Group Test - Linux

How much are you willing to pay for a modern, secure multi-user operating system? How about one that comes with a full office suite compatible with Microsoft Office? For Windows XP, you're already talking hundreds of pounds.

Consider adding on a range of Internet software, a great web browser, advanced email programs, news readers, an instant messenger client capable of connecting to all of the major services and more. Don't forget the software development programs, compilers, utilities and languages like Perl and PHP.

Add on industry-standard servers including Apache and Sendmail, dozens of games, educational applications, graphical manipulation programs and support for the latest hardware, all supplied and installed with the operating system. Surely the cost of all this must now be into the thousands. Well, no of course it's not: Linux offers all of these for less than the cost of Windows XP alone, and in many cases, for no cost at all.

Linux is not like Windows or Mac OSX. There is no one company responsible for its development or marketing, and no company owns it. Instead companies or in fact anyone can distribute Linux in any way they wish. Consequently, there's a great number of distributions out there, each catering for one part of the market - be it enterprise, small office or home. Personal Computer World looked at eight distributions from the current leading vendors, to help you choose the one that suits your needs.

Gentoo Linux 1.4
Knoppix 3.3
Lindows OS4
Lycoris Desktop/LX Deluxe
Mandrake Linux Powerpack 9.2
Red Hat Linux 9
Suse Linux Professional 9
Xandros Desktop 2 Deluxe

Download a table of features relating to all the products in our group test here. (208KB).
You will need Acrobat Reader 5.0 or above, in order to view the table. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader here.

SCO Vs Linux - read our special report on the latest rumblings in the Linux world

Look out for the DVD edition of Personal Computer World June 2004 (on sale - 22 April) which will include a copy of Gentoo 2004 and Mandrake 10 Community.

More group tests: Firewalls