Linspire 5-0: Surprisingly capable Linux desktop OS

I don’t always get excited about what I’m testing. Products can be good but still wind up leaving me flat. That’s especially true of a product I’ve tested a number of times in the past.  Incremental upgrades never make my heart skip a beat. 

Except for this upgrade: Linspire 5.0. Linspire is an operating system for PCs based on Linux.  Linspire used to be called Lindows, but the company changed its name so that no one would confuse it with any another operating system.

In past lives, Lindows/Linspire was a good-to-fair operating system. Good for computing beginners; fair for knowledgeable Linux users. For instance, version 4.0 was hard to configure but was better than version 4.5 in handling the hardware on my laptop.  I found that annoying and a possible deterrent to computing neophytes. I’ve found no such problems with Linspire 5.0.  It takes the operating system to new heights.

The company calls the OS ‘5-0’, like ‘Hawaii 5-0’.  The people at Linspire are trying to convey the fact that their new software is hip.  They really don’t need slick phrases to do that — all they have to do is get it in people’s hands and let the word of mouth spread.

5-0 sports more than 1,200 improvements over version 4.5, including a revised graphical interface, laptop and hardware support, Internet optimization, and dozens of enhanced software applications.  Linspire uses Linux kernel 2.6.10 and includes the KDE 3.3 desktop, the Open Office software suite, a Mozilla browser, plus upgraded e-mail clients, instant messaging and lots more.

For the record, Linspire 5-0 can handle many of your favorite Internet, office and media file types including QuickTime, Windows Media, Flash, Java, Real, .doc, .xls, .ppt, .mp3, .pdf, .mpg, etc.

Linspire calls their product the world’s easiest desktop Linux. I cannot disagree.  Of the different flavors of Linux that I’ve tried in the recent past, Linspire is, hands down, the easiest to install, configure and use.

You can download Linspire or buy it in CD form.  The installation CD is also what they call "live," which means you can try Linspire running it from the disc without installing anything on your computer. 

As for my experience, it took me a grand total of 21 minutes to boot my old Pentium III laptop, put in the Linspire CD, reboot, install 5-0, reboot again, adjust the time, date and sound level, and then start computing.

MORE FROM TECH AND GADGETS

Tech and gadgets Section Front

Google to put ancient Iraq artifacts online U.K. cops arrest people ‘just for the DNA’ Gifts for the hardcore techies Woman loses benefits over Facebook pics Just because it’s on Twitter, it (still) isn’t true Oddball gifts for techies Library group offers text search to 4.6M books Nokia’s netbook raises the bar — and the price Google targets Chrome OS for 2010 holidays Obama answers questions from Cuban blogger Tech and gadgets Section Front   Add Tech and gadgets headlines to your news reader: