Whether you love or hate Windows Vista, you have to admit that some of the visual elements are kind of cool. If you're in that incredibly small group of people who like the new Aero interface, with its semi-transparent windows and a sidebar with widgets (oops, I mean "gadgets") but don't want to upgrade to Vista or even use Windows at all, you might try Vixta, for Linux. It's a customized version of Fedora that looks like Windows Vista, operates similarly to Windows Vista, and even incorporates a lot of the GUI effects that you'll find only in Windows Vista.
The debate on how to best bring Linux to the masses has been raging for years. In light of our own Jen DeLeo's recent experiences with Ubuntu, it's apparent that some Linux distros, even those as highly regarded as Ubuntu, might not be ready for the mainstream. Many Linux fans are fine with that; they don't want their operating system dumbed down for people who can't Google their problems. Others believe that Linux is already easy enough to use for anyone willing to put in some effort, especially compared to older releases.
Vixta is somewhere in between. The people behind Vixta wanted the prettiness of Windows Vista, but wanted to run Linux. They also wanted to make the user interface smooth and easy enough to use that other people who may be used to Windows would appreciate it.
Vixta's interface is a custom KDE mod, and when you install it, the first thing you'll notice is how much it really does look and feel like Windows. You get a single button to access your programs, settings, and desktop search. Additionally, there's a taskbar and widgets that all look like they could have been pulled directly from Vista.
In the end however, Vixta is definitely Linux. You don't install Windows apps (much as you might be tempted to), and you use open-source and Linux-friendly alternatives. Vixta may be attractive and open-source, but it's not the type of OS that you swap out for your friend's copy of Vista just to see if she notices. Still, if you're a Linux fan or looking for a distro that's a lot like Windows so you can get your feet wet, Vixta might be worth a shot.
[ via DownloadSquad ]
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