Given the fuss we've made about the Linux operating system being available for free, you'd be forgiven for wondering why we're looking at a paid-for version.

We've already reviewed the free version of Mandriva 2007 but this edition has several advantages that make it worthy of consideration.

Whether they are enough to justify the £50 cost, however, is another matter.

For the most part Mandriva 2007 Powerpack is very similar to the free version but with some important differences. The first is that some customer support is included. Mandriva can be contacted for help should anything go wrong. Support only lasts a month – from when Mandriva is registered - but that should be enough time to iron out any initial problems.

There's also a wider selection of software included, which fills some gaps in the free version. The first, LinDVD is a DVD player for Linux.

Slightly more complicated is a copy of Transgaming Cedega, which allows some compatibility with Windows games and Mandriva. Our experiences in this realm were a little rocky, though. 3D desktop effects had to be disabled (LinDVD also had problems with 3D effects enabled) and once fixed, not all games we tried worked and those that did were slower than on a similar Windows computer.

Another benefit of paying for this version of Linux is for the improved graphics card drivers that are included and installed automatically. This makes it very simple to use the fantastically looking 3D desktop; the effects of which rival those in Vista. However, like Vista, the effects don't actually offer a practical benefit to using the computer.

In all, Mandriva compares very well to Vista. If you're testing the waters of Linux and just want to dip your toe in, try the free version first.

Vista compatible: N/A

Also consider
Windows Vista
Improves on Windows XP in appearance, security and features.

Damn Small Linux
A versatile operating system ideal for older computers

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