It seems that everyone has a thought or two on Google’s new Chrome operating system. In our continuing effort to cover the best of the tech world, allow us to present the top ten comments about the much talked about — and highly controversial — OS of the (near) future.

1. “Who knows what this thing is. To me, the Chrome OS thing is highly interesting (in) that it won’t happen for a year and a half and they already announced an operating system.” – Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer
2. “[Chrome] is an extraordinary market play. And an unsettling one. For it seeks to place Google, which already collects vast amounts of data about our Internet use, at the very center of our information experience.” – John Paczkowski, All Things Digital
3. “If the Chrome OS can help change consumer perceptions about the utility of online applications and cloud storage, it could be a big success for Google, even without wide adoption.” – John Timmer, ArsTechnica
4. “Google’s decision to create its own Linux distribution and splinter the Linux community decisively once again can only be seen as foolhardy and self-obsessive.” – Renai LeMay, Silicon.com
5. “Google wants to see multiple devices connected to the web in every household. A web device in your pocket, one on your wrist, in your car, on your boat and in every room of your house; not to mention computers in homes in the developing world. The Microsoft tax ($50 per unit for instance) has hindered the market adoption of these types of devices.” - Amanda McPherson, The Linux Foundation
6. “It’s disappointing that they’ve chosen to go it alone this far rather than working with the existing [Linux] communities.” – Joe Brockmeier, Community Manager for openSUSE
7. “As the long-foretold ‘Internet of Things‘ emerges — allowing everyday objects to be addressed via online queries — Chrome OS will be well positioned to help Google organize even more of the world’s information than the company already handles.” – Thomas Claburn, Information Week
8. “Nobody seems to appreciate how hard it is to make an operating system. You don’t just wake up one day and fall out of bed and make one. Not even the smarty pants kiddies at Google can do that. These things take years. Decades, even… Whatever Google might release in the second half of next year, it will just be a starting point.” – Dan Lyons, aka The Fake Steve Jobs
9. “If Google wants to succeed in its boldest product launch to date, the Chrome OS, the company needs to focus on its success with the same intensity it once dedicated to search. If it doesn’t, Chrome OS will end up just like Chrome: yet another irrelevant skunkworks [sic] project used by a handful of digerati and Microsoft-haters and ignored by everyone else.” – Henry Blodgett, Silicon Valley Insider.
10. “If anyone thinks that the recent attention being paid to Microsoft’s new search engine, Bing, and the sudden announcement of a free OS from Google is a coincidence, then you haven’t been following the tech business closely. Everything is strategic.” – John C. Dvorak, MarketWatch.com

…As for us, it all comes down to a very concise list of pros and cons.

Pros:

• Google starting small. Honestly, no one would give them the time of day if they immediately targeted traditional desktop and laptop systems. It would just be another small fish living in a pond inhabited by the likes of Windows, OS X, Ubuntu, and Fedora. By going to the comparatively uncharted world of netbooks first, Google has the opportunity of making considerable headway in a relatively short amount of time.

Cons:

• Google seems to have a hard time picking good hardware providers. Their “temporary alliance” with mediocre phone manufacturer HTC is proof of that. Now the folks at the “big  G” could always surprise us by linking up such heavy hitters as Asus and Dell. They could even go with an “under the radar” firm with a stellar reputation, such as Cowon or Archos. Unfortunately, we do not see that happening any time soon.
• Despite what many might think, the original Windows lineup — 3.1, 95, 98, and ME, etc –  were not operating systems in the strictest sense of the word. They were actually specialized suites called “extender programs” designed to make the aging DOS system structure more user friendly. As it stands now, Chrome OS is that very thing, only for Linux instead of DOS. While being a fancy extender program isn’t a “bad” thing, it doesn’t necessarily make it a true operating system, either.
• The thoughts of having to rely exclusively on cloud-based applications such as Zoho Office makes us want to cry. Now don’t get us wrong here — we love online apps just as much as the next person. Still, man cannot live on Google Docs and Adobe Acrobat Online alone. Even if there is a way to load external, offline programs onto the operating system, the bulk of these apps will have been designed specifically for Linux. In the minds of many, Konqueror, KOffice, and GNUCash are not adequate replacements for the likes of Safari, Microsoft Office, and the Peachtree Accounting Suite.

