Cheap SuSE Linux 7.3 Professional Edition (Software) (Linux) Price
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New in this release: an updated Linux kernel (version 2.4.10), XFree86 windowing system (4.1.0), KDE desktop manager (2.2.1), GNOME desktop manager (1.4.1 Beta 2), and Samba server for integration with Microsoft Windows computers (2.2). These incremental upgrades present all sorts of useful features, including the Nautilus file manager, Kooka scanner support, hot partitioning of disks, and compatibility with lots of additional hardware (including television cards and, for the first time, touchscreens).
System administrators shouldn't find themselves wanting for file system support under this release. In addition to the new ext3 file system that's part of the Linux 2.4.x kernel, SuSe Linux Professional 7.3 supports the ext2, ReiserFS, FAT, NTFS, and JFS file systems. Unless you need compatibility with an established data volume in another format, you'll probably want to use ext3 (which is both backward and forward compatible with the proven ext2 file system) if you're running a server that must be available to users as much as possible.
The ext3 provides a better availability rate than ext2 because it's a journaling file system, which means it keeps records of the read and write operations it performs on its media. That's valuable because if the system shuts down unexpectedly due to a crash or power failure, the mandatory fsck integrity verification need only look at the parts of the file system that were being manipulated when the problem occurred. Because comprehensive fsck runs can be very lengthy on big ext2 volumes--and because the volumes aren't available during those runs--ext3 gives a clear benefit to server users and administrators. In another boon to reliability and speed, this edition supports RAID levels 0, 1, and 5 in software. That is, you don't need an expensive RAID controller card in your machine to enjoy the benefits of RAID under this operating system.
SuSE Linux Professional 7.3 further distinguishes itself from its competitors by including a heap of server, application, and utility software--pretty much everything available for free download on the Internet--compiled for this kernel and stored, on seven CD-ROMs as well as on a single DVD-ROM, in RPM format for easy installation. The value of the included software is in time saved, naturally, and in usage fees saved if your Internet connection has a usage quota. If you enjoy installing different software packages and putting them through their paces (or if you're a developer eager to check out the competition or verify your product's compatibility), you'll consider the software library a big bonus. A bootable floppy--something several distributions no longer include--is a considerate inclusion that makes it easier for you to install this svelte product on older computers that can't boot from their CD-ROM drives. Further, the YaST2 administration tool centralizes and simplifies configuration work.
Like other Linux distributions based on the Linux 2.4.x kernel, this release of SuSE Linux Professional 7.3 is slicker than ever, and more widely compatible with peripheral hardware. Unlike other distributions, this one ships with nearly every tool and toy you could want, and a generous 90 days of phone, fax, and Internet support for everything short of networking. Consider Red Hat Linux 7.2 Professional if user-friendliness and the ability to select from among several operating systems at boot time is truly paramount for you, but stick with SuSE if you want a strong, reliable Linux and all the trimmings. --David Wall
| PLATFORM: | Linux |
| CATEGORY: | Software |
| MANUFACTURER: | SuSE Inc. |
| TYPE: | Computer software (programs), Operating Systems System (OS), Linux, Unix |
| MEDIA: | CD-ROM |
| # OF MEDIA: | 1 |
| UPC: | 648866197375 |
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Customer Reviews of SuSE Linux 7.3 Professional Edition
Server - yes, office and multimedia - NO!! I must admit, I did get further away with this distro than with others, and I see all the good server side goodies that are good indeed, but the claims that this thing can [replace] Windows, that's more of a wishful thinking than the matter of fact. As a desktop system for a general public, Linux does not get even close to Windows and especially Mac, and this distro does not change it much. Yast2 is certainly quite innovative, but it's buggy, hangs all the time and downloads packages it has downloaded already, and makes quite dumb and ridiculous decisions about which package to install and how.
Let's review some facts. Few years ago as the Linux hype wave started rising, some were looking for total demise and annihilation of the evil empire Micro$oft, calling Linux as much as "Windows killer."
Even some big name companies bought that, Dell started shipping laptops with Linux pre-installed, Corel rolled out an office suite for Linux (Wordperfect suite 2000 for Linux), I remember IBM announcing a wrist watch that ran Linux etc etc.
When this Suse 7.3 distro first came out it initially topped Windows in sales and was #1 sale item in the Software section here at Amazon and elsewhere.
