Linux on the desktop (Continued)

I have written about linux on the desktop in the past (here and here). Today, my partners and I installed the latest version of Xandros 2.0, and I have to admit we were blown away. It installed in about 10-15 minutes with a couple clicks of the mouse, and we had a full working version of a linux desktop which looked and felt like a Windows machine. It partitioned our hard drive so Windows and Linux could run on the same machine (if you really want it to) and allowed the Linux desktop to seamlessly interoperate with my Windows network. The file manager was just like Windows Explorer, and I could easily find, use, and set permissions on my old files. If you have not tried it yet, I encourage you to go to Xandros to buy a copy of the deluxe version ($89). The great news is that we were able to take an old laptop with a P133mhz chip and substantially improve the performance of the machine, extending its useful life. I am definitely going to install this on one of my old laptops at home. What is even more interesting is that with an integrated version of Codeweaver’s Crossover office, you can run many windows-based application seamlessly on your Linux desktop. Unfortunately iTunes does not work yet. Go to the site if you want to learn more about what other applications work. So the Linux desktop is here and much improved, and what is important is that it interoperates with Windows from a networking and management perspective, all very necessary when any enterprise looks at TCO (total cost of ownership). While I do not anticipate huge enterprise adoption this year, I definitely see less barriers to its adoption in the years to come.