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When Ubuntu first bounced onto the Linux scene, it became a hit almost immediately, and even I'm unsure why that was the case. Although it's built on an already-stable distribution (Debian), the clear version and robust community must have helped propel it into super stardom, at least in the geek world. But, there was an upsetting side-effect of Ubuntu's popularity. Many people came to believe that Ubuntu = Linux, and as a result, other quality distros got overshadowed from the masses who were now interested in the alternative OS.
The situation today is a lot better than it used to be, though, and it seems that most people now understand that Ubuntu is not the only version of Linux out there. It remains easily the most popular, however. But aside from Ubuntu, what else is there? Sure, there's Kubuntu and the like, but those are all still based on Ubuntu. What else is totally unique?
Maximum PC takes a look at seven distros other than Ubuntu to get a glimpse of what else is out there, and if you're in the market to try out Linux but don't know where to start, this looks to be a rather solid article to refer to. This kind of roundup isn't unique, but this one in particular contains more information than any I've seen before. If I weren't such a Gentoo fanboy, I really have no idea what distro I'd try to make my primary. They certainly all have their own pros and cons, many of which this article tackles.
Mandriva has three versions, each with different artwork and appearance. The color theme in the free edition is a light blue that is aesthetically pleasing, while the non-free editions feature a darker theme that helps to effectively differentiate them from the free version. Mandriva has been primarily a KDE-oriented distro ever since the days of MandrakeLinux, and Mandriva 2009's use of KDE 4.2 is extremely effective and useful.
Source: Maximum PC
The situation today is a lot better than it used to be, though, and it seems that most people now understand that Ubuntu is not the only version of Linux out there. It remains easily the most popular, however. But aside from Ubuntu, what else is there? Sure, there's Kubuntu and the like, but those are all still based on Ubuntu. What else is totally unique?
Maximum PC takes a look at seven distros other than Ubuntu to get a glimpse of what else is out there, and if you're in the market to try out Linux but don't know where to start, this looks to be a rather solid article to refer to. This kind of roundup isn't unique, but this one in particular contains more information than any I've seen before. If I weren't such a Gentoo fanboy, I really have no idea what distro I'd try to make my primary. They certainly all have their own pros and cons, many of which this article tackles.
Mandriva has three versions, each with different artwork and appearance. The color theme in the free edition is a light blue that is aesthetically pleasing, while the non-free editions feature a darker theme that helps to effectively differentiate them from the free version. Mandriva has been primarily a KDE-oriented distro ever since the days of MandrakeLinux, and Mandriva 2009's use of KDE 4.2 is extremely effective and useful.
Source: Maximum PC