Our Verdict: Too soon to tell. I guess we will have to wait until the Chrome source code is released in November before we immediately start jumping to conclusions. Until that time arrives, consider the Free Line’s involvement in the matter to be officially closed.

As you might have heard, Google is throwing their hat into the “full operating system” game. Called Chrome, the new OS is a Linux-based system designed to let users navigate their computer quickly and efficiently. This is done by replacing the traditional “operating system” setup with a powerful, “always on” version of the Chrome web browser. From there, the “theory” states, users can go about their day to day activities without having to worry about their operating system getting in the way. Users without Internet service will be able to use a combination of Google Gears and HTML 5 to access their apps offline. Supporters of the new plan say that the OS is the perfect “antidote” to the so-called “Microsoft-centric” desktop experience. Detractors, on the other hand, say the lack of specialty programs, combined with the bare bones nature of many existing web apps, will essentially kill the fledgling OS before it even has had a chance to take off. Many critics also claim that Google’s penchant for monitoring the browsing habits of the user will completely undermine online privacy in a way never before seen. No matter which side of the fence you sit, there is one thing that we all can agree upon: Things are about to get very interesting. Expect to see Chrome on a netbook computer near you in the second half of 2010.

This isn’t the first time a major player in the tech world attempted to make an operating system of their own. Sometimes, it was a success. Other times … well, not so much. So join us as we take a trip down memory lane to visit the “next generation operating system” that time has seemingly forgotten: OS/2 Warp.

OS/2 Warp

Lifespan: 1994 to 2001
Company: IBM
Philosophy: Windows 95, IBM style.
Back Story: Once upon a time, IBM and Microsoft worked together to make an operating system called “OS/2.” This partnership lasted until 1990, when the two split due to what the lawyers call “irreconcilable differences.” Coding practices, hardware limitations, and various GUI issues where among the sticking points. Undaunted, IBM set out to build a “next generation” operating system that could compete with Microsoft. The resulting project, called “OS/2 Warp” by the team, was formally released to the public in 1994.
The Result: Despite the endless list of promises and “advanced” support for Windows apps, OS/2 Warp promptly went nowhere. While many of the IBM faithful enjoyed the effort, most would rather stick with their copies of Windows 3.1 or 95 than try something new. The operating system would get one more major release (OS/2 Warp 4) before being discontinued in December 2001.
Is It Still Around?: Yes, in a way. Aside from a few ATM machines and cash registers that rely on it, OS/2 Warp isn’t really used by many people or businesses anymore. For a more “modern” version, we suggest checking out eComStation. It’s Warp, only under a different name.

I know that we are officially a week away from the end from our 30 Days of GNU experiment, but I think it might be best to call it a day right now. We here at the Free Line have a few big projects in the works, and these “specialized” GPL beauties will just end up interfering with them. With that said, here we go:

Our little pulls into port battered, but still surprisingly resilient. Although there are still some parts of this “test run” that gave us a hard time — Evolution and K-Meleon, I’m looking in your direction — it was still a generally worthwhile endeavor.  That being said, there is still one part of this whole ordeal that still seems to be eluding people, and that is the very nature of the word “free.”

On the surface, the word is simple: If you get a legal, full featured application without having to pay anything, then that application is free. If it costs money, then it isn’t. Things get muddled a bit, however, when the words “how much” are thrown into the equation. In the minds of many, only a program that bares its source code can truly be considered “free.” Sure, that shiny new copy of  Windows Live Mail or even Garage Band might appear to be free, but the closed off nature of the code is making you rely on the folks at Microsoft and Apple, respectively. A program like Evolution is free, but that is only because I have the ability to “take a peek under the hood,” as they say. In essence, it all breaks down like this:

When a program is given away at no cost to you, said program is considered to be “freeware.”
When a program and its source code is given away at no cost to you, said program is considered to be “free.”
When an organization and/or corporation charges for an application, but still gives the source code away for free, said program is still considered to be “free.”

