everything you might find in Windows or Macintosh OS X, but without
the drawbacks. It keeps things simple, yet offers sophisticated features.
Want to browse the web? Firefox will do the job. This is the same
Firefox you might have been using under Windows and, yes, the same
add-ons will work. Want to instant-message friends using AIM, MSN,
or ICQ? Pidgin provides the solution. Need to do some word-
processing, or spreadsheeting, or presenting? OpenOffice.org will
do the trick. GIMP will handle image-editing, while RhythmBox
will take care of music playback (stand-alone video playback is handled
by Totem).
All of these programs are installed by default. They’re not extras and
they’re all free of charge.
Hardware support is excellent, with virtually every item of day-to-day
hardware supported, including graphics/sound cards, printers,
wireless, USB memory sticks, cameras, iPods, and so-on. There’s no
need to fumble around with driver CDs—practically everything will be
up and running straight after installation, although as with any
operating system you may have to configure the system to your own
tastes and needs.