I have had an interest in Linux for some time. I purchased a copy of Red Hat several years ago and found that it was lacking in many of the applications that I needed. In addition, I simply did not have the time to learn a new OS. Tech support was poor at best. Red Hat did, however, refund my money after I returned the package. I have followed Linux subsequent to that time and, based upon several reviews, decided to try again with Linux Mandrake. Mandrake touts their excellent free support policies for one year as a reason to purchase from them. I purchased direct and promptly received the package which included 7 CDs as well as two manuals. There is more software included with it than most of us will ever use (or have room for). The first manual deals with installation and setup as well as problem solving. It is relatively simple and useful. The second manual was more a general technical manual that contained a good deal of general information. I found, however, that it was of little use to me as it failed to address many of my questions. I decided to install Linux to my C: drive (13gb) along with Win98SE. I inserted the Mandrake setup disk, answered a few questions and allowed it to do an automatic install. It partitioned my hard drive and did the install as well as setting up a boot loader which, upon boot up, allows you to select whether you want to boot to Windows, Linux, A: drive, or Failsafe boot. The program installed easier than windows and overall did better at identifying components correctly. One of the minor problems with Linux is that it generally does not recognize a WinModem (which most of us have). There are supposed to be several "workarounds" - but most are cumbersome and not always workable. Therefore, a new modem is usually required. I am very impressed with Linux Mandrake as an OS. That being said, however, I soon found out that the honeymoon was over. When I went online to the URL I was directed to in the manual for my support, there was nothing there. I sent several E-mails to Mandrake at their office in California. Never received a reply. I also tried calling. The only answer I got was sales who referred me to the sources that I had already tried with no success. There are alternate sources for information in user groups and the plethora of websites out there that deal with Linux and all of it's many variations. If one has the time to dig around there is no doubt the answers can be found. However, that is a time consuming process. In the final analysis, one cannot expect to get much in the way of support for a "Free" product that can be downloaded free or purchased ready to go for a minimal amount of money. I can understand that, but then the publisher should make that clear when they advertise the product. I have gone back to Windows as my only OS. For anyone who has the time and intellectual curosity to dig around in Linux, Mandrake would make an excellent choice. For those of us that do not, I believe that Linux is not yet ready for prime time.



Recommended: Yes