Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4175 in Software
• Brand: Xandros Corp
• Released on: 2007-02-02
• Platform: Linux

Customer Reviews

Discover how Linux is so much better than Windows!
I recently swapped from windows to Linux. I'd never tried Linux before, and before purchasing Xandros, I used Madriva's discovery linux which was terrible. Xandros Premium Homes edition however is fantastic! The desktop looks exactly like a windows desktop with a kind of windows xp look, but the quality and security of the product is far superior. In all Xandros Premium home edition took about 13-15 minutes to install, with wizards guiding you through the installation. Once installed, setting up the internet connection took about a minute, and I was online within seconds. This version of linux comes with a firewall and anti-virus. You may ask why a firewall and anti virus since Linux is supposed to be better and more secure, well it is, which is why more people use it, but like any OS it is also victim to viruses. Unlike windows where the first user (owner) of the PC is the administrator, which essentially allows viruses to get into the system and take hold, with Linux the administrator account or root as it's called is only used when performing tasks linux feels are system changes and require authorisation, but when you use Linux you create your own account localising any viruses or damage you may do if you install software that contains a bug.But Linux viruses are very, very rare as most people use windows, and most viruses are written for that format, it's very hard to write a virus for a Linux system as linux doesn't use the .exe files you find in windows, but if in the unlikely event you find a virus you have an anti-virus and firewall.



Xandros contains a a lot of software from office applications to music and movie editors to photo software, basically everything you need. You can also install windows application using crossover office. Before I wrote this review I contacted XAndros support for a made up issue just to test there customer service and they replied within 5 hours, very informative support, so should you have any problems, you'll receive excellent support from them too.

Also, there are regular updates and new software releases which you can download from Xandros's network which is like a web broswer on the desktop, you just click the one's you want and download them. The webrowsers on Xandros are firefox and email is thunderbird all a delight after the troublesome microsoft applications.



Another thing I have to say is the packaging, usually something ignored, Xandros comes in a lovely slightly embossed box containing it's user manual which is very very informative, along with it's CD-roms. In all a wonderful product from packaging to the everyday running. Give windows the push, and get this fantastic OS!!!!

Excellent system, but don't delete Windows just yet.
If you're a techie looking to get a Linux system to break open, dismantle and start playing with, then Xandros probably isn't the best choice for you. If, like me, you're just a regular 'computer user' (and I mean that phrase in the sense that as a 'car user' I make no claim to be able to describe to you the ignition system of my Ford or strip down my starter motor) who's got sick of virus/trojan/spyware problems, strange screen freezes and crashes, "Microsoft Explorer needs to close now for no good reason" messages, or who is tired of being told you are (oh so tragically) "a victim of software counterfeiting", then Xandros is more than worth a look.

It was easier to put on the computer than Windows XP (Something like 4 clicks of the mouse I think they say), and crucially, you can put it on your machine side by side with Windows. Each time you switch on you'll just be asked if you want to start up with Xandros or Windows. This is important because while Xandros (quite understandably and not dishonestly) advertises itself as a replacement for Windows, you will certainly continue wanting to use Windows sometimes. Use video with Skype? Well you won't be in Linux - the size of the user base just hasn't justified them creating that yet. Use a Lexmark printer? Not until they release their technical secrets so someone can make them compatible. These examples will change, but what I'm saying is that there will, at least for a while, be some things you'll want to keep Windows for. There also seem to be issues with some of the big Internet games - I don't play them but there seem to be lots of queries on the Xandros forums regarding something called "WoW", whatever that is.

When you start off with Xandros you might find something you took for granted causes problems. I thought I'd got away with no problems - on my little laptop it automatically recognised my cd-drive, my flash stick, and even my Sony Ericsson camera phone - and it produced sound without any tweeking - but I have had problems with my mp3 player (just bad luck with the particular model). Now they have some very active, very friendly and very helpful forums where people in these situations go for help - often there's a solution, occasionally there isn't. That's sort of the nature of the beast, which is why I think many Xandros users tend to be quite honest about the fact that they still use Windows for something.

That said, if you go into it with your eyes open you won't be disappointed. You don't need lots of (dare I say any) computer knowledge to use Xandros, which is how it should be, but just in case, you actually get manuals with Xandros!!! Load it on, set up the Intenet connection (wizard tells you how) then load the applications disc which has all the 'basic' programs - an office suite comparable to (and interoperable with) Microsoft's, if a fraction slower to start up, media players, picture editor, Firefox browser etc. And as another reviewer pointed out, many other programs are available through the Xandros Networks site. This also has lots of the little downloads you might need to get Xandros working 100% on your particular machine with your particular plug in devices. This is surprisingly easy to search and use, and when combined with Xandros' forums, any problem you meet should be quickly sorted out - it's very easy to get dispirited and want to give up when faced with a computer screen that just won't do what you want, but solutions aren't far away, and if it happens that in your particular instance there is no solution just yet, well you still have Windows for that.

The screen you use with Xandros looks very like XP, which while comforting in one way is also a but disturbing - this IS NOT Windows, and it's easy to forget that - it behaves like Windows for a while then suddenly it does, or requires you to do, something completely different. Strange behaviour from a stranger isn't as disturbing as an old friend who suddenly does something totally unexpected. Xandros can make you feel a bit like that sometimes.

Best feature: I use a small laptop with a Celeron processor - we aren't talking hyper fast computing here - but since with Linux you do away with massive antivirus and security systems which use up so much processing power, using the Internet is so much quicker.

I've writing here for us non-computing types (not the computer savvy out there), who've just "had it up to here" with Windows and would like an alternative. This is a good one. Not perfect - if it was, Microsoft would be out of business of course - but overall it works, it's friendly, it's stable, it's easy and with a little patience one day you may decide you can ditch Windows for good. Starting to use Xandros probably won't be 100% glitch free, but it'll be 95% glitch free, and if I can get past these problems, anyone can. Get it and I don't think you'll be disappointed. Plus, you'll be cool! You'll be a Linux user!

Xandros 4 is where MS Windows refugees go for piece of mind.
Most of viruses are not capable of harming Linux; many businesses using Xandros Linux have clients and partners still using MS Windows; these business Xandros users requested that antivirus software be included in Xandros, so that a dormant virus inside a e-mail would not be forwarded to client's or partner's MS Windows computer thus not making the business using Xandros Linux look unprofessional. Viruses still can't do much in Linux, but Xandros Antivirus is included with Xandros for the piece of mind of it's users who may have to deal/work with MS Windows based computers.

Xandros Linux is where MS Windows refugees go for piece of mind; the Crossover Office application will allow you to install MS Office and some other Windows based software directly into Xandros 4 via the Wine Windows API Translation Layer (not an emulation & is realtime speed).