“This release makes sense for technically advanced users who are looking for a different operating system,” said Steve O’Grady of research firm Red Monk. “SuSE 9.3 features the latest and greatest technology. That’s how it’s different from most of the other commercial bistros. It’s almost like a proving ground for some of the new technologies.”
SuSE Linux 9.3 is expected to be available at retail stores and online by mid-April for around $100 for new users and $70 for upgrades. Among the packages and applications included are version 2.0 of the OpenOffice.org productivity suite, Firefox 1.0 browser, the Mono 1.1.4 development tool, the Eclipse 3.0.1 toolset, the Linphone VoIP application and the KDE 3.4 and just-released GNOME 2.10 desktop operating environments.
Focusing specifically on home users, Novell has also included a number of graphics and multimedia applications, including the F-Spot photo organizer and the GIMP 2.2 and Inkscape graphics software.
Novell said the software will build on the mobility support of earlier versions by supporting Intel Centrino and Bluetooth devices as well as improved mobile device-synchronization and power-management features.
The company also promised previews of upcoming Linux-based server technologies, including the Xen “hypervisor” virtualization tool and a more intuitive search engine.
