Mint OS 9.0

Mint OS 9.0 code name Isadora, origin Ireland.

I went with the Gnome version. In loading the Live Cd the logo came up quick and installation was an easy graphical environment. The installation fixed my previous grub problem.

Mint has Internet packages Firefox, Thunderbird, Transmission (torrent), Xchat, Pigeon (messaging) and Gwibber (a social client which consumes most of your CPU power every time it checks your Twitter, etc, about every 10 minutes, which can crash your computer. Turn this bad boy off). Graphics came with Gimp. Open Office 3.2.0 was included for office. Sound & video came with Rhythmbox, Gnome Mplayer (movies) and Sound Recorder. There were no games installed, but the software manager had a multitude of games to install.

Mint has an easy access menu. Update Manager 4.0.4, indicates the priority of updates. Annoyingly, it exits after a partial update. While running Synaptic update, I experienced a full lock-up . Not since my last Blue Screen of Death on windows has this happened to me on Linux. After a total of 4 lock-ups, I was starting to get worried. A search on the Internet revealed that something was going on with the download bar image and the number of times it checked download or something like that, supposedly being fixed in a future version. Mint is similar to PCLinuxOS, but a bit more appealing despite its crashing problem. It also has a large support base. I will give Mint 9.0 a 'B+' and maybe a 'Magically delicious'.

PCLinuxOS

PCLinuxOS or PCLOS is based on Mandrake. The Gnome version comes equipped with an ugly gray colored background. I attribute this to the fact that most PCLOS users are KDE desktoppers and don't really care what color Gnome is.

The OS has a larger repository than Debian and is not afraid to try newer programs.

The office programs consist of Abiword (dictionary and word processor), an icon for installing Open Office (by leaving off OO, it makes installation faster), gedit a smaller editor, glabels and evince (pdf viewer).

The audio comes with Audacity, Rhythmbox, Xmms a multimedia player.

Video has Cheese a web cam application, MeTV (digital TV viewer), Totem (movie player), Gnome mplayer, Imagination DVD slide show maker, Brasero a CD/DVD disk burner and Gsopcast a streaming direct broadcast system (make your own radio programs). Got to try that someday.

PCLOS comes with the usual games that come with Ubuntu.

The graphics programs are Gimp and Photo Frame.

Internet includes Firefox (with Flash already installed), gmail notifier, Pigeon, Thunderbird, Transmission, Xchat and Tucan ( a download/upload sharing program).

PCLOS also has a tweak program to get the most out of your machine.

Adding software and packages is a snap, this is what Linux is about, not some primitive terminal command (If I want old style, I'll get out my 8088. It still runs and I remember some of the DOS commands). In addition it uses Synaptic update manager, but the status reload is extremely slow.

Despite the fact that most PCLinuxOS users are KDE and get most of the support, the Gnome version is very good, I will give this OS an 'A-'.