Suse Linux 9.0 Professional Edition

Rating:
Summary: Excellent OS! Easy to install and configure.
Review: I started using Linux in the early 90's, so I do have some experience with many different distributions, but I have found SuSe to be the easiest. If you are coming from a strictly Windows world, you will have a learning curve to overcome, as you did when you first started using Windows, however there are manuals included and plenty of support groups and webpages on the Internet to help you. Just imagine a world with mostly free applications, no strange memory faults crashing applications, and best of all no viruses. Try it, you'll never go back.

Rating:
Summary: I will never go back to Windows
Review: I recently purchased Suse Linux 9.0 Professional Edition, and I have no regrets. With Windows you had to do things the way the wrote their code. Using Suse you have ultimate freedom. You may be a little wary of bying this because all you are used to is Windows. Don't be. Besides the open source, Windows and Suse are basically the same. Windows has Microsoft Office(retail price of .......) and Suse has StarOffice v6(retail price of $.....). You can download StarOffice v7 for free at: download.openoffice.org/1.1.0/. There is no noticeable difference in StarOffice and Microsoft Office besides the price.
StarOffice has a Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Database, Publisher, Draw, and Presentation(a.k.a Power Point).

Suse also has its own Internet Browser which is almost identical to Microsoft Internet Explorer. The Mozilla Browser works just like Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Windows requires you to buy or download cd/dvd burning software. With Suse you get the k3b burning software allowing you to burn cd's and dvd's at an extremely fast speed. With Windows you would have to buy Roxio v6(retail price of $.....)to burn both cd's and dvd's.

Here's how prices compare: If you went out and bought all Windows software: Windows XP upgrade: $....., Microsoft Office Pro(Word, Excel, Publisher, PowerPnt, and Access): $..... Roxio Easy CD/DVD Creator: $...... You are up to over $.....(including tax)! Buying suse saves you over $..... having all of this built in.

Rating:
Summary: Beware If You Own a Laptop with Internal Modem !
Review: I am a Windows XP user and decided to try this OS as something different.I got what I wanted unfortunatly, an OS that has No Support for my Sony Laptop PCG-GRX580,with a Win Modem.So basically this OS is useless to me for to try to connect to the internet as this is the main reason I purchased it as this is Suse Linux big claim of no viruses and no worms ,well I guess when you can't connect to the internet that would solve that problem!.I emailed the Suse support and finally received and email 1 week later, saying sorry no support.
I paid close to $80.00 at BestBuy
I also find that the price is going down on this product so this tells me it's not all it's cracked up to be.
Finally Words: If Windows Works for you KEEP IT!
If you have the Extra Money and Time to Waste try Suse Linux.

Rating:
Summary: good set of software
Review: i was particularly impressed w/ the # of tools included.

of course, u could d/l it off the net for free, but having it on a single set of cd-rom's is quite helpful.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Consumer Distro
Review: I've been using SuSE since 8.0. Back then all I could say was that I could get it running on my laptop. Many USB peripherals weren't working. Sound didn't work, etc.

But now with 9.0 so many things are fixed, working, detected, and configured automatically. The USB things -- the 250M ZIP drive, the Sony Mavica CD400 digital camera, and the Brother MFC9600 all worked out of the box automatically. It was almost as if SuSE was made for my HP laptop.

Network and hardware configuration is much easier. More modules have been added to the friendly YaST configuration tool. Also, from a system configuration point of view the distro is easier to maintain and tweak by hand, because the installed locations of files and applications is much more similar to RedHat and the LSB than earlier SuSE distros.

Not to mention that the system comes with the best and most popular Open Source applications available -- (and thousands more if you don't like the default applications.) OpenOffice and the other productivity applications are good enough that I finally got my wife to stop depending on MicroSoft Office for her work at home. Soon she'll be using SuSE all the time and I won't have to maintain her crash-every-30 minutes Windows box.

Now that RedHat has abandoned the commercially packaged consumer distro, SuSE is effectively the only widespread consumer distro out there. I put it on a terribly old and outdated PC for my mother-in-law and she's been using it without supervision. I don't think she is even aware it isn't Windows.

Linux isn't for everyone -- at some point administration and configuration will mean you do have to get down and touch the metal. But, that's the advantage of Linux -- you can get to the guts and fix problems. SuSE has a distro that is easy enough for nearly anyone to handle, and it includes tons of extras: Multiple CDs of bells, whistles, features, and geek toys for people who like to know how everything works.

SuSE 9.0 is a linux distro that is a good excuse to remove Windows from your computer permanently. I did -- None of my working computers dual boot anymore. That leaves just my wife's computer and the countdown clock for nuking Windows is ticking down.

