Many people still question whether Linux will ever make it fully into mainstream computer acceptance. A $199 computer now available on a major superstore's shelves just in time for Christmas might change all that. Anyone who wants a computer to just to send email and instant messages and watch YouTube videos should like the Everex gPC, which is powered by a nifty Linux distribution called gOS.

Ubuntu 7.10 'Gutsy Gibbon' brings flash and function to the operating system, cementing Ubuntu's lead as the desktop Linux leader.

OpenSUSE 10.3 is the fourth stable release from the OpenSUSE project, the online community founded by Novell to further develop the SUSE Linux operating system.

Mandriva 2008 Powerpack is the commercial Linux offering from Mandriva.Com. They also provide a free version of their software called Mandriva 2008 Free.

If you're like most people, you probably named VMware or Xen first. Many of you probably know of one or more of the following: Parallels, QEMU, KVM, Virtuozzo and OpenVZ. However, few of you probably know about VirtualBox. And chances are if you know about VirtualBox 1.502, you're already running it because it manages the trifecta of being good, free and, sort of, open source.

KDE's intrepid FAQ maintainer, Jes Hall has spent a fortnight with the latest release of Kubuntu and shares her thoughts...

The Eee PC may be designed to appeal to children and older customers, but it should also tempt anyone looking for a lightweight budget PC that weighs next to nothing and connects to the Internet easily. It's ten times simpler to use than any Windows machine, starts up twice as fast (no crapware!), and is only about a fifth of the cost of other systems in its weight class. It's a little rough around the edges, but the Eee PC is a remarkably versatile machine for the price.

For all the talk of Microsoft, Microsoft, Microsoft, a select band of users have been happily beavering away throughout much of the PC era without relying on anything cantering out of the Redmond stables.

Choosing a Linux distribution to run a Web site or a database is easy; Linux has handled servers well for years. Getting Linux right on the desktop, however, has always been a challenge -- and that is why Ubuntu caused such a buzz when it first appeared three years ago. Ubuntu version 7.10, code-named Gutsy Gibbon, builds on past successes with improved graphics, simplified software installation, and a host of minor software improvements.

OpenSUSE 10.3 is the fourth stable release from the OpenSUSE project, the online community founded by Novell to further develop the SUSE Linux operating system. It ships stuffed to the gills with the usual assortment of open-source applications, including the OpenOffice.org office suite, the GIMP image-manipulation software, and many multimedia bells and whistles. In fact, OpenSUSE has more software and features crammed into it than you know what to do with, which proves a mixed blessing.

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