PCWorld: Friendly Linux Alternative to Windows

“Looking for an inexpensive, simple-to-use alternative to the
Windows operating system? Linux may leap to mind, but since Corel
abandoned its effort, no vendor has concentrated strictly on making
Linux friendly enough for newbies. Now, the $30 Desktop/LX
distribution from upstart Lycoris demonstrates that Microsoft’s
monopoly on friendly operating systems for the PC could be coming
to a close.

“I looked at a late beta version of Desktop/LX Amethyst Update
2, which is directed at people who mainly use their PCs for office
work and Internet access. Installing a shipping copy on my 500-MHz
Pentium III PC (with 128MB of RAM and Windows XP already in place)
was easy, with on-screen help available each step of the way. As
the installer copies files to your hard drive, it asks you a few
questions about your hardware. If you finish answering before the
copying is completed, you can kill time with an on-screen game of
solitaire. When everything is ready, your PC starts Desktop/LX
without rebooting. One catch: You’ll need 700MB of unpartitioned
space on your hard drive if you plan to install it alongside an
existing Windows installation.

“Desktop/LX is built atop the K Desktop Environment, one of two
major competing interfaces for Linux. This incarnation, with its
rolling-hill and cloudy-sky background, looks a bit like Windows
XP. Icons represent your PC, network, and documents; and the start
menu is smartly organized into sections–Pictures and Photos, Music
and Movies, and Productivity Software…”

Complete
Story