Linspire 6 - Blends the Best in Open Source and Commercial Software

What's Hot:

This is probably the easiest Linux install out there. When you boot the CD, the most difficult question you have to answer is whether to stick with the default install, which overwrites your current hard drive, or go with the advanced install. If you choose the default, you then fill out your name, choose a password, and then the install begins. The next thing you know you are ready to reboot into your new desktop with no further questions asked. Linspire takes care of all of the package choices, configures your hardware (and installs the proprietary video drivers, if necessary, for 3D acceleration), and even installs proprietary audio and video codecs for you.

What's Hot:

Linspire has standardized on KDE for its desktop environment, so if you come from a KDE background or even a Windows background you will be in familiar territory. The menu has been streamlined and simplified, however, which is a needed improvement over the clutter you often find in a default KDE menu. The panel along the bottom provides one-click access to launch the most common applications, and when you search through the menu system for other applications, you'll find Linspire hasn't included five different applications that all do the same thing; for the most part, each need is represented by an application that serves it best.

What's Not:

While the interface is pretty simple to use, the overall KDE Control Center, which KDE uses for all of its configuration, does have a steep learning curve and can be overwhelming for new users.

What's Hot:

Linspire has a number of features that are pretty unique when compared to other distributions. Probably what stands out the most is the merging of commercial and open source software in the default install. Linspire has arranged things and paid licensing fees so that it can include codecs and other commercial software in the default install and also make additional commercial software available in the Click N Run (CNR) package manager. New Linux users can be assured that they aren't delving into any legal gray areas with software Linspire provides. In addition to third-party software, Linspire has not only modified Firefox and Thunderbird to suit its interface better, but has also added a number of unique applications such as Lsoungs for music playback and ripping and Lphoto for photo management and touch-ups.

What's Not:

There are some Linux users who insist on a completely open source distribution. These users will probably want to look for a different distribution.

What's Hot:

Even though Linspire is based on Ubuntu, it has its own answer to package management in Click N Run. CNR works through a web interface. The CNR site lists all of the available software sorted into different categories. To install a program you find there, just click the install button next to it. CNR takes over at that point and downloads the package along with any dependencies. In addition, this site provides a number of commercial applications that you often have to jump through hoops to install in other distributions. It's just about the easiest and fastest package installation tool currently available under Linux. There are even commercial applications you can purchase via CNR.

What's Not:

While CNR is certainly easy to use, it's hard to tell whether you already have a program from the CNR site installed, or whether you have the latest version. Also, the system doesn't prompt you for a password as an extra level of security before installing any programs from the CNR site.

What's Hot:

While it is hard to compete with free Linux distributions when you charge, Linspire offers a lot to make up for its initial cost. There is certainly a market for a user who wants an experience similar to what they have had on Windows with third-party software and drivers without worrying about commercial versus open source software. For those people, not having to search around for documentation on how to install this extra software could be worth the money.

What's Not:

Even with all of the available default proprietary software, these days it isn't too difficult to get much of the same software in other popular desktop distributions, even if it takes an extra step. Some people might prefer to spend the extra effort to get similar functionality in a free distribution.