Xandros Desktop | Xandros Linux

Xandros has released an updated version of their free Xandros Desktop 3 Open Circulation Edition.  This is one of the most "windows-like" versions of Linux and is designed to enable almost any Windows user to make an easy transition to Linux.

As I upgraded my Xandros installation on my dual-boot notebook (it runs Windows XP Pro and Xandros), I was struck by some of the really neat programs included in Xandros.  First, this is the only distribution that I know has the ability to play an MPEG-2 (also known as .mpg or .vob) file - the file format used by DVD's.  

MPEG-2 is also the file format used by my home theater PC for recording television shows so I can watch them later.  Viewing an MPEG file was as simple as double-clicking on the file to start up the viewer program.

Another neat program, included in the default installation, is an desktop planetarium program called KStars.  With this program, you tell the program where you are -- city, state, country or lattitude and longitude.  The program draws the sky that you would see and allows you to rotate it, zoom, display stars, solar system objects, nebulae, constellations and more at your control.  

KStars also lets you move backwards and forwards through time to see how the sky would look.  When you right-click on an object in the sky, you can pull information on it and pictures of it from the Internet.

Sure there are Windows equivalents, but I don't know of any that are this quality and free.  This was a very pleasant surprise in a "Desktop" operating system.  Not only are there numerous free programs and suites to do almost anything you do in Windows, but there are fun things like this, too.

Xandros, of course, offers even better versions of their Xandros Desktop, including a standard, deluxe and business versions of the desktop and also a business server version.  All these can be ordered directly from Xandros.

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