have downloaded mandrake 10.1, xmms works okay in gnome, somewhat infrequently in kde, wants to freeze. does most here buy retail versions, or do you just download from a iso sight. would a retail version, such as powerpack 10, have most of the multi-media stuff install, such as xmms.

Most definately Buy version comes with more things and everything already preinstalled like the plugins and lots of multimedia stuff. I would recommend buying for the best out of the box distro. But personally I download. They don't sell Linux where I live and I don't buy from the net.
-Hope this helps.

I purchased 2 of my first 3 Mandrake distros (8.2 power pack, 9.1 power pack disks only). It's good to buy at least once to get the manuals. I also belong to MandrakeClub, (silver member) so I can download the Power Pack version. To me that's the best deal. I don't have to wait for the order but I'm still supporting the distro.

The "boxed" versions are usually the ones that have been already through "fire testing".

Case in point Community 10.1 was released prior to the actual boxed sets so that bugs could be discovered and quashed before going to press.

The boxed sets also tend to contain distribution adapted RPM's not otherwise available.

These include Realplayer, NVIDIA & ATI drivers, etc.

A bunch of (useless IMHO) demo software is also included.

That said, almost everything which is available in the powerpack is available via the repositories too.

The difference is that it is much easier to install from say a DVD than to download the stuff from the repositories.

However with a fast internet connection this distinction blurs.

Frankly I BUY the powerpack edition at least once a year if only to keep money going into their corporate coffers. Otherwise they wouldn't be profitable or around to provide this great OS.

This is not altruism, it is totally self serving.

http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html

If you read just the preamble i dont belive in giving money to something that, in the first place, should be shared & free.
Not even a penny.

So i download any and all the ditros / flavors of linux that i want .. everything can be found via the internet from your muiltimedia packages to the manuals.

Now if youd like to pay to be part of the mandrake community thats cool.
Personally i look for help in other places where i can be a part of the mandrake community for free.

- Pyus

Buying a distro supports not just that distro, but the community and, ultimately, all the people that work on and in Linux. I have so far bought SuSE 9.0 and Slackware 10. But it's up to you, if you pay for at least one distro you are giving something back, if you program FOSS programs you are giving something back. What do you want to give back to the community?

i personally download all the cd's and use urpmi for extra software.

although if i had the money (being a student) i would like to atleast one release from mandrake.
it is always nice to have the original cd's and proper manuals that u can hold in your hand and flip through to stuff u need, although again this tuff goes out of date so quickly

i also feel that the money input will go to good use in getting a better distro for u at the end of the day end it is a minimal amount.

Since we're on this issue, I would like something clarified to me.

So if I pay the Silver membership ($99 a year), I would be able to download the "Power Pack" edition? I would also like that AutoUpdate feature. As soon as 10.1 becomes official, I'm going to subscribe to the Silver membership if I get all those benefits. If not, then I'll just go ahead and mail order the PowerPack box set. I prefer not to order via mail, though, and get everything by downloading it.

Yes, silver members of MandrakeClub get to download the PowerPack edition (5 disks) and also get one account to use with the auto update feature. Plus you get the other features of Club, (extra mirrors, easy access to Mandrake rpms, etc)

If what you say is true, then I'm going to sign up once Mandrake 10.1 official comes out.

i am going to have mandarke 10.1 official when it comes out on one rig, the other will have suse 9.2. both really nice distros, though i haven,t used 9.2 suse, but have 9.1 which is great.