While the strategy mapped out above might appeal to a programmer or to a person who likes the idea of “community involvement,” it tends to leave the average user out in the cold. It is our experience that “normal people” prefer performance, not the ability to stare blankly at pages worth of source of code. It is for this reason that we have to call our little “run with the GNUs” a marginal failure. Don’t get us wrong: We fully support of using GPL-supported programs. Applications such as Firefox, OpenOffice.org, and even aMSN are standard tools in our arsenals. It’s just that limiting ourselves to only GNU-approved applications left us angry and frustrated. Our advice is simple: use the free software that appeals most to you. It doesn’t matter if the code for it is kept on a website or on some protected server in Redmond. If you like it, use it. It’s as simple as that. Do this, and you’ll be happy. We guarantee it.

As we mentioned in yesterday’s post, it seems as if 95% of the tech world has two things on their collective minds: smart phones and Twitter. Since I think we have covered Twitter, Twitter clones, Twitter apps, and that goofy “Twitter apocalypse” thing that didn’t really happen to death, we are going focus on the wonderful world of mobile phones. But as you might have already guessed, I am going to do more than just merely “talk” about these phones. I will actually give one of these lucky mobile devices a thorough going over, making sure to tell you everything that you would ever need to know. Let’s face it: “smart phones” such as these could very possibly be the future of mobile computing. If your business isn’t ready for it, you could find yourself in very, very hot water. It is our duty, nay, our mission to make sure that this does not happen to you. Before we begin however, I do have a few notes:

Note #1: While the iPhone is definitely on my “smart phone” shortlist, we will not be doing a write up about it in this post. The reasoning for this is simple: anyone who is anyone already knows about it. We don’t know about any of you, but none of us here are necessarily fans of regurgitating common knowledge.

Note #2: The touchscreen Blackberry that Verizon peddles is all but out of the equation. First of all, it’s a Blackberry. Aside from the touchscreen, there really isn’t much different between the new phones and old “trackball” versions from last year. Secondly, I am not a big fan of Verizon Wireless. While their overall network is a bit better than the competition, it doesn’t justify the bloated, overinflated price that they charge. In short, I can get better equipment at a cheaper price. ‘Nuff said.

…With all of that laid out, here we go…

G1 (Dream)/G2 (Magic)/MyTouch 3G

Manufacturer: Google (OS); HTC (Phone; more phones from other companies will be arriving at some point in the near future)
Cell Network (US): T-Mobile
Open Source?: Yes.
Positives: Having been able to actually use this phone, I have to say that this phone’s biggest asset is the Android operating system. It has more of a feel of a scaled down desktop OS instead one designed for a mobile device. The ability to run a few third-party applications in the background doesn’t hurt things either.
Negatives: there’s something about the physical phone hardware than I just don’t like. It feels “cheap” and really isn’t all that much to look at. If I do decide to go with this phone, I will wait until the myTouch 3G is released in August.

Palm Pre

Manufacturer: Palm
Cell Network: Sprint
Open Source?: Yes
Positives: Palm is finally back. This is the phone that loyal users have been waiting for for quite some time now. While some might be upset at the loss of “classic” Palm OS software library, most will find the available apps to be suitable replacements. (A “classic OS” emulator is available for those who do not.)
Negatives: Not everyone likes the Sprint network.

Remember the email clients from Monday? Let’s see how they are holding up four days later.

Client #1: Evolution

Positives: The account setup wizard is surprisingly intuitive. All you have to do is enter your POP3 and SMTP settings and the program does the rest. Specialized ports? Evolution detects them. Security settings? It picks them up as well. It also runs pretty quick for a program that isn’t a fan of Windows 7.
Negatives: First and foremost, the “included” spam filter simply does not work. If you want spam to “disappear,” you have to program it in yourself. Another thing: The automated “email check” is apparently broken as well. While it might not seem like a big deal, it can be bothersome to a person who routinely forgets to press that dreaded “send and receive mail” button. (If you haven’t guessed already, I am definitely one of those people.)
Overall: 3; “It’s alright, I guess. Could be better though.”
Worth a Download?: Sadly, no.

