Benjamin Koe gives us a detailed look at the gOS Linux desktop:
Review: Is gOS the future of desktop computing for the masses?
gOS 1.01, the unofficial Google OS launched last week, is Ubuntu 7.10 with an idealistic twist. This lightweight ready-to-go operating system was built to be a desktop for the masses--something you could load onto an old machine for grandma and grandpa to surf the web and send email. According to the guys who assembled the distro, the purpose of their creation is to be a "simple, user friendly, beautiful desktop for normal people".
Unlike the complete distribution of its base OS, gOS doesn't come with many of the pre-loaded applications such as OpenOffice.org, The GIMP, or even Mozilla Thunderbird. Why? Because gOS's creators have gone in favour of web-based apps. Google apps to be precise. Which is obviously where its (unofficial) name comes from. [...]
The review goes on to examine the OS in more detail. While he feels it has potential, it seems there are still some areas that need improvement.
I downloaded a copy and installed it. I doesn't work with my wireless card, so it's hard for me to give an accurate assessment, because many of it's features depend on access to the internet. It also crash a few times, though it was able to recover without rebooting.
All in all, I think it's still a bit raw, and needs more polish. I wonder how well it works pre-installed on Walmart's computer offering? I'm sure we will hear more as time goes on.
UPDATE: 11-26-07
Here's another review, by someone who bought the Walmart machine for his daughter:
Review of the Everex TC2502 Green gPC
He said the hardware was good, but he was not impressed with gOS software, saying it had too many rough edges; he replaced it with a standard Gnome Ubuntu desktop. Speedwise, it seemed to work just as well as gOS did.
Related Links:
gOS
The gOS website, where you can download the OS as a live CD and try it out.
Gosh, gOS is good
Susan Linton tries out gOS and mostly likes what she sees.
Is a PC Price War Afoot?
Some reason's why we might be seeing some very competitive prices in the PC market soon.
SymphonyOS.com
Here is another Ubuntu based OS with a simple to use desktop, that looks very promising.
4 comments:
Hi Chas, thanks for the link. I'm not sure gOS works with wireless. I'm sure the driver is in there from Ubuntu, but I think default is Ethernet. I can't verify that with my copy because my VMware image mimics an Ethernet connection. You might want to plug it into the network just to try.
My wireless usb adapter (WUSB54GC) works with Ubuntu 7.4, with an install script I got from the Ubuntu forums. gOS is based on 7.10. There is a new install script for that, but I've not been able to get it to install with Ubuntu or gOS. Ubuntu 7.10 is still very new, so perhaps the script for the driver still needs work.
I may try to run a temporary network cable to the computer to test it, if I can find the time. Thanks for your comment... and the review!
Looks just like the mac.
Yes, I think there is a resemblance. My favorite Linux Desktop GUI is still the KDE interface, because you can configure it to look and act like a Mac or Windows computer, if you like. It has a lot of options and is very flexible.
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