If you are a mainstream computer user, tired of the cost and vulnerabilities of the Microsoft Windows operating environment and ready to switch to Linux, this book and the included CD with the Xandros Linux distribution will give you the means and show you how. Pick up a copy and go for it. End of review the rest is detail. I installed the single Xandros Desktop 3.0 Open Cirulation CD on my old desktop computer that already was loaded with Windows ME and Linspire 5.0. I expected Xandros to overwrite Linspire, but it snugged up next to it in sisterly harmony. On reboot it offered a choice of Xandros, Windows, or Linspire, making it easy to compare the three. Xandros automatically recognized my router and broadband connection and allowed access to the Windows partitions on the computer as well as on my Windows XP laptop connected via WiFi. It accessed all three partitions on a USBconnected external hard drive and recognized my Wacom Tablet as soon as I plugged it in. I also managed to install my network printer. The basic Xandros Open Circulation distribution includes many Linux productivity programs, such as the MozillaFirefox browser, OpenOffice.org office suite, a paint program, a vast collection of multimedia tools, a calculator, personal organizer programs (including a Palm Pilot tool), some games, in short, most everything you need in daily computer use. The book provides valuable guidance in getting the most out of the included programs. What is not obvious, until you read the book, is the inclusion of a utility called the Xandros Networks that makes it easy to find, download, and painlessly install a large number of additional programs on the Web. I used it to install several programs that were not included on the Xandros disk, as shown in detail in the book. I also used it to locate and download a driver for my scanner. Included with the book is a coupon for 120 minutes of free worldwide PCtophone calling with Skype.
