Rating: 
Summary: Good, but needs work
Review: Linux in general has many awesome features, including efficient a high command line, great networking capabilities, security, and (in my opinion) the best file system (i.e., disk format) around. Being Linux, those are all here.This distribution is designed to be user friendly, both in installation and everyday use, and it mostly lives up to that. Included are some form of all the most common program types for a home PC -- word processors, web browsers, mp3 players, etc. Further, the user interfaces have all been set up with a very attractive appearance. Unfortunately, some of the office software is lacking in feature that were added after this distro was release and is a little buggy. However, there are some short commings. My biggest complaint is that the C/C++ compilers don't work out of the box -- I had to change several links by hand to gcc 3.x work, and I've never gotten gcc 2.96.x to work at all, and it still will not compile all programs. While compilers may not be desirable on production servers for security reasons, they may be needed on other systems. If you are a tinkerer / programmer, a student learning C++, or just want to compile software from trusted web-sites, be prepared for a fight. I never had this problem with Red Hat, and I think any software included should work as some as its installed. This is a major problem the guys at Mandrake Soft need to work on. Likewise, the version of Java, though functional, is out dated, and should have been at release time, and is not even Sun Java but a thrid party version. It only good up to Java 1.2 so that many Java 2 features simply don't work. Other than that, the only major problem has been printing. That always seems to be a difficult thing to set up in Linux. The Printerdrake program solves most of the problem, and makes the original setup easy -- I've done a lot of printing here. However, its also buggy and breaks easily -- I've lost my printing capabilities several times and getting them back has often been a major and stressful chore -- currently I have no printing and am now at a loss what to do. This may be a dangerour switch if printing is am important use for your PC. Note, though, that creating PDF files is very easy and does not require Acrobat.
Rating: 
Summary: Best Distribution for first timers!!!!
Review: Linux-mandrake is by far the best distribution for anyone who wants to make the change from windows to Linux. I highly recommend this product. It comes with staroffice 6.0 and openoffice which are extremely!!! close to Microsoft office. So if you are tired of having to buy a Windows OS, then buy Microsoft Office! Save your cash and get it all in one!!! Linux is the way to go!
Rating:
Summary: Mandrake is getting closer to perfection...but not yet
Review: Mandrake 8.2 is a big improvement over the last two releases; however, the install routine locked up toward the end of my installation...twice! Fortunately, when I restarted, it booted up normally and everything worked fine. I like the interface although Mandrake chose to go with the KDE 2.2.2 desktop instead of 3.0. Although there are some bugs, it is every bit as good as Windows XP or any Windows for that matter! After a few days of getting used to where things are, you will be doing evrything that you did under Windows but at a lower total cost of ownership, and with more applications than you would ever know what to do with! Buy it if you're looking for a stable, secure desktop without the licensing hassles associated with...well...you know who!
Rating: 
Summary: Impossible to register
Review: Unless you are courageous enough to venture out on your own without any customer support, this is probably NOT the product to buy. In order to get the 2 months of free customer support the product must be registered using the serial number in the box. However, when I tried to register my purchase, I would get an "Invalid Number" error when I tried to enter the serial number. After making many telephone calls (some of which were not toll free), I was told I needed a new registration number. After many more phone calls, I was given a phone number to fax a copy of my invoice and the UPC code on the box. This I did. I have not heard a word since. Meanwhile, the time remaining on my "Two months" of free customer support is quickly ebbing away.
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