Rating:
Summary: Best SuSE Yet
Review: I would have given 4 stars but the trolls made 5 stars a Kantian moral imperative. CD Burning is great, far superior to anything available to windows users, with K3B which is included in the "bloatware." Nearly all of the software I'll ever use. Excellent multimedia support. Unlike every version of windows, SuSE recognized and installed on my sata hard drive without the need for an extinct floppy drive. Was a snap to install on my Thinkpad too, and I did not have to buy another copy unlike some products.

Rating:
Summary: Mainly to reply to others...
Review: I'm not going to sit here and say Linux is for everyone.. Some find that windows is the way to go for them, good for you choose what you prefer! However I converted completely to Linux/BSD systems it's my thing. Most users have been taught how to use the windows interface so when they see a linux interface they get confused, and mad because it's "Not what I'm use to". Again if your not up for a change don't run it. I found the cds to contain everything I need for a workstation/server. With the descriptions of what each item was it was easy enough to tell what I wanted/needed, although they could make it easier to choose packages for newer users. As of the date of writting this windows xp pro costs $269.99 then you add in the price for software easily costing you over a grand. I got what I wanted for alot less. PLEASE don't just buy this because it's cheaper then windows. I suggest you learn more about the linux OS before buying then making your decision based on what you need and how you want to run YOUR computer and don't let anyone else tell you different.

Now to reply to some of the comments:

C> Maybe the linux groups might think on the basics, also after losing ALL my information plus taking my PC to a repair center to have this Linux mess removed! ARRGG I am not happy!

C> One would think after hearing all the hype about Linux you should give it a try. Well, I did and what a nightmare, not only did it cause me to lose ALL of my hard drive because it wiped out Windows. It caused be to take my computer into a shop to have this linux mess removed from my computers hard drive.

Reply> This reply goes to both Comments.. Your mad because you lost your data on your windows partitions.. It's that simple! SuSE asks you about partitions and data but the average user just wants to hit next and kill it all a habbit they learned from windows.

C> Very frustrating and there is NO MULIT-MEDIA SUPPORT!

reply> This just isn't true! I watch DVD's play MP3's watch internet vids, all this is full sound and color.

C> First off let me explain, I have heard how interesting linux is. One would think that is it has some use in the world of computers. But it has NO functionality other than the ability to change themes and icons on the desktop. Good grief, who cares about this kind of non-sense. I need to use business applications not some useless NON-supported freeware apps.

reply> wow missed the web browers, the office suit (does everything MS office does!), the email program, the accounting program. What else do you need for business applications?

C> It is impossible to find software for linux, other than what is on the internet.

reply> Thats kind of the point, I don't have to go to a software store and spend a grand to get the software I want/need. Even Gaming Companys are starting to port to linux, ID software is known for this. Although at this time you won't find the linux game in regular stores mainly online ones such as this.

C> My PC has now crashed trying to install this horrible software. All of my information on my hard-drive (Windows) side is now unavailable, plus when I try to boot my machine it crashes with a kernel panic.

Reply> Without being there I can not help you with the Kernel panic problem, however go on the internet and look up Fdisk and more specifily fdisk /mbr for rebuilding to windows boot however by the time of writting this you've probley fully wiped your hd and reinstalled. Or the other simple answer might be read the first reply..

Again Linux isn't for everyone, I enjoy it and love it. I know in time as linux gets easier and easier so will more people.

Rating:
Summary: STAY AWAY
Review: I gave 90.00 euros to have this product and i got nothing.
It has dvd players that can not play dvds because ,in Suse , they find that it is illegal to use the dvds decryption software with the rest operating system.
I took the updates and then suddenly i found that i cann't install rpms because of bugs.
I couldn't use kppd , because i got error messages.
And when i try to reach support , using the registration number , they answer to me that i must use their large database to have my answers.
So much money to take something that in other linux distributions are better and much more inexpensive or FREE.
Stay away from it.
Linux is the best operating system and we are lucky to have a lot of other good distributions.

Rating:
Summary: Forget about this
Review: It is slow, has a dated looking user interface, no meaningful applications but it has a bunch of 'bloatware' about 2 gigs or more or thereabouts. Whoever gives this a five star review either do not use this operating system or has never purchased and installed it. To sum it up, I purchased the Windows XP Professional, it actually as some meaning behind it and it does not take up the entire hard drive.

Rating:
Summary: The best release so far!!
Review: First of, after reading so many peoples complaints I have only one thing to say, before installing this software go to Suse's site and make sure your hardware is one the compatibility list!(windoze 2000 and the early releases of xp had the same problems with hardware compatability) If your hardware is not fully compatible you may not be able to install linux. Second I agree with the chap that mentions going to an install fest this is the best way to get started, you may also be able to get the software at a very low cost too. Third, if you are installing any os on a computer that already has an os on it, back up your files, this is true for both windoze and linux, any one who does not do this and loses data, I feel no pity for! Forth, once you have linux on your computer you can pat yourself on the back for becoming a member of a group that operates at a higher level than the average windoze user.