Xandros launches Presto, a $19 Linux distribution that should have been just what the netbook market needed to stave off Windows 7 Starter Edition.
Xandros announced a Linux-based fast-boot technology that can be downloaded and installed by Windows users on "almost any PC." The "Presto" utility can power up (and down) laptops "within seconds," offering access to web, email, RealPlayer media, and an applications store (left), the company says.
Presto is installed like any other Windows program but it creates an Xandros-based boot environment that works just like the hardware versions. Users can thus get email, surf the web and do many other tasks within a few seconds of powering on the dead computer. The producers of Presto also have an application store that offers programs to add to the Presto environment.
On the other hand, another quick-boot installer runs within Windows and gives you a prompt at boot-up time, for you to choose between Windows and the lightweight Presto. It’s made by Xandros, a company known for its Linux products. On my HP Pavilion dv5t, Presto booted to a usable desktop in less than 20 seconds from the prompt, while Windows Vista took almost a minute. There’s a launch bar with icons for the Firefox browser, Skype, the Pidgin instant messenger client, a file manager and an application store, which shows you the programs already installed and links you to others for free. If you’re familiar with Linux in general, you’ll enjoy poking around Presto’s 400MB footprint, but it’s not all that easily configurable for the novice. As of April 13, Presto will cost $19.95. www.prestomypc.com
I have tried the beta version of the distro was free but I love it so much that I am about to fork out the $19.99 asking price for the final product. I think this is a very small price to pay for such a powerful and secure OS.
Netbooks running XP were "slightly more interesting than a Xandros Linux distribution," he said. Still, some Linux flavors, like Ubuntu, have shown promise.