OpenForBusiness: Mandrake Cooks Up a Winner (or Two)

“While the current iteration of Mandrake Linux was
excellent in both functionality and polish, it seems the folks at
MandrakeSoft still were not satisfied. Based on our initial
observations, we found that while Mandrake Linux 8.2 does not offer
any stunning additions, it is receiving an enormous amount of
attention to its fit and finish. According to a MandrakeSoft
developer I spoke with, the goal for 8.2 was to make the system
seem more professional, and they clearly have made significant
headway in this area. Nothing has been left untouched, even the
boot menu has been redesigned to exhibit a more professional feel.

Probably the most significant superficial change in Mandrake 8.2
is the totally redesigned system control panel. Apparently the
developers, unsatisfied with Mandrake 8.1’s control panel, decided
to come up with a drastically different layout. The new system
seems a bit more intuitive, and should look quite nice once 8.2 is
release, although our beta copy still had a few glitches while
showing off its new look. We could, however, see the fact that
several new configuration tools were ready to go including a simple
backup utility and a scanner setup tool.

Other notable new features include ready-to-go remote access to
the system using VNC (also included) and the integration of basic
file sharing settings into the Konqueror file manager (allowing
users, who are allowed to do so, to easy share files and
directories over a network). It also appears that they have the
full roster of updated software including Linux kernel 2.4.17 and
KDE 2.2.2. Finally, end-users should appreciate the return of
supermount, a tool that auto-mounts removable media when needed.
“

Complete
Story