The Truth About Windows Alternatives

Xandros OS 3 Deluxe

As a free OS that can run on your existing PC hardware, Linux has a significant advantage over Tiger. The first step in installing Linux is to pick a distribution that bundles together the key OS components and drivers you'll need. Most distributions also come with a large bundle of free, open-source applications, including everything from an office suite and a Web browser to games and image editors.

Many Linux distributions are available as free downloads, most often in the form of an .iso file that you burn to a CD using your CD-mastering software (click here for a list). There's a catch, however: Free versions of Linux rarely include any technical support beyond what you'll find in online forums and FAQs on the distribution's Web site.

But the deluxe versions--like SuSE Professional 9.3 ($60 and up), or the Xandros Desktop OS Version 3 Deluxe Edition distribution ($90) that I chose--often do offer tech support. Xandros also provides extensive printed documentation and some well-written FAQs on its support site.

Once my Xandros test machine was set up, life in Linux was easy to get used to--and surprisingly uneventful. Apart from a few niggling issues that I'll discuss below, I had relatively few problems. I could accomplish all the tasks I do in a normal workday--editing Word and Excel files, browsing the Web, moving files around our local network, and using IM and e-mail. The KDE desktop environment felt familiar and easy to navigate, while providing a few small enhancements like multiple desktops. In that sense, Xandros proved to be a more than capable alternative to Windows.

But while working in Xandros was simple enough, I didn't feel that I'd gained much from making the switch. Low cost and high security are among the best things Linux has going for it, making it a great choice if you require a bulletproof (or kid-proof) workhorse machine. Budget-conscious gamers might want to try a dual-boot setup: Boot into Windows for the games that require it, but work in Linux for most other tasks.

Beyond those two scenarios, I couldn't come up with many practical reasons for an intermediate-to-advanced Windows user to convert. My Windows software is already paid for, and with a capable firewall, good antivirus protection, and sensible computing practices, I personally can't say I'm too concerned about malware infecting my Windows PC. Still, Linux has a lot to recommend it, as I saw when I dug into some common Linux beliefs.

Conventional Wisdom: Linux is difficult to install and get running.

Reality: Well, that certainly wasn't my experience--the basics of installing Linux have gotten much easier. To get my test machine up and running, I first set my PC's BIOS to boot from the optical drive (you may not need to do this step). Insert the first Xandros CD, reboot, and you get a polished install routine that walks you through the decisions you have to make when installing any OS, such as time zone for the clock, networking support, and printer drivers.

Xandros let me choose to wipe out the version of Windows on my hard disk and start fresh, or to set up a dual-boot system that could run Windows or Xandros. I opted to dual-boot; all told, my PC was ready to go a scant 30 minutes after I began the installation.

I ran into a couple of problems after setup. The first networked printer I tried, an old HP LaserJet 5si, simply would not print, even though the drivers seemed to install correctly. A newer HP printer, with a Linux driver from HP, worked perfectly. Xandros also couldn't identify my 21-inch ViewSonic monitor. A quick change to a setting in the KDE Control Center sorted that out. (Control Center works much like Windows' Control Panel.)

My test setup used standard PC hardware, but it always pays to check your hardware for Linux compatibility before installing the new OS. Wireless network adapter support, for example, is still a bit sketchy (click here for more about this tricky problem).

Conventional Wisdom: Linux is more secure than Windows.

Reality: It almost certainly is. These days, you'd be crazy to run a Windows box without every hotfix installed, as well as antivirus software, a firewall, and a spyware scanner. Linux and Mac users rarely need to worry about most of those tools. The vast majority of viruses, spyware, and adware all focus on Windows.

Do Linux and other open-source projects have their own security issues? Definitely. The Mozilla Foundation, for example, has released several updates to fix holes that were found in its Firefox browser. Open-source software is not a panacea, but programmers often fix, and release patches for, serious security holes in their tools within hours of discovery.

Linux was designed to be a multiuser OS, so security has historically been more of a focus for Linux users. Running a firewall on your Linux desktop system is still necessary, and the Deluxe version of Xandros ships with one included (but not enabled by default). Xandros Deluxe also comes with a tool called KDE Password Wallet, which stores Web site log-ins in an encrypted file. XP's own password manager doesn't offer nearly as good security for your stored passwords.

Conventional Wisdom: Moving data files back and forth between Windows and Linux can cause problems.

Reality: Not as many as you may think. OpenOffice.org worked remarkably well as a Microsoft Office substitute. In my tests, I encountered no significant glitches, even when editing Word documents that used revisions mode--historically a problem for most Office clones.

And if OpenOffice.org isn't cutting it, you can always install Microsoft Office itself with the help of CodeWeavers' CrossOver Office, which emulates enough of Windows to get Office (and other prominent Windows apps) running under Linux. Version 4.1 shipped with my Deluxe copy of Xandros.

Some of the other apps I tried didn't work as well. ITunes, for example, is listed as a supported application, but I couldn't ever get sound to work under CrossOver.