Linux users, especially ones using the Open Source operating system on the desktop, have several new options. Red Hat 8.0 and Mandrake 9.0 have both come out recently, and the first reviews of both Linux distributions are trickling in.

it pretty and smooth to install. But it also has some little frustrations that he hopes will be fixed in the boxed CD version.

"...the number of commercial Linux desktop alternatives is suddenly increasing. Red Hat is launching a Linux desktop focused on many corporate functions. Sun Microsystems, which until recently seemed to ebb and flow on its support for Linux, is now poised to offer its own Linux-based business desktop alternative as well. But that's not all. Mandrake, a longtime leader for desktop Linux, and newcomer Lindows are both available preloaded on PCs from the Web site of retail giant Wal-Mart. The low-end Lindows system has even managed to break the unthinkable $200 price barrier. Earthlink also has been enrolled as a Lindows-compatible ISP. Suddenly, Linux for the consumer desktop is readily available, trivial to set up, and amazingly affordable."

This info was partly gathered from reading NewsForge

Suse just came out with 8.1
Anyone looking for iso images don't forget http://www.linuxiso.org

I love SuSE but there latest version is never available for download, only he previous version now that 8.1 is out 8.0 should be available free. last time I looked linuxiso.org still hadn't updated.

United linux 1.0 beta is available for download what do you think about that?
http://www.unitedlinux.com/index.html

WAKEFIELD, Mass. � Sept. 18, 2002 � UnitedLinux, founded by Linux industry leaders Conectiva S.A., The SCO Group, SuSE Linux AG, and Turbolinux, Inc., today announced the appointment of Paula Hunter, an experienced technology executive and consortium leader, as its worldwide general manager. Hunter's appointment is effective immediately. The group also announced the open availability of the beta version of its UnitedLinux product on Sept. 23. The open beta source code will be available for download at no charge from http://www.unitedlinux.com.

UnitedLinux is a standards-based Linux operating system targeted at the business user, the result of an industry initiative to streamline Linux development and certification around a global, uniform distribution of Linux. UnitedLinux leverages the collective resources of the founding companies, with the end result designed to provide an unprecedented Linux business infrastructure.
Read More Here:
http://www.unitedlinux.com/en/press/press_releases/phunter.htm

United linux, last I heard, was going to be $1,000US.

Suse seems to get away with not publishing their CD's by saying they have commercial software on them.

Here is a great story I believe you will like. I told my work we were going to need to purchase 5 RedHat Linux support agreements for $60US each. I just wanted to be able to run up2date legit. without using 5 different e-mail accounts. They went and bought 3 copies of Red Hat 7.3 for $2,000US.And on top of that 2 weeks later RH 8.0 comes out. Do you see the disconnect in purchasing?

Well for a avg user, I haven't work with anything more then just normal Red Hat kind of [censored], but you should be able to download an update for free as well the distro... You only pay for packages, licenses, blah blah... The distro is technically free though. Not sure, because you left out something prob of key info. I have over 30 Linux distros sitting around... I got Mandrake 7.0 on a machine x-cross from me... If I wanted it to be 8.1 all I gotta do is either A. Download the update or b. download the full thing, free of charge... Unless you are called Lindows... dif story.

OK, sorry I left out alot. I assumed that the stupidity of the purchasing people was obvious from my story. Let me try again.

I was building 5 machines for a security project. They were $1600 1u rack mount Dell computers. Their tasks were to run squid, DNS, sendmail, snort, etc. Basic machines for 6,000 users on a 6 megabit Internet connection. Nothing fancy, but they were hanging out on some DMZ's on a $50,000 firewall so I needed to have quick access to security patches through RedHat. Well, if you have used RedHat's up2date utility you realize quickly that paying corporate customers get priority to bandwidth during high usage loads. It cost $60 per machine to register them through the RedHat Network. If you have never seen this service then look at https://rhn.redhat.com/ and then run the up2date command on a RedHat machine.I recommend anyone running RedHat use this service, especially since you can register one machine for free.

With all that being said, the dumb asses in purchasing did not have a clue what I needed. Instead of asking anyone what I really wanted they went and purchased 3 copies of RedHat Linux Advanced Server. This has a $799.00 each list price. Now this is a great product if you are running a multi-processor server that needs to run Oracle or be load balanced or any of the other great things in Advanced Server. However, I sure don't need $800 worth of software for a $1600 machine. And the ironic part is I'm still short the needed Red Hat Network subscription for 2 machines after wasting $1,820. (Just to be perfectly clear I was going to use the basic 3 disc RedHat iso you can download from the Internet.)

Hope that clears up the mis-communication.

Oh I know your pain completely. My company is always doing idiotic things like that. They also have a nasty habit of forcing me to use horribly expensive software on my Linux servers when I could find a free version that works a thousand times better. You know why that is? They like the "security" in knowing that if [censored] happens, they can point a finger at someone. Like, the forced me to install a virus scanner on my server that costs over 600$ (At the time. I have no clue what it costs now.) Also, they forced me to use BRU for backing up. BRU, for the unenlightened, stands for Backup and Restore Utility. It performs backups to tape drives very efficiently and such. However, tar does so even better in my opinion. Just tar it on over to the tape drive and blammo. Insta-backups. You can even make it so that it names them according to the day. Hell, that's how I backup my database server. Ok. I'll stop writing now.

AHHHHHHHHHH that explains a lot... LOL k. Ya... Well kids, here is our lessons. Linux is getting better... USE LINUX! 2. IF it's good and free then USE IT! Beats paying and arm and a leg, cuz you need it to type and walk.