An earlier Linux-based operating system for x86 PCs from Linspire, Inc., San Diego, CA. Linspire used the open source Linux operating system and came with the OpenOffice.org office suite and a variety of other applications to provide a desktop environment similar in appearance to Windows. It was marketed as an easy-to-use, low-cost operating system for PCs that included all the basic applications. Originally using the Debian version of Linux, Linspire switched to Ubuntu in 2007 (see Debian and Ubuntu).
Click-N-Run (CNR)
Linspire included Click-N-Run (CNR) installation, where users could download a variety of proprietary and open source applications with one click of the mouse. The basic level was free, but a paid subscription offered discounts on commercial Linux software. In 2008, Linspire was acquired by Xandros Inc. (www.xandros.com), a software company that markets a Linux distribution. The acquisition was made primarily for the CNR application installation system.
It Used to Be Lindows
Linspire was introduced in 2001 under the name LindowsOS, and the company was called Lindows, Inc. Soon after, Lindows received worldwide publicity when Microsoft sued it for trademark infringement, claiming the similarity of the Lindows and Windows names would confuse the public. In 2004, Lindows changed its name and brand to Linspire. See Linux.
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