Hi guys, I read this from CNET at http://home.cnet.com/category/0-3721-7-286931.html?st.cn.pdtl.txt.rev but I do have my comments too! I think the person whom review this is a Ms Windoz nerd! --Moonshi CNET Review (6/4/99) By Rex Baldazo When we examined Red Hat 5.1 last year, we found a surprisingly competent but not-so-compelling alternative to Windows NT. Red Hat's new Linux 6.0 has spiced up the Linux scene with some long-needed desktop innovations, better networking support, and the incorporation of the 2.2 Linux kernel--a boon for IS/IT administrators. But even with these enhancements, Red Hat still lacks ample peripheral hardware support, so we can't recommend it to the average user yet. Moonshi >> I agree that Linux is not ready for the average desktop user. If we look at the history of Ms Windows, it has come a long way before Linux was even developed. How can we expect Linux to be soooo user-friendly as Ms Windows? By the way, after years of major releases, development, debugging and patches, Ms Windows is still far from being the perfect desktop OS let alone be an enterprise server!!! I have not seen my MsWin9x boxes survived 1 whole day w/o reboots! Rocky Installation Red Hat 6.0's installation program kicked off our problem fest. Unfortunately, the new install isn't significantly different from the previous 5.x install: we had to configure almost everything manually, including the mouse, the printer, and the video adapter. Red Hat 6.0, however, does provide some limited hardware detection. For example, it managed to detect the type of network card installed on our test PC and let us automatically configure DHCP support. Moonshi >> Talk about a power-user! After installing Ms Windows9x/NT I still have to configure my devices!!! Improved Interface Unlike its annoying install, Red Hat 6.0's GNOME GUI has improved since the last version. It makes a nice alternative to both the popular KDE interface and fvwn95, the default window manager that shipped with previous versions of Red Hat Linux. Using GNOME, we ran more applications simultaneously and switched between them more smoothly than with Windows NT. A slow load time was our only complaint: Windows starts applications such as WordPerfect and Netscape Navigator faster than GNOME can with the equivalent Linux applications. Moonshi >> Nice words for GNOME but how can he compared the slow load time unless they are comparing them from an identical system configuration? Software Shortage Which brings us to another downside: Red Hat 6.0's lack of available software. Even considering the bounty of programs that ship with Red Hat (more than 50 programs are included on the companion Applications CD) and the Web's bevy of downloadable apps for Linux, Windows still supports more--and better--software. For example, while there are word processors and browsers for Linux, there are no real equivalents to business tools such as Access or Quicken. What's more, although Linux will run on all sorts of systems, from beat-up 386 laptops to the latest screaming Pentium III, the OS won't always support the hardware peripherals tied to those systems. Moonshi >> Hmmm, I guess this guy does not know that Linux is only 7 years old! One Stable OS All gripes aside, if you crave a rock-solid OS and aren't put off by potential hardware and software incompatibilities, Red Hat Linux 6.0 will give you the most bang for your OS buck. With Linux, you can often go weeks or even months between reboots. For the desktop user who shuts down the ol' PC at the end of every day, this isn't such a big deal, but for business types who run Web or database servers, Red Hat Linux 6.0 offers plenty of needed stability. Folks who buy the box from Red Hat will also benefit from the manuals and beefy tech support that accompany the purchase. Moonshi >> Ahhhhhh! Finally he knows what Linux is capable of and at least he know where Linux is heading to! Well, I can't agree more.