Client #2: Thunderbird

Positives: The ability to load add-ons is a big plus. Nothing says “try me out” quite like the prospect of total customization. The aforementioned setup is also a nice touch. While it isn’t the easiest setup we have run into thus far — that award goes to, of all programs, Evolution — it does make life a bit easier.  And since it’s made by a subsidiary of Mozilla, complete and total compatibility with Firefox is a given.
Negatives: Aside from the much lauded add-ons, Thunderbird comes off as rather “basic.” Yes, it checks, writes, and sends email, but that’s all it does … Without modification, of course.
Overall: 7; “It’s nice and stable.”
Worth a Download?: Yes.

Client #3: Zimbra

Positives: Unlike the rest of the clients on this list, Zimbra is more than just a simple “email client.” It’s actually a highly diverse desktop system, designed to eliminate the need for Google Apps a variety of third-party freeware (and in some cases, shareware) applications. Zimbra also gets a few extra points for presentation. As cliche as it might sound, the simple fact that it “looks” nicer than the other clients does wonders for this little underdog.
Negatives: It’s a bit on the slow side starting up. Although the plethora of extra features are nice, they have a tendancy to “get in the way” from time to time.
Overall: 8
Worth a Download?: Yes

Client #4: Sylpheed

Positives: Wait … give us a moment. There has to be something in this program that can be construed as a positive … [Pause] There it is! Sylpheed is the only program that, to our knowledge, allows you look at the source code of your messages. We’re not exactly sure as to why you would want to do that, but it’s always nice to have the option.
Negatives: The words “extremely basic” were bandied about more than once. Furthermore, the following “standard” features are not available in Sylpheed: A spam filter, automatic mail check, the ability to view messages in an HTML format, the ability to send emails at all … I think you get the idea here.
Overall: 3; “Outlook Express 4 that was bundled with Windows 98 First Edition can do more things than Sylpheed.”
Worth a Download?: No

As I mentioned yesterday, I have finally installed KDE onto my laptop. It all seems to be working properly … In a way. Let’s start from the top and go down from there.

Konqueror – It runs, but that’s about all that it’s doing right now. What’s the point of having a “premiere league” web browser when half of the tools and features that users depend upon aren’t available? Take this very post, for example. Usually when I type up this fantastic, award winning (hint, hint) blog, I use the standard WYSIWYG (“what you see is what you get) setup that is provided by WordPress. For reasons that I have yet to comprehend, that very setup is not available in Konqueror. I am therefore stuck using the bare bones HTML editor. I might be able to fix things eventually, but I’m not necessarily optimistic at this point.

JuK (Media player) – Nothing plays. I can see the title of the track scroll back and forth, but I can’t actually hear any music. After checking a few sound card settings, I went back into the program, hoping for a better result. Unfortunately, all I heard was dead air. I looked through the various options, hoping against hope that I would stumble across a “configure player” link. What I did find, however, was an option that allowed me to configure various audio shortcuts. While it’s a nice tool to have on hand, it is not exactly what I’m looking for at the present moment.

Kile (Word processor) – Despite reports to the contrary, KOfiice is not installed by default. In its places sits Kile, a self-described “LaTex front end” with an eye for power. For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about right now, LaTex is based around the idea that the English tongue should have a programming language of its own. Despite what you might be thinking right now, a “programming language for text” is actually a decent idea. Making that language editor the default word processor, on the other hand, is not. Hoping to salvage my time today, I immediately closed it and started looking for the Windows version of KOffice. Sadly, it isn’t available for Windows users anymore. Oh bother…

Overall: I will be totally honest here: there is a reason why KDE for Windows is not better known. None of these programs have been designed with the “traditional user” in mind. At this point in time, I can argue that almost everyone, even seasoned Linux users, will loathe this collection of programs. Playing with these “applications” isn’t even a good way to pass the time, let alone as a way to get some work done. So as it pains me to say it, stay far, far away from KDE for Windows. You’ll be glad that you did.