Things changed since: Dell dropped their Linux line about a year ago; Corel discontinued their Linux line of products about the same time, Windows are back further and further above Linux in software sales etc, etc... With all those hideous, draconic Microsoft licensing policies and mile high prices, people are buying that and buying it more, AFTER trying out Linux, and Microsoft is getting more shameless about their licensing and prices. Oh, yeah, and have you seen anyone wearing one of them Linux wrist watches? Any Linux desktops anywhere in the office space for accuntants, secretaries, CEOs?...
Support? Let's do some math about it. How much you pay for that box with this distro? How much an hour of a good engineer's time is worth? Well, an average Unix problem may take a few hours to understand and fix... And indeed, as I am trying to work with Suse about the problems of my installation - it takes a few days to get a response, and the response is almost random - if it accidentally solves your problem you are lucky if not, you are just out of luck. Some responses are quite ridiculous. For instance, my sound card does not work and the Suse guy says, why did you install that alsa sound syste, why don't you use kernel sound drivers... Well, it's not me who installed these, it was the Suse's child named Yast2 - their self-lauded installation system. The guy sends me some cookie cutter instructions but they don't work etc...
With Linux, you pay less of money but you are signing up for wasting MUCH more of your time and frustration than with Windows and especially Mac. The Linux graphics environment runs MUCH slower on my Pentium II 233 box than WIndows 98SE runs on the same machine. I am able to do TENS times more in Windows 98SE than in Linux on the same machine TENS time faster, and something that Windows does right out of the box (such as multimedia and multilingual word processing) Linux does only after MONTHS of work.
Probably this review may hurt the feelings of some Linux ye faithful, but I write it to save some frustration of the user who does not want to sacrifice all his/her personal time to become a Linux guru but just wants to get things done. Buy a Mac if you are a musician or an artist or buy a Windows box if you want it for your office...
Does it all
This is the only package you need to become instantly productive with linux. It includes a complete office suite (Star Office 5.2) plus the new Koffice suite and Abiword all of which can read and write MS Word and other MS Office file formats. You also get real player 8, Adobe Acrobat, Netscape 6, graphics and photo editors, email and scheduling software, cd writing software, plus some cool games. The setup is really easy and it can coexist with all versions of Windows. It also has built-in journaling file systems so power failures won't damage your harddrive, and it has strong encryption which you can enable for your file system to secure you data. Enable it with a checkbox during install.
As for upkeep, SuSE Online Update works from your desktop. It will update your system over the Internet and is as easy as Windows Update. You can run this periodically to download security and program updates or you can use it to update your entire system for free when the next version of SuSE Linux is released. It couldn't be simpler.
The box contains 7 cd's and 1 dvd. The dvd install is awesome because you never have to swap cd's. When you use the "add and remove software" module, it can find any software you need on the dvd. With the dvd, I've never had to use the cd's. I've used all the leading distros. SuSE is the most complete and the documentation is the best. You can't go wrong with this one.
7.3 half baked - 7.2 is better
I loved 7.2 of Suse, I have it installed on 3 PCs (P3 Laptop, old P1, and P4). It installed on all 3 without any problems. So when 7.3 came out I ran to the store and got it the week after it was released in the US. I cannot get 7.3 to install on the on the old P1 with out it crashing after the install. On the laptop the disk has to be fsck (scandisk for you windows users) for every re/boot, 7.3 thinks the computer crashed and the drive was not dismounted correctly. This never happens with 7.2 on the laptop. And does not occur in the P4 with 7.2 or 7.3. On the 2 that I can get 7.3 to boot the xterm forgets to clear the screen when you exit an application. This does not happen all the time but when it does you have to log out and restart X to solve the problem.
Support just stinks, they can not answer any questions and they take 2-3 weeks to get back to you and tell you that they do not know the answer. They seam to not be very interested in improving the product.
If you do a full install if 7.3 Star Office locks up when a user starts Star Office for the fist time and selects install. This happens for all new users created after the 7.3 install. I called suse support and they said Sorry your 90 days of free help has expired. I call one other time and support could not help me. 2 button mouses paste does not work in 7.3 the way it did in 7.2 My solution was to buy a new mouse for the laptop.
The way I solved the star office problem was to install 7.2. Create all the needed users. Run the office installer for each user and then upgrade to 7.3 8-( I found several other little things that work in 7.2 and just do not work in 7.3.
The 7.3 version of Suse has some very nice eye candy, but under the candy is a half baked product. If you look at most commercial software like Oracle and IBM are certified on Suse. If you look at the support matrix they say 7.2 NOT 7.3. I wonder why?
My recommendation is get 7.2 or try your luck with 8 and skip 7.3 at all cost.