Out of the many distros released, I have always concentrated on ease of use as one of the most important features I look for in a distro. In addition, I consider most Linux desktop releases (at least the main distros) to be fairly similar. In other words, in terms of features, functionality and power, things are fairly leveled, so I like distros that ease up access to those features.
Recently I have reviewed three distros that stood out in terms of ease of use, documentation and user aids: Linux Mint 9, Pardus 2009.2 and PCLinuxOS 2010. I will now run a head to head comparison (Thanks Sebert for the idea) to hopefully help you make up your mind on which one best fits your needs.
Note that since I have already reviewed all three distros, always including plenty of screenshots, I will not be including many on this comparison. Please reffer to my reviews in case you want to see any of these distros in action:
Linux Mint 9 REVIEW
Pardus 2009.2 PREVIEW and FINAL REVIEW
PCLinux 2010 REVIEW and REVIEW UPDATE
CATEGORIES
It is obviously very difficult to provide meaningful conclusions when comparing Linux distros of this quality, for they all are great in their own right. In order to set some points of reference, I will use the following categories for this comparison:
- Installation
- Hardware Support
- Network setup
- Preconfiguration
- Multimedia
Note that the scores provided only apply to the criteria I have used and do not represent a general depiction of the actual performance of that specific distro, just a reference for the purpose of this article.
Enough with the talking already, let´s move on to the comparison...
INSTALLATION
In this section I will be looking at the following criteria:
- Information: Is the installation process providing documentation that is good enough in terms of clarity and quantity?
- Look&Feel: Is it interesting and pleasant to the eye or will scare people off?
- International support: Does it support multiple languages?
- Speed: How many coffees long?
(Scores go from 1 to 5)
PCLinuxOS 2010
Probably the least fancy of the three, PCLinux2010 installation is clear and to the point, with nothing unexpected or out of place. The information provided is probably enough, but it would be nice to provide some more background on certain steps that may be new to non-Linux savvy users. Things could also be better when it comes to Look&Feel, specially because there is no set of slides available to introduce the user to his/her new operating system. Unfortunately, the installation for PCLinuxOS 2010 is only provided in English, which could represent a problem for people who don't know the language. PCLinux2010 does well in terms of speed, installing faster than any of the other two distros in this comparison.
- Information: - Look&Feel: - International support: - Speed: TOTAL SCORE: | 3 3 1 5 12/20 |
Pardus 2009.2
As you may have already read when I reviewed this Pardus release, I simply love its installation wizard. It is thorough and exhaustive in terms of information and it looks fantastic. Being a Turkish project, the default installation ISO is in Turkish, but the international one is offered only in English. A bit slower than PCLinuxOS's, Pardus installation is still very reasonable... and due to how good it looks, you may end up not having any coffees!
- Information: - Look&Feel: - International support: - Speed: TOTAL SCORE: | 5 5 2 4 16/20 |
Linux Mint 9
As could be expected, Linux Mint's installation wizard inherits pretty much every aspect from Ubuntu's. As a result, we find a clear and informative installation process which actually provides multilanguage support. The set of slides that are provided while the installation is running is informative and interesting, which is fortunate, as this is the slowest of the three. I must say, though, that the timing differences among all three were minimal, none taking too long.
- Information: - Look&Feel: - International support: - Speed: TOTAL SCORE: | 4 4 5 3 16/20 |
| And the winner is: Linux Mint 9 being a extremely close second, this one has to go to Pardus 2009.2. It is the strongest effort and 100% original work by its developers. |
HARDWARE SUPPORT
This is probably the most difficult item to judge. Only by testing a significant amount of computers and devices under each distro would we be able to understand which one provides the most complete support. I will try with my limited resources anyways.
In this section I will be looking at the following criteria:
- New HP 2740p support: Can it handle this new computer?