After a brief period of contemplation, I have officially decided to bring my “GNU experience” to the next level. By this time tomorrow, I will have KDE installed on my laptop. Why, you ask? Well … it’s all answered below.
What is KDE again? – KDE is a desktop system used primarily in Linux and BSD-based operating systems. The actual design is similar to that of Windows XP.

But you already have a desktop. Why load another one? – I am not loading the KDE for Windows package just so I can have a different desktop. I’m actually loading it so I can have access to the various KDE programs (KWord, Krita, Konqueror, etc) that lie within the desktop.

But you are going to have another desktop, right? – I honestly have no idea. The last time I attempted this, the program actually put the KDE taskbar on top of my Windows bar. I sincerely hope that that doesn’t happen again.

Wait … You have actually done this before? – I tried it a few years ago, shortly after KDE 4 was released. At the time, the Windows package was still using an archaic version of KDE 3. This is a completely different animal here.

You said you are loading this on your laptop. Why not use your main computer? – As I have mentioned before, my main system runs the 64-bit version of the Windows 7 beta. According to the official website, neither Windows 7 nor the 64-bit architecture that my copy is based upon are exactly supported at this time. The laptop, on the other hand, runs on 32-bit Vista. The choice was clear.

Is KDE for Windows a good idea for me? – We are about to find that out, aren’t we?

…And there you have it. Be sure you tune in tomorrow to check out my installation log. I guarantee that it will be interesting, to say the least.

Anyone who has been reading the Free Line in the past few days knows of my love/hate relationship with Evolution. But how exactly does it stand up to other “free” mail clients? We are about to find that out.

Client #1: Evolution

Website: http://www.dipconsultants.com/evolution/
Developer: The Gnome Project (Original program) and Tor Lillqvist (Windows port)
License: GPL
First Impression: “Where did it go? It likes to randomly disappear from time to time.”
Setup: Easier than most, thanks to the built in setup wizard.
Note: We here at the Free Line believe that the following is required reading:

“…Putting the little “browser snafu” behind me, I found myself heading to Wikipedia to research GPL email clients. Thankfully, the choice here was simple: Evolution. For those unaware, Evolution is the email companion to the Linux-based web browser (and Free Line favorite) Epiphany. About a year ago, the folks in charge of the client, along with higher ups at Novell, decided that it was a good idea to port the system over to Windows. While their intentions were  good, the result was anything but. Users who wanted to try Linux’s “best kept secret” had to compile everything themselves from scratch. Extensive knowledge of the DOS prompt was also required, as the newly installed program required it to be running at all times. Not happy with this turn of events, Novell programmer Nat Freidman hired famed Linux-to-Windows programmer Tor Lillqvist to create an easy to use installation file for people who dislike compiling their own programs. People just like me.

Installing the program was easy: just click a few buttons and I was on my way. Setting up my various email accounts was easy as well. In many ways, Evolution was actually easier to work with than that brand new copy of Windows Live Mail Desktop that I had been previously using. Everything was going fine, until I accidentally closed the program. This is where my troubles truly began.

Before I go into detail, I think it’s only fair to detail the operating system I use. Like our fantastic product tester/guinea pig Angela Smedley, I work with a system that is dependent upon Windows 7 RC 1. Instead of having your open programs displayed in a long, somewhat annoying row like in previous editions of Windows, Windows 7 puts them all in “button” form next to the start menu. If you wish to have access to these programs after you have closed them, all you have to do is right click on the icon and select “pin to the taskbar.” Simple, elegant, and much easier to deal with than the traditional “long bar/quick launch button” combination. Most programs respond well to the new system. Evolution did not. Here comes “Excedrin headache #10” again…

As I stared at the strange, DOS-based error message, I thought about the steps that brought me to this point. Closing the message, I instantly decided to start the program from the shortcut on my desktop instead of from my taskbar. Although the ominous message was gone, I still didn’t have access to my email accounts. Undaunted, I right clicked on the shortcut and chose the “run as administrator” option. Success! After a few more minutes of “administrator-level” tweaking, I finally have things working properly. The shortcut that is currently pinned to my taskbar still isn’t completely functional, but it doesn’t matter. At least I still have access to my email.”

