Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Latest News
    • Servers

    Why Wait for Eiger When Linux Is Ready Today?

    Written by

    Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols
    Published May 13, 2005
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Well, well, well. Microsoft has decided to offer a thin desktop operating system in the United States after all. Could it be that the Linux desktop, with some help from the low-cost Mac Mini, is finally making the boys from Redmond sweat?

      Yup.

      Eiger, an anorexic version of Windows XP Pro, is meant for PC users whose machines are still running Windows 98, ME, NT Workstation or 2000. Microsoft has already stopped mainstream support for the first three, and W2Ks day of no-support reckoning comes on June 30.

      For those of you without a scorecard, Microsoft swore up and down that it wouldnt bring a cut-rate XP Starter Edition to the U.S. market.

      XP Starter Edition was meant to slow down Linux acceptance in countries like Thailand and Brazil, where the Linux desktop was really getting traction. Can there be any doubt that at least part of the reason why Eiger has appeared out of nowhere is that Microsoft fears the same thing could happen here?

      Im sure there are other factors. Longhorn, even stripped of features—should I say Shorthorn?—may not show up until 2007. And, no matter when it shows up, its system requirements—an absolute minimum of a 800MHz Pentium, 256MBs of RAM, and a GPU (Graphics Processor Unit)—will put it out of the reach of the remaining NT Workstation, Windows 98 and some W2K users.

      No, Microsoft really needed to issue a new, low-end Windows. They may not be calling it that, but thats what Eiger really is.

      Now, I actually think this is a good move on Microsofts part. Microsoft had made it clear that it was not going to be back porting its XP SP2 security fixes to even W2K. With Eiger, users with old Pentium machines, at least, will have a real security upgrade path.

      At the same time, though, Longhorns delay is the Linux desktops chance.

      Today, there is no Eiger, no Longhorn, but there are low-end Linux operating systems that can do anything a Windows desktop can do for less upfront cost and with far better security.

      If youre getting sick of endless Windows viruses and critical patches, try one of these Linux desktops. Ive used them all, and any of them makes a fine Windows desktop replacement.

      SimplyMEPIS 3.3.1 is the best beginner Linux. This Debian-based distribution can either be installed on your system, or you can run it off a CD to get a feel for it while leaving your existing Windows system intact.

      If youre reluctant about giving it a try, theres always a great book by Robin Miller, “Point & Click Linux!,” which can get anyone—and I mean anyone—up and running with SimplyMEPIS.

      Finally, SimplyMEPIS will run on almost any hardware. I run it myself on a white box with only 128MBs of RAM and a Via 700MHz Cyrix III processor. You dont even want to know what happened when I tried putting XP Home on that box.

      My personal day-to-day Linux is Xandros 3.0. For my money, this is the best Linux desktop for a Windows replacement.

      Any Windows user should get up to speed quickly on this box. Besides, with CrossOver Office bundled in the advanced versions of the operating system, you wont have to give up your favorite Windows applications like Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop or Intuit Quicken.

      Last, but never least, for a lightweight corporate desktop—one of Eigers target markets—Novell Linux Desktop works well. Unlike the other distributions Ive mentioned, you can also manage and update it remotely with Ximians Red Carpet management tools.

      So, yes, its a good thing that Microsoft will be giving its low-end users, some day, an operating system that will make them a bit more secure. But, isnt it even better that we already have inexpensive and more secure Linux desktops?

      I think so.

      Ziff Davis Internet Senior Editor Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols has been working and writing about technology and business since the late 80s and thinks he may just have learned something about them along the way.

      Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols
      Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols
      I'm editor-at-large for Ziff Davis Enterprise. That's a fancy title that means I write about whatever topic strikes my fancy or needs written about across the Ziff Davis Enterprise family of publications. You'll find most of my stories in Linux-Watch, DesktopLinux and eWEEK. Prior to becoming a technology journalist, I worked at NASA and the Department of Defense on numerous major technological projects.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.