Xandros 2.5: Linux for a Windows Crowd

Want to give Linux a try with little fuss and bewilderment? Xandros may have just what you're looking for. I took a shipping version of Xandros Desktop OS Deluxe 2.5 for a spin and was pleased to find that everything just plain worked.

Installation is a snap, and the tasks of connecting to a Windows network and outputting to its printers (almost always a chore in Linux) are as easy as on a Windows PC. I accessed Flash and RealPlayer content as I traveled the Web. In the lower-right corner is an application-launching menu, plus a taskbar and a system tray. Strange surroundings for a Windows expatriate? Hardly.

Xandros provides a fantastic utility that not only handles online updates but also lets you seek out and download lots of goodies from the world of Free Software. The OpenOffice.org suite is included, as is CrossOver Office, a commercial product that lets you run certain Windows applications, including Microsoft Office and Photoshop.

Not everything is perfect. Interface fonts are inconsistent between programs. Also, when I drag a file out of the File Manager and onto the desktop, I want the icon to appear where I dropped it, instead of scampering up to the top-left corner of the screen. Finally, the Xandros Control Center (think Windows XP's Control Panel) is a labyrinthine nightmare, with some 67 configuration applets scattered across nine categories.

I expect the Xandros team to add more polish to its distribution in future versions, addressing some of these issues. But as it stands, this is an excellent bridge product for people who are comfortable with the Windows way of doing things but want to move away from Windows itself.

Xandros Desktop OS Deluxe 2.5

Slick Linux distribution should appeal to nongeeks, too.
List: $89
Current price (if available)