Shuttle LinuXPC SD3002W review

Linux is a popular free alternative operating system to Windows, but many potential Linux users are put off by the process of installing an alien operating system and worrying about who to call when something goes wrong.

Shuttle's compact LinuXPC SD3002W addresses both of these problems, as it comes with Linux preinstalled and Shuttle provides phone support for the duration of the two-year warranty.

Version 10 of Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop is pre-installed along with the KDE interface. Anyone used to Windows will find it familiar and easy to grasp. It even has features not currently available in Windows, such as virtual desktops. This allows you to reduce onscreen clutter by grouping windows from different programs together. These can then be hidden and switched between at the click of a button.

Plenty of useful programs, such as Firefox, OpenOffice and GIMP, are also pre-installed. Unfortunately, installing Windows alongside Linux is tricky so this isn't the best choice if you need to run Windows programs that aren't available for Linux.

We installed Windows Vista on a separate hard disk and ran our usual benchmarks. As expected, the Core 2 Duo processor did well in our video-encoding test, with a score of 208. Memory-intensive tasks, such as using multiple programs simultaneously, would benefit from more memory than the included 1GB of RAM.

As expected, the integrated Intel graphics chip wasn't capable of running our demanding 3D graphics tests. You can add a PCI Express x16 graphics card to boost performance, but there's no room inside the case for a double-slot card or one with a large fan. This won't matter if you don't want to play games on the SD3002W, especially since there are far fewer games available for Linux than Windows.

There's an empty PCI slot for adding peripherals such as a TV tuner or wireless network adaptor, but you'll have to ensure Linux drivers are available. There's no room for adding another internal hard disk unless you remove the memory card reader; replacing the existing 250GB disk is easy enough, though.

If you don't already have a keyboard, mouse and monitor then you'll need to buy them, as none is included with the SD3002W. You can use either PS/2 or USB input devices and either a DVI or VGA monitor.

If you want a compact PC with Linux pre-installed, then the SD3002W is an expensive option. A good alternative is Dell's Inspiron 530n. Its midi-tower case isn't as small as the SD3002W and it comes with Ubuntu Linux instead of SUSE, but its specification is otherwise very similar. Neither Dell nor Ubuntu provide any phone support for Ubuntu, though, but the Inspiron comes with a monitor, keyboard and mouse (plus a GeForce 8300GS graphics card), so if you can live without the technical support, it's the better deal.