Client #2: Thunderbird

Website: http://www.mozillamessaging.com/thunderbird/
Developer: Mozilla
License: Mozilla Public License (MPL), Lesser GPL (LGPL), and GPL
First Impression: “Hey look! Add-ons!”
Ease of Setup: Three words: Intuitive setup wizard.
Layout: It wants to be Outlook Express in the worst way possible — icons appear up top, file folders on the left, letters on the top right hand side, and the actual letters show up at the bottom. It isn’t “bad,” but it can get to be a tad boring.

Client #3: Zimbra

Website: http://www.zimbra.com/
Developer: Zimbra Inc. and Yahoo
License: Yahoo Public License (YPL)
First Impression: “This one has some neat stuff in it. I sense that they really want to be Google here.”
Setup: Instead of implementing a tabbed system like Outlook Express or a wizard ala Thunderbird, Zimbra prefers the “one lengthy page” approach found in many web email services.
Layout: It’s as if Outlook Express and Google Apps had a baby. The physical mail client appears to be an almost carbon copy of Outlook, with the “standards” appearing in all the right places. Click on the tabs, however, and the user is taken to a Google Docs style text editor, a link to Flickr, and a feed reader respectively. While it doesn’t necessarily add to the “email experience,” the added features are nice to have on hand.

Client #4: Sylpheed

Website: http://sylpheed.sraoss.jp/en/
Developer: Hiroyuki Yamomoto
License: GPL and LGPL
First Impression: “I don’t see anything that really ’sticks out’ about it.”
Ease of Setup: Simple. Just plug in all of your information and the program does the rest.
Layout: A tad dated compared to the likes of Thunderbird and Windows Live Mail, but nothing really to write home about.

On today’s special edition of the Showdown, we take a look at four web browsers that are a bit more “specialized” than the average install of Internet Explorer or Firefox. Before we do, however, we should take a look at the muscles behind the browser — the rendering engine. For those unaware, a rendering engine is the program that physically displays a website on a screen. Major engines include:

• Trident – Designed by Microsoft exclusively for Internet Explorer.
• Gecko - Designed by the Mozilla Corporation for Firefox. Several major browsers also employ this engine, including Chrome, Mozilla SeaMonkey, and later versions of Netscape.
• KHTML – Designed by the KDE Team, Apple, Nokia, and Google for use in the Linux-based Konqueror browser. The engine was eventually forked into two separate projects. Project number one kept the KHTML name, while project number two became…
• Webkit – A modified version of the KHTML engine used in Safari. Chrome and Free Line favorite Epiphany also use WebKit, though not nearly to the extent of Safari.
• Presto - Designed by Opera Software ASA for the Opera browser. Unlike the other engines listed, Presto is not usually ported to other web browsers. Instead, developers simply modify Opera itself to suit their own needs. To date, modified versions of Opera can be found in a variety of different hardware and software platforms, including Adobe products, mobile phones, and on various Nintendo gaming consoles.

With all of that said, here we go:

Browser #1: Maxthon

Website: http://www.maxthon.com/
Programmer: Maxthon International Limited
Rendering Engine: Trident
First Impression: “It looks like Lotus Symphony … And the name sounds like a line of bug sprays.”
Originality (Out of 5): 5
Special Features: A Facebook sidebar plugin and an XMarks-style bookmark synchronization service are included in the installation.
Positives: Maxthon is probably one of the most unique browsers we have ever come across. It employs several cutting edge features, including mouse gestures, a built-in feed reader, and a completely customizable interface. It’s also very social media friendly, which could potentially make status updates a breeze.
Negatives: Maxthon likes to refer to itself as “Internet Explorer” a bit too often. While it might be small, it is bound to throw more than a few people off.
Overall (Out of 10): 7;
Final Thought: “It’s a very well put together browser, which is nice. You don’t see that much anymore.”

