Linux.com article: The Top 7 Best Linux Distributions for You

[Stephen John Smoogen]

On Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 4:47 PM, Paul W. Frields <stickster at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Wed, Feb 03, 2010 at 05:57:38PM -0700, Robyn Bergeron wrote:
>> http://www.linux.com/learn/docs/ldp/282996-choosing-the-best-linux-distributions-for-you
>>
>> <snip>
>> To help users discover the Linux distribution that's best for them,
>> this resource will definitively list the best candidates for the
>> various types of Linux users to try. The use-case categories will be:
>>
>> Best Desktop Distribution
>> Best Laptop Distribution
>> Best Enterprise Desktop
>> Best Enterprise Server
>> Best LiveCD
>> Best Security-Enhanced Distribution
>> Best Multimedia Distribution
>>
>> </snip>
>>
>> Note: Fedora isn't listed for any of the above.
>>
>> Would have been interesting to see something like "Best Distro for
>> Community Participation" or "Best Distro for Engineers".....
>
> Since I get different answers for each of these categories, depending
> on whose article I'm reading today, are any of these articles truly
> useful?  Maybe not.  But more importantly, why isn't Fedora chosen for
> any of these categories?  Does the author disclose on what basis each
> distro was rated?  Were some distros not considered?  I have more
> questions than answers after reading the article, although at the same
> time, I'd be happy to see us more often mentioned in these articles.
>
> I'm thinking about changing distros on my main workstation for a week
> or so just to experience what other people think is a clear
> differentiation between them.
>

I found this to be useful in the past... (ok when Mandrake was going
to take out Red Hat Linux and Debian was the server OS everyone who
was anyone was using). It usually takes about 2-3 weeks though to be
able to turn off internal filters that people have about something to
see the things that differ and are useful. The best procedure is if
you can get someone to take notes while you are doing this but if you
can note personal bias you can take the notes yourself. Things that
should be noted are:

1) Installation (this is a rare thing and for people buying a
preinstalled somehting they wont run into)
2) Initial user creation and provisioning.
3) Menus and workflow
 a) Email
 b) Web browsing
 c) Document reading
 d) Music listening
 e) Movie watching
 f) Work related activities
etc

in the past it got a lot of ideas of "well that was something we could
do better.. or I have no fing clue why anyone would do that..."


-- 
Stephen J Smoogen.

Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp. Or what's a heaven for?
-- Robert Browning