Sun's JDS now available for end-user purchase

[Tyr_7BE]

http://wwws.sun.com/software/javadesktopsystem/

$100, which is kinda rich for my blood, but still a better deal than WinXP. Though it is $50 'till June.

[cloverm]

It looks like just another Linux distro with Gnome desktop. What is it different from a RedHat, Mandrake or Suse, etc?

[Tyr_7BE]

It's basically an enhanced Gnome. Very similar to XD2. The difference is that it's been receiving rave reviews wherever it's implemented. People say the quality easily rivals that of WinXP, that it's a drop-in replacement, and finally people are putting their money where their mouth is. China intends to roll out a million of these things (I think it's a million), and Sun is fast gaining ground elsewhere with it as well.

Also, it's a precursor to project looking-glass, a fully-3d desktop.

[stryder144]

[quote author=cloverm link=board=13;threadid=8287;start=0#msg75162 date=1071178266]
It looks like just another Linux distro with Gnome desktop. What is it different from a RedHat, Mandrake or Suse, etc?

[/quote]

The difference is not in it's backend, but simply where it is coming from. Many companies and organizations (DoD for instance) would like to get their software from a vendor that they have been doing business with for years. Sun is just such a vendor. So, I think that you will see more use of Linux in the future because of initiatives like this one.

Cheers

[cloverm]

So the software is pretty much the same, you are just buying it from a company that you trust (or just know that you can sue for big bucks if things don't work out). I understand that.

I heard that Walmart is planning to sell a computer with the Java-desktop...

[stryder144]

[quote author=cloverm link=board=13;threadid=8287;start=0#msg75173 date=1071198415]
So the software is pretty much the same, you are just buying it from a company that you trust (or just know that you can sue for big bucks if things don't work out). I understand that.

I heard that Walmart is planning to sell a computer with the Java-desktop...
[/quote]

You got it. As for Walmart, I'm not certain if they have completed negotiations yet or not. I hope they get things sorted out. The more instances of Linux that Walmart carries, the greater the likelihood that major software vendors are going to start supporting Linux natively (please don't wake me up, the dream is sooo good).

[elovkoff]

I heard a lot about Sun's desktop named Mad Hatter (or something like this), I also read some article about biggest australian telecom implementing it. Mad hatter = JDS?

[stryder144]

[quote author=elovkoff link=board=13;threadid=8287;start=0#msg75177 date=1071208317]
I heard a lot about Sun's desktop named Mad Hatter (or something like this), I also read some article about biggest australian telecom implementing it. Mad hatter = JDS?
[/quote]

I think that is the code name for JDS.

[elovkoff]

I like the Mad Hatter name better :-)
They (Sun) advertise it as 'highly secure desktop' - I just wonder what makes it more secure then other distros, as per posts here it looks like just another linux distro with added user-friendly features.....