SuSE Linux 10.0 (DVD) Description:

SuSE Linux 10.0 (DVD) review:
3 stars (SuSe and Digital Video Editing) - I'll be happy to be proven wrong by 10.0, but one area where 9.3 was very weak was Digital Video (DV) editing. There are and abundance of robust and stable commercial packages available for Windows for around $100. My favorite is Pure Motion's Edit Studio.



The Suse trial version of MainActor crashed frequently and I could not get Broadcast 2000 to run at all other than in DV capture mode. Kino worked, but is low on features and not intuitive. Cinelerra looks powerful, but its specs demand high-powered hardware, and it scared me off.



I understand that there are licensing issues with DRM, codecs etc, but DV has now become a mainstream activity on home PCs. I could easily migrate to Suse Linux, but I have to keep a Windows box around to edit DV and create DVDs. For out-of-the-box DV editing, Win boxes are way ahead on points - don't even consider Linux if you do DV exclusively.



On the other hand, the KB III burning software distributed with Suse works flawlessly, and I was able to get freeware MPEG-II conversions running. The quality of the encodings when viewed with Xine was amazing. One very interesting DV tool in Linux is the Blender 3D graphics program, which includes many video post-processing features, and allows you to add special effects, graphical overlays, and animated titles. [However, Blender also runs fine on Win PCs.] If you don't mind hunting down and installing packages to mess around with, it is worth considering Linux for post-processing.



Firewire support worked flawlessly up to a point, but I had to find packages to support DV capture from my Sony camcorder. I also had problems getting Suse to recognize and mount a large-capacity LaCie firewire drive, partitioned into NTFS and Fat-32 partitions.



One other issue is file formats. I work with commercial vector graphics packages such as Adobe Illustrator and would like to see more robust import features on the Open Source side. I realize that Adobe is never going to make it easy, but native file importation and conversion is essential for business usage. Hopefully, a common import/export format such as W3C SVG will make this easier and more reliable in future.



DV and format issues side, SuSe Linux is easy to install, robust, and reliable. It is extremely secure and, like all Lunix distros, virus-free. I had no hardware issues - from old laptops to whiteboxes to Compaq/HP pcs, it installed and ran (better and faster) on any old junk. The desktop is far more powerful and more easily configurable than the Windows GUI.



The only software issue I noted was the lack of support from my cable ISP. They are totally unprepared to support Linux, but do not tell you this up front. It can be a bear to configure your DHCP client and your home wireless network. Fortunately, the Open Community came to my aid. By googling "SuSe", plus my ISP vendor's name, I found step-by-step configuration instructions, kindly written up and posted by another SuSe Linux user.



I strongly recommend Suse LInux for home use, particularly if you have more than one PC, and pay for Windows updates every few years.








5 stars (Suse 10.0 is amazing!) - Suse 10.0 is amazing! I have a Dell Dimension 4600C with Windows XP Professional. I resized the Windows partition to 102 GB and left 50 GB of space unallocated. I was really afraid that something would go wrong and my Windows XP become unbootable. I took the risk anyway, put the Suse 10.0 DVD in and restarted the computer. The installation process was easy, just followed the graphical interface. It portioned the disk on the unallocated partition I have separated for. Suse found all the hardware, the internet connection, print, and zip drive. It was a clean installation, no problem whatsoever, and the OS is very cool. I'm very happy and I recommend it.
5 stars (SuSE is awesome.) - SuSE linux is by far the best all around version of Linux for anyone who is used to Windows, or anyone new to Linux.

First, let me clarify that it is not the best version to host webpages on. It is not the best version to emulate Windows on.

Where SuSE does excell, though, is exactly where it counts most for the average person. SuSE is increasingly easier to install compared to other versions of Linux with each and every new release. Installing Linux is one of the worst changes to adapt to when switching from Windows, but SuSE automated everything. It's so close to idiot proof.

On top of the easy installation, SuSE is a very smooth, quick, and user friendly OS. Almost every setting is automatically optimized for your hardware, where other Linux distributions have quite overwhelming in forcing you to configure everything. The hardware support is extensive and reliable. Any hardware conflicts I have seen in SuSE 8, and SuSE 9 have been resolved beautifully.

There are only a few downsides to Linux in general for anyone considering running it for the first time. Be careful not to play around with files you are unfamiliar with. Also realize that KDE and Gnome may look similiar to Windows, but they are very different. You will have to learn how to use it correctly. Try buying a book on Linux or at least find a few websites with information on how to get started.

Another thing to note about this version of Linux is the office suite built in. Windows users have come to expect to buy seperate word processing software. Do not fear, SuSE 10 has an extensive Office program that has software equally as useful, if not more, than Microsoft's Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and more.

On top of an excellent office suite, you will find CD/DVD burning software, media players, and much more included in this box.

What it comes down to is this: If you want a simple, cheap, and easy Operating System for a computer that will be primarily used for internet, email, and office applications, then this is for you. You can buy this one cheap piece of software and get everything you need for daily use. You will save hundreds of dollars over Windows, and even more over burning software and that expensive Microsoft Office.

If you want to get into Linux for the first time, then this is for you.

If you want to run a server, then try a different distribution of Linux with more focus on that.

If you want to play alot of games and utilize the newest software, then stick to Windows.