resolves an issue with DirectX 9.0 where some multiplayer games or MSN Messenger may not work correctly. A number of minor bugs were also resolved.

Adobe put a page up (named 'pcpreferred.html') stating that the PC is preffered to run Adobe products. Adobe, along with Quark and Macromedia, are the long standing allies to Apple, offering the most important products that literally drive Mac sales in the Pro market. For historical reasons mostly, it is now of surprise to see Adobe openly verifying and backing up Digital Producer Magazine's benchmarks and recommending PCs instead of Macs to their customers (even if PCs have indeed overtake Macs speed-wise the last 1-2 years). This is a blow for Apple, sales and marketing-wise and we will wait for a reaction from Apple towards Adobe.

According to an e-mail sent by Red Hat earlier today, Red Hat Linux 9.0 will be available over the Red Hat Network on March 31 and available via FTP and in stores one week later on April 7. While there are few other details and no pricing information, a Red Hat subscription is still $60 USD per system/year. Update: Why 9.0 and not 8.1? This post explains...

"Of all the topics I've disemboweled in this space in the last year, the question of moving to Linux is the hottest. It seems almost all of you have a leaning toward Linux. But Staight's point is important. The existence of a constellation of issues, rather than one or two dominant ones, was cited by perhaps 80% of those who wrote to me saying they aren't migrating." Read the article at IDG.

The hobby Linux distro CRUX 1.1 was released. Changelog.