Browser #2: K-Meleon

Website: http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/
Programmer: Christophe Thibault
Rendering Engine: Gecko
First Impression: “These tools are interesting.”
Originality: 5
Special Features: Instead of utilizing the “standard” XUL interface, K-Meleon relies on the Windows API. The intended result is an experience closer to Safari in OS X and Konqueror in Linux than the everyday installation of Firefox. Like Maxthon, everything from the tab bar to the menus is customizable. There are also some innovative mouse options, including a tool that modifies the scroll wheel. Users also have the option of “saving” sessions for later use.
Positives: K-Meleon makes Firefox look like Internet Explorer. The browser practically begs the user to fool around with it. Users also have the option to activate Opera’s patented Hotlist technology, which adds an entirely new level of usability to the browser.
Negatives: It’s a tad intimidating at first.
Overall: 9
Final Thought: “If I felt like switching browsers right now, it would be to this one.”

Browser #3: Sleipnir

Website: http://www.fenrir-inc.com/us/
Programmer: Fenrir Inc.
Rendering Engines: Trident and Gecko
First Impression: “This is neat … I wish I could get it working right.”
Originality: 4
Special Features: Before starting the browser, the user is asked if they want to use either the Trident or Gecko rendering engine. Although we really have no desire to use Trident, it’s nice to have the option available. Sleipnir also has the ability to run extensions from both Internet Explorer and Firefox in addition to its own proprietary add-ons.
Positives: It’s fast … Really, really fast. The native Sleipnir plugins seem to be a bit odd at first, but are extremely useful and powerful.
Negatives: It claims to be “for advanced users only.”  We suggest that you heed that warning.
Overall: 7
Final Thought: “Make sure that you read all of the instructions first.”

Browser #4: Lunascape

Website: http://www.lunascape.tv/
Programmer: Lunascape Co., Ltd
Rendering Engines: Trident, Gecko, and Webkit
First Impression: “Now I know where Sleipnir got its look from.”
Originality: 4
Special Features: Think “Sleipnir,” but with added Webkit support. It makes a bigger difference than one might think. The browser “skin” can be switched out at a moment’s notice — a nifty feature for anyone who can’t decide on the “perfect look” for their browser. Your favorite RSS feed can also be turned into a “news ticker,” which runs parallel to your tabs.
Positives: The rendering engine can be changed on the fly, similar to the IE/Safari Tab extension in Firefox. The actual viewing window can display several web pages at once, making it easy to compare different sites or products.
Negatives: For some reason, all of the proprietary extensions are in Japanese. Like Sleipnir, it ca be a tad intimidating to those unfamiliar with alternative web browsers.
Overall: 6.5
Final Thought: “It has a lot of potential, but still has a way to go.”

The Great Linux Experiment was an astounding success overall. While we here at the Free Line take for granted that you have read it all from “cover to cover,” we know that that isn’t entirely realistic. So to make things easy, we have decided to create a “table of contents.” Everything you need to enjoy The Great Linux Experiment is here. With that, here you go:
Chapter One: Start Me Up

Chapter Two: Don’t You Wonder What We’ll Find, Steppin’ Out Tonight?

Chapter Three: Only the Beginning; Only Just a Start

Chapter Four: I Will Survive

Chapter Five: O Do Not Forsake Me

Chapter Six Interlude: The Waiting

Chapter Six: Problems and Bigger Ones

Chapter Seven: Stuck In the Middle

Chapter Eight Interlude: What the Buzz, Tell Me What’s a-Happenin’

Chapter Eight: Here It Goes Again

Chapter Nine: …And In the End…

Epilogue: I Found a New Way, Baby