- Test Tour: HP Compaq 6910p, HP 2730p, HP NX7400, HP 6930p
- Printing support: HP Laserjet 2600N
- Webcam support: Skype test with Creative PD1170, Logitech C250
(Scores go from 1 to 5)
PCLinuxOS 2010
I am still to find a computer this edition of PCLinuxOS 2010 does not support. I am sure there are, but it comes loaded with all kinds of opensource and proprietary drivers. Out of the three distros in this comparison, it is the only one that can actually get the HP 2740p to work, albeit with no 3D acceleration support. In fact, it went as far as to be able to get the onboard webcam to work. In addition, it did excellent on all four other HP computers, as well as recognizing and installing the right drivers for the Laser printer to work (even without a network connection!). Unfortunately, it failed to get the Creative webcam to work, which was probably its only miss, as it got the Logitech to work instantaneously.
PCLinuxOS 2010 even got the HP 2740p onboard webcam right!
- New HP 2740p support: - Test Tour: - Printing support: - Webcam support: TOTAL SCORE: | 4 5 5 4 18/20 |
Pardus 2009.2
Probably the weakest of the three, Pardus still provides very good hardware support. It did fail in getting the 2740p tablet to work, unable to correctly configure its video display. However, It did very well on the Test tour, successfully running on all four PCs and recognizing all of their hardware on the fly. Unfortunately, it failed again on the printing test, unable to print even after apparently setting up the right driver. As for the webcams test, it successfully configured the Logitech for video, but failed to pass on the audio microphone on board to Skype. Unsurprisingly, it also failed in recognizing the Creative webcam.
- New HP 2740p support: - Test Tour: - Printing support: - Webcam support: TOTAL SCORE: | 1 5 2 3 11/20 |
Linux Mint 9
Once again, the Ubuntu inheritance proves to be a strong ally, as Linux Mint 9 passed this hardware recognition test with flying colors. Having said so, just like Pardus 2009.2, it couldn't handle the 2740p video display. The tour test was a breeze and so was the printing one. Once again, the Creative webcam proved tough to deal with (definitely not a Linux friendly device, I think), while the Logitech was instantly recognized and configured successfully.
Mint printer setup was a breeze.
- New HP 2740p support: - Test Tour: - Printing support: - Webcam support: TOTAL SCORE: | 1 5 5 4 15/20 |
| And the winner is: PCLinux2010 gets a well deserved first position on this one. |
NETWORK SETUP
Having access to the Internet has become such mandatory requirement that I wanted to dedicate a specific section to this topic. Acknowledging that ethernet connections are simple and almost always work from the get go, I will concentrate on wireless and 3G.
In this section I will be looking at the following criteria:
- First configuration steps: How easy is it to connect to a wireless network?
- Facing difficulties: Is it intuitive enough to work around issues easily?
- 3G networks: Are they supported and do they work (using a USB Huawei E172)?
(Scores go from 1 to 5)
PCLinuxOS 2010
PCLinuxOS 2010 uses a network interface very similar (if not the same) to Mandriva's. When accessing the desktop for the first time, users will see the network applet on the system tray. A simply click will bring up the Network manager, which shows the ethernet and wireless sections by default (I don't have computers with 3G modems on them, but I suppose a third section would appear in such case). Simply expanding the wireless section shows a list with all wireless networks in range. Configuring one is simple, as is rescanning to get a fresh list.
Once users get the vibe of the PCLinuxOS network manager, working around problems is somewhat simple. The ability to rescan for wireless networks is certainly welcome, and there is a nice consistency to how each type of network is displayed in the same way. In other words, before you even plug in a 3G modem, you expect how that new connection interface will look like.
PCLinuxOS 2010 correctly recognized and configured my 3G modem, allowing me to browse the web easily and from pretty much anywhere.
PCLinuxOS 2010 rocking my USB 3G modem.
- First configuration steps: - Facing difficulties: - 3G networks: TOTAL SCORE: | 4 4 5 13/15 |
Pardus 2009.2
The Pardus network interface is a bit unique, presenting a singular approach based around profiles. Unlike the other two distros in this comparison, Pardus does not allow users to use the networking devices until they have created a profile for them. For example, if you plug an ethernet cable to a Pardus machine, it will not work until an ethernet profile is set up. Fortunately, creating profiles is fairly simple, but I feel this approach could be confusing for new comers. It also has a bit of an archaic vibe, as it requires manual intervention for something that most operating systems handle automatically nowadays.
