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LinuxDig.Com Linux News : Sun Java Desktop Review
Author: HumanX | Sunday April 11, 2004
The Sun Java Desktop is another Linux Distro making another attempt at simplifying Linux for the corporate user. Sun is heading in the right direction with this release of Java Desktop. It is simple, focused and elegant, just what computer users are looking for in modern operating systems.
Simplicity & Usability
Why simple? The fact of the matter is most employees tend to stick with just a few applications throughout the workday. Word Processor, Email and Web. Sun knows this and has made a valiant effort at not only catering to the work place, but has made it clearly obvious. Where other distros fail is in the overloading of applications on the desktop, Sun succeeds in underloading (pun) their distro.
Booting up Java Desktop you clearly see the focus and direction of Sun with their distribtuon. It will somewhat remind you of Windows XP, and the goal here is familiarity I believe. In previous articles I have written that making Linux familiar to other operating systems would only further its use and Sun seems to be going this route. Familiarity does not mean replicating, it simply means consistency in usability.
Full O/S
Underneath the hood Java Desktop is a complete Linux OS. As a desktop, Java Desktop will meet the demand, as in the desktop Java Desktop will meet its server requirements. The name Java Desktop implies that the desktop is a Java based GUI which is not the case. Java Desktop is GNome running atop Suse.
To Close
I could not get the network to work on two different machines, a tower and a notebook. Sun still has some tweaking to do on their new os as their were a few other annoyances as well. But for Sun, I would say the future is bright. This release of the operating system would fit quite well in the corporate arena where simplicity leads to efficiency and that is what every company not only needs, but should demand.
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