"Windows addicts curious to see how the other half
lives but wary of the installation challenges Linux is supposed to
present will find Mandrake 8.1 considerably easier to install and
configure than Win-XP. It's quite nearly Harry Homeowner-proof.
Ready for some cultural tourism? No need to hesitate; the Pro
package sells for a mere $70.00, compared with XP's $300, so it's
hardly a major investment even if you should run home to Redmond in
the end.
The Mandrake installation beats even SuSE's, which is relatively
comprehensive and trouble-free. The first issue for me was whether
I'd get the same fatal read-errors I got from Red Hat and SuSE with
my CD-ROMs set to cable select, as the Dell factory likes them.
This is important because Compaq, Gateway and HP also like this
arrangement, and Harry is most likely using an OEM box."