I've been using Linux for a while now (both professionally and personally) and as much as it hurts me to admit it, when it comes to the desktop Windows is still years ahead of Linux. There a lot of reasons for this, the biggest is probably because most companies developing for Linux (including the companies i've worked for) put all there effort into Linux server development. A few companies over the last few years have changed this (most notable Canonical), but if you really think that someone could choose between Windows Vista or Ubuntu 8.04 (not caring about the price) and choose Ubuntu then your kidding yourself (i'm mean the average persons, not most people like us).

I've been working on Redhat and Debian based servers for years, and even i get annoyed with Linux Desktops, just look at Gnome, its doesn't look even as good as Windows 2000. And while i like KDE i dont use it, cause even on a stable system such as Debian i have parts of the desktop crashing. Flash support is horribly, can't anyone fix the bug with flash having to be the top most element in a page? A few months ago i convinced my current employer to let me switch my desktop to Ubuntu, worked great for 3 months and then i got two new 20" wide screen monitors. After spending 8 hours trying to get the card and monitors to work i said the hell with it and installed Vista. And while I still run linux on all my home PC's, I've got to say, Vista really is not bad at all. (other then that stupid black out when i try to do something administration wise and it wants me to click 'allow')

Using windows over linux has nothing to do with berin a 'moron'. It has to do with the fact that the vast majority of users just want the desktop to work. Linux Desktop will never fully penetrate the market till people loose this misconception that software for linux has to be free (as in beer) and real software companies start porting the software tot eh systems that most professionals can't live with out.

The biggest thing hurting Linux adoption are people that like to promote Linux as a free alternative to Windows. There are some really big differences between the two systems and price has nothing to do with it. Most people dont care about price and even then, if $100 for an OS is to far out of your budget, perhaps you shouldn't be spending money on a computer.

Most people completely misunderstand the ideas behind open source. Just look what happen when mysql took away the public download link to there enterprise software. Everyone was getting all hissy fit cause they couldn't get it for free. The point of open source is that no matter how you get the software(free or paid) you have access to the source code.

There is no real "best distro", it's all based on what you need. If you want my opinion, though, I'd say that Ark is the best KDE-based distro, but I've hardly used GNOME, so I can't suggest for that.

What's more important to you? Eye candy, or function? This is in the eye of the beholder. I use Gnome, along with Compiz Fuzion. It looks a great deal better than 2000, and has better features than Vista's 3D desktop. Even so, I'm a conf file tinkerer, and like to mess in the command line more than the GUI configuration tools (which I can't do as easily in Windows).

Your problems with KDE sounds isolated. There could be driver or misconfiguration issues limited to your system.

Since Adobe won't hand out the source, isn't it up to them to fix it? I don't think you should blame the community for this.

I beg to differ on this. That's $100 for the base, optionless, functionless Home Basic *upgrade* version of Vista. No servers or tricks. I have 5 PCs at home. Each has a different function, and each serves something. If I bought the $100 Vista for all of them, I'd be out $500, possibly not be able to run it on all of my PCs due to less than up-to-date hardware, and would not have the functionality my Fedora 8 gives me. I'd be paying a great amount more to get the functionality out of Vista that I desire. Currently, all I pay is the cost of a DVD disc and my time. Pretty good investment in my opinion.

Of course, if you're not happy with Linux on the desktop, use Windows. It's your choice.

Just to answer the original question - yes... eye of the beholder... IMHO... and so on.

But going from pure looks I'd stack them up:

Suse (No question, they even fiddle with the default programs to match the look)

Fedora/RHEL - a close second

Ubuntu - Not all that exciting, but at least it's easy on the eyes.

Gentoo
I don't know if it has anything to do with the distribution, but their screenshots always look very clean and tasteful.

Mandriva - I haven't seen it recently, but their Millenium Edition was the single ugliest distro I've ever seen. - I believe it caused eye cancer and they had to pull it off the market.
While I think Mandriva is pretty damn ugly, I like the playful look.

Most other distros I've seen proide no improvement over the standard gnome and KDE themes - which are fine by themselves, so you can make any distro to look good, but if you think you can replicate what the Suse or Fedora art teams are doing, you are kidding yourself.

The best looking distro in my opinion is elive (it uses Enlightenment instead of KDE). After that, Fedora with KDE, then PC Linux OS (KDE), then Sabayon (KDE) & then Kanotix (KDE).

Cheers!

I recommend you trying Dream Linux...
It is the most beautiful Dirstribution I've ever seen...

Best looks? openSUSE has by far and when 11.0 comes out, its default KDE (which is 4.0.4) will absolutely destroy the competition.

Hi,
I've used Xandros 2.0 for years to get MANY old PCs on Linux. It's an older 2004 magazine coverdisk free full version & it Connects dial-up winmodems EVERYTIME on various old PCs & winmodems WITHOUI FAIL. Download may still be available on Distrowatch or another linux source.

I think it maybe uses Windoze drivers os it runs many very common windoze Apps eg th various versions of Win Word & other Gates Gravytrain stuff.

I've been off that windoze wagon for years & using linux to revive s-l-o-o-w old Pent2, P3s PCs as QUIK Linux PCs tryin to get help those how cant afford a new PC to join the computer ww [Without Windows] so use the free alternates. Puppy linux is faster than all the others tried but it is hit or miss on dialin like most of the lindistros for win/linmodem recognition & drivers.

I love Puppy linux 4.0 with 50% of winmodems, but it hangs when trying to dialin on the other 50%.

I've been seeking the ideal lean fast linux which runs win/linmodems and have tried many

Debian 3 & later,
DSL several,
Freespire 1.0,
lYCORIS dESKIOP/LX,
Mandrake 9.0,
Mempis Linux AntiX,
Morphix 2004.
Open SUSE 11.0
PC linux OS 07 & 08,
Gentoo linux 2008,
Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Mythbuntu many,
Xandros 2.0
Zenwalk,
& others.

Suggestions would be appreciated.
Thx, Movestuff