Once the profile approach is understood, though, it makes things fairly simple. Like PCLinuxOS, this approach provides consistency that can eventually simplify things for users in the long run. Unfortunately, Pardus 2009.2 only offers (at least in my installation) two types of profiles: Ethernet and wireless. Mobile broadband is nowhere to be found.
- First configuration steps: - Facing difficulties: - 3G networks: TOTAL SCORE: | 2 4 1 7/15 |
Linux Mint 9
As should be expected by now, Linux Mint 9 network interface is the same as the one found in Ubuntu 10.04. The interface is, in my opinion, the simplest of the three. When the user logs in for the first time, a convenient notification informs the user that there are wireless networks in range. Simply clicking on the networking system tray icon displays all networks in range and we can choose the one we want to connect to.
Unfortunately, the Mint network applet does not include a button to rescan or refresh the list of wireless networks, which can be very useful at times. Other than that, as expected with such simple interface, working around problems is usually easy enough. Linux Mint 9 correctly recognized and configured my 3G modem as well.
Linux Mint 9 network applet showing a mobile broadband connection.
- First configuration steps: - Facing difficulties: - 3G networks: TOTAL SCORE: | 5 4 5 14/15 |
| And the winner is: Linux Mint 9 is probably the most intuitive and easy to work with, offering native support for mobile broadband devices. |
PRECONFIGURATION
In this section I will be looking at the following criteria:
- Introduction: Tours, startkits, etc.
- Out-of-the-box-iness: Is it ready to rock out of the box?
- Styles, Themes and overall looks: Easy to get a decent looking desktop?
- Extra effort quantity: Lots to do before it's ready? (less is better)
- Extra effort quality: How easy or difficult is that? (the easier the better)
(Scores go from 1 to 5)
PCLinuxOS 2010
PCLinuxOS 2010 does not provide any introduction tours per se when you log in for the first time, but does a very smart job at aiming users in the right direction, so they can set up their computers easily and quickly. The set of launchers on the default desktop includes tools such as the language configuration, OpenOffice installation, Firewall setup and others. However, and while there are some worthy efforts in providing convenient explanations when performing any of those steps, it is mostly assumed that the user knows his/her way around the KDE environment.
Once again, PCLinuxOS 2010 comes loaded with pretty much anything you need to get going. Plenty of codecs for both video and audio are offered out of the box, so users will be able to skip the usual Firefox Flash plugin installation, for example. While OpenOffice is not included, the GetOpenOffice application is so good that it certainly makes up for it. In fact, I think the PCLinuxOS 2010 developers have done such a good job that I cannot see users installing much after logging in for the first time. If something extra is required, the great Synaptic package manager (albeit in a somewhat raw state) is at hand to get it for us.
PCLinuxOS 2010 is a bit poor when it comes to style, though. It does not offer many wallpapers, icon or window themes of its own, so users are likely to have to search the web for them before the desktop can trully look stunning.
- Introduction: - Out-of-the-box-iness: - Styles, Themes and overall looks: - Extra effort quantity: - Extra effort quality: TOTAL SCORE: | 3 5 3 5 3 19/25 |
Pardus 2009.2
Once again, Pardus excels on this department, offering a wonderful introductory application called Kaptan. In an enjoyable, easy to follow and truly tightly branded wizard, Kaptan will get any user to complete those initial configuration steps in a few clicks. Unfortunately, users will have a hard time trying to find Kaptan after that first run. I personally believe Kaptan should be easily accessible from the panel or as a desktop shortcut, so users that are not KDE savvy can use it anytime they want.
Like PCLinuxOS, Pardus 2009.2 comes fully loaded with all kinds of codecs and a very complete and thorough application catalog, so I see very little need for any extra work. If required, though, Pardus 2009.2 includes its own package manager, which is simple to use, but maybe not as easy to find for someone who's using Linux for the first time.
In terms of branding, icon and window themes and wallpapers, Pardus 2009.2 does a wonderful job. Aside from the usual KDE default wallpapers, users will find some Pardus ones, apparently authored by Turkish artists. The default icon theme is original and a very welcome and fresh departure from the typical Oxygen KDE vibe.
