Novell SuSE Linux Professional 9.3 review

There are several bundled word processors, spreadsheets, databases, presentation packages and address books. This is in addition to the pre-release version of OpenOffice.org 2.0, a mature, largely compatible rival to Microsoft Office that even writes PDF files. You'll need something to view PDF files, of course; luckily, the distribution also carries Adobe Acrobat for Linux.

For those who like to get down and dirty with the operating system, there are several command-line shells. The distribution also carries a full set of system development tools. Everything is bundled, from editors, code management systems, compilers and interpreters to full visual development environments such as KDevelop, Eclipse and Novell's own Mono, which can run Microsoft .NET programs.

This distribution has more toys than Woolworths. Particularly fascinating is a program called KSimus, which enables you to create and run virtual digital electronic circuits and devices in real time. Other intriguing packages include programs to help increase your word power, learn Japanese and even brush up on your Latin. Also included is a preview copy of the new Beagle desktop search tool. Just as a search engine indexes millions of websites, Beagle's job is to index information on your computer and so put everything at your fingertips. It can find everything from documents, web search histories and instant messaging conversation logs to images and source code.

Xen is another useful addition. This virtual hardware program enables you to run multiple operating systems. Each instance of an operating system believes it is running on its own hardware and this enables several servers to coexist on one physical computer, reducing hardware and management costs. Sadly, Windows is not supported yet.

Linux is now a mature, stable operating system. SuSE Linux Professional 9.3 is a fully featured distribution that wouldn't look out of place next to Windows XP. With so much on offer, there's always the danger of having too much of a good thing. Few people need nine different pocket calculators, even if some are faithful simulations of real life graphing and programmable models.

It's probably not worth upgrading from version 9.2, but if you want to install a brand new Linux system from scratch and you don't want to spend time downloading shed-loads of software before you start working, SuSE Linux Professional 9.3 is extremely good value.