[TriLUG] Best Linux Desktop and Desktop Apps?

[Jason Tower]

get a thinkpad t42 and install ubuntu (then install kubuntu-desktop). 
you really can't go wrong with this combo - everything works (with the 
possible exception of suspend/hibernate which i never use myself).  if 
you just gotta run windows apps, install vmware-player and run them in a 
virtual machine.  i don't do much multimedia stuff so i'll leave those 
app suggestions to future posts.

jason

Tarus Balog wrote:
> Okay, this topic is a little long, so let me apologize in advance.
> 
> My 12" Powerbook turned 3 last month, and it's time to think about a  
> new laptop. The Intel Powerbooks are too new for me (if I get one of  
> those I'll probably wait until this summer or if possible after the  
> Developer's Conference in August) although the one we have in the  
> office is screaming fast.
> 
> While I love my Powerbook, I am getting a little nervous about the  
> direction that Apple is taking with respect to DRM. I used to have an  
> Alfa Romeo, and when a saw one in a movie I rented (they still sell  
> them in Europe) I want to send the picture to a friend to figure out  
> the model. So I placed the DVD in my Mac, paused on the frame with  car, 
> and tried to take a screenshot.
> 
> A dialog popped up saying that I couldn't do that.
> 
> What? I can understand taking steps to protect against ripping an  
> entire DVD, but a picture from it? Get real. I brought up VLC and  took 
> the picture anyway, but it did tarnish the love affair I was  having 
> with my laptop (no comments from the peanut gallery, please).
> 
> Next, Mac hardware is just so darn expensive. Even the switch to  Intel 
> won't do much for that, and it looks like AMD is taking names  in the 
> speed department in any case. We bought an AMD64 powered  Shuttle for 
> demoes that is crazy fast.
> 
> Finally, the Linux desktop, quite frankly, has gotten much, much  better 
> in the last three years. I usually run Debian on my servers  and have 
> little interaction with a graphical desktop, but I find it  easier to 
> use CentOS on 64-bit machines, and when I am using KDE on  those systems 
> I have been pleasantly surprised at how nice it is.
> 
> So - before I buy my next Mac I was thinking about playing with using  
> Linux as a desktop again.
> 
> On to the questions:
> 
> 1) What should I look at in terms of a nice, clean, powerful desktop?  I 
> like KDE. Is there a distro out there that is stable enough to use  in a 
> mission critical application (i.e. my desktop) that is current  enough 
> to contain lots of cool, bright, shiny things? I think Debian  is out 
> since I don't want to run sid. CentOS? Ubuntu? I doubt anyone  has 
> duplicated the usefulness of Exposé, but one can hope.
> 
> 2) Recommended apps? I believe I will have to have CodeWeavers just  
> because my job requires access to Office and I'd like access to  iTunes, 
> but others:
> 
> Office: OpenOffice, KOffice?
> iTunes: xmms?
> Photoshop: Gimp
> Mail: Thunderbird
> Browser: Firefox
> Widgets: ?
> Calendar: ?
> Address Book: ?
> Adium: ?
> iPhoto: Gallery?
> iMovie: ?
> iDVD: ?
> 
> 3) Connectivity: How is the current support for wireless (I love the  
> "Location" feature of OSX) and bluetooth? iSync?
> 
> I make my living with open source software and I truly believe in it.  I 
> think that the community has done a great job of porting standard  Linux 
> apps to OSX and creating new open source offerings for the  platform. 
> But there is something in the back of my mind that keeps  nagging me 
> that Apple may be turning evil, and now would be a good  time to figure 
> out if there are some alternatives. I may have grown  too comfortable 
> with my Mac "just working" but it is worth a shot.
> 
> Thanks for any suggestions.
> 
> -T
> 
> -----
> 
> Tarus Balog
> The OpenNMS Group, Inc.
> Main  : +1 919 545 2553   Fax:   +1 503-961-7746
> Direct: +1 919 647 4749   Skype: tarusb
> Key Fingerprint: 8945 8521 9771 FEC9 5481  512B FECA 11D2 FD82 B45C
>