The fabulous Kaptan wizard.
- Introduction: - Out-of-the-box-iness: - Styles, Themes and overall looks: - Extra effort quantity: - Extra effort quality: TOTAL SCORE: | 5 5 4 4 4 22/25 |
Linux Mint 9
Linux Mint offers a simplistic yet useful menu when the user first logs in. Describing the new features, known bugs and even including links to the Official user guide and various tutorials, Mint 9 users should have no problems getting up to speed with their new system. The main limitation to this approach, though, is that it is Internet dependent. On top of that, and while lots of interesting concepts are available through the documents provided, how many users will actually read the user manual? I think something easier and more visual is missing so that those using Mint for the very first time can easily get going.
Linux Mint 9 is also very well prepared to provide the end user a seamless experience out of the box. Once again, I feel little need for any extras, but the fantastic Mint Software Center should easily satisfy them. In fact, I feel this is the best package manager of the three.
One other area that Linux Mint 9 excels at is Look&Feel, as it comes with many original wallpapers, icons and window themes included. Getting your desktop some impressive looks is just a couple clicks away!
- Introduction: - Out-of-the-box-iness: - Styles, Themes and overall looks: - Extra effort quantity: - Extra effort quality: TOTAL SCORE: | 3 5 5 4 5 22/25 |
| And the winner is: Tight again, but Pardus 2009.2 wins partially due to Kaptan, its great introductory wizard. |
MULTIMEDIA
In this section I will be looking at the following criteria:
- Web based media: Flash, quicktime, etc.
- DVD playback: Players installed and ease of use.
- Music playback: Players installed and ease of use.
(Scores go from 1 to 5)
PCLinuxOS 2010
As mentioned already, PCLinuxOS 2010 does include plenty of codecs from the get go, so browsing the web is smooth and all media is displayed out of the box. Apple trailers videos play well as do all Flash based sites, like myspace, youtube, gametrailers, etc.
Reproducing a DVD is easy and intuitive. SMPlayer comes preinstalled and listed within the actions available when a DVD is inserted. Playback is usually smooth, although I did find some DVDs that would not play correctly. In terms of music, Amarok handles duties and does it superbly, as could be expected from such great audio player.
- Web based media: - DVD playback: - Music playback: TOTAL SCORE: | 5 3 5 13/15 |
Pardus 2009.2
Pardus also makes things simple for online media, thanks to the many codecs preinstalled in out of the box. Flash, quicktime and all other formats I tried were working perfectly with no extra effort required from the user.
DVD playback was not as good, unfortunately. Even if Pardus comes with a large number of video players, none seemed to be able to handle playback as smoothly as the other two distros do. Not surprisingly, Dragon player was a massive failure, but MPlayer and SMPlayer didn't do much better. Gnome Mplayer was doing best in my tests, but still not up to the quality that could be expected in a distro like Pardus. Amarok is once again the main audio player, but some other options are available, like Jukebox.
- Web based media: - DVD playback: - Music playback: TOTAL SCORE: | 5 2 5 12/15 |
Linux Mint 9
Just like the other two, Linux Mint 9 comes fully prepared to tackle any web based media reproduction. Once again, my tests on the most popular formats all rendered positive results.
DVD playback is certainly simple and works great in Linux Mint 9. It played successfully all DVDs I tried, offering the easiest and most intuitive interface. Music playback is managed by Rhythmbox, which is a fine player for the GNOME desktop.
DVD playback proved particularly simple on Linux Mint 9.
- Web based media: - DVD playback: - Music playback: TOTAL SCORE: | 5 4 5 14/15 |
| And the winner is: Linux Mint 9 excels on this department, so it gets a well deserved first position. |
FINAL THOUGHTS
There you have it, a close comparison between these three fabulous Linux distros, resulting in very evenly matched scores. I personally love all three, each having its own character, strengths, but also weaknesses. Having said so, looking strictly for which one offers the smoothest and most intuitive experience, I would probably have to say that Linux Mint 9 is the winner in my opinion.
Hopefully this comparison will help you make your choice based on your own needs and taste. I am pretty sure any of the choices is a sure winner.
Thanks for reading and good luck!
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