Head To Head: Can Novell SUSE Linux Take On Microsoft Windows Vista?

Windows Vista operating system OS

But here's the real question: Is the channel ready for a Linux desktop as a replacement for Windows? Or better yet, is a Linux desktop ready for the channel? Novell has a head start in this race, with its Linux desktop expected to hit the streets by mid-July, whereas Vista is slated for general release in January.

System builders and solution providers sounded a note of caution on the new SUSE Linux, despite acknowledging that its price--expected to be about $50 with OpenOffice and other software bundled in--could kneecap the Microsoft model. Windows XP with Office can hit the $500 range, or higher.

Dave Morrill, Co-CEO of Assured Computing Technologies, a Bedford, N.H.-based system builder and solution provider, said he doesn't believe wide-scale migration from Microsoft to Linux will happen immediately, and customers who don't want to spring for Vista may simply stick with Windows XP rather than switch. However, Morrill said, once Microsoft stops supporting XP, it could be a different story.

"At that point, you're going to see a shift and a loss of customers for Microsoft," he said.

James Huang, a product manager for Amax Information Technologies, a Fremont, Calif.-based system builder and contract manufacturer, called the Novell offering "exciting" and said it will be "a viable option for certain segments of the market." Yet from a systems integrator's point of view, he said, Linux requires a lot of support.

"The new Novell solutions will be good for people who cannot spend a ton of money on Vista-based systems," Huang said. "But somebody has to support it. Who's going to stand behind it?"

Shipping dates and other things aside, the only way to find out if Novell has a chance against Microsoft is to have Vista Beta 2 and the pre-release version of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 slug it out in a head-to-head comparison. And the CRN Test Center engineers did just that. Here's what we found. INSTALLATION
Installation of Vista Beta 2 and the pre-release SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 took about an hour on our test systems. The initial install proved to be a little more straightforward with Vista, since much of the complexity is hidden from the installer, while notification screens keep the installer informed of what's going on.

SUSE's installation was a little more complex, but only because the installer is presented with a lot of options, such as where, what and how to install the product and add-on applications. For the most part, an installer can ignore the advanced options and go with the defaults. When installed using defaults, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 proved to be a simple install. A nice touch with SUSE's installer is the hardware validation screen, where an installer can check to see if all of the hardware has been identified. Vista accomplishes that task after the initial install, leaving most of the hardware identification chores for after the first boot up.

Arguably, the biggest factor in completing a successful installation comes in the form of driver support. That turned out to be a challenge with Vista. Test Center engineers encountered hardware compatibility difficulties with every machine tested, forcing Windows XP drivers to be used in some cases or, at worst, ignoring the nonfunctioning components. Test Center engineers had the best success with a Lenovo/IBM ThinkPad T42. (See related story.)

With SUSE Linux, most drivers were included on the installation CD or readily available during the install. The install process includes the ability to automatically retrieve the latest updates, patches and drivers, as long as you have a valid Internet connection during the process. Vista offers a similar capability, but the simple truth is that most drivers are just not available yet. Microsoft has promised that the driver issues will be resolved by the time Vista is released to manufacturing.

Test Center engineers settled on a HP/Compaq NC6320 for testing SUSE Linux. Interestingly, the NC6320 was the least supported by Vista during tests.

FEATURE SET
One of Vista's claims to fame is the enhanced feature set the product will offer, but Novell is going for a knockout with what is bundled in SUSE Linux.

In taking a look at the major features, one quickly sees that SUSE Linux is more than a match for Vista. Vista sports a new image editor and photo manager, whereas SUSE offers several. Vista offers an enhanced multimedia experience with the latest version of Windows Media Player; SUSE offers Banshee, RealPlayer and Totem. Vista offers Outlook Express for E-mail; SUSE offers Evolution. And the list goes on, with one major exception: SUSE bundles a specialized version of Open Office, with support for Excel and Visual Basic macros, and Vista doesn't include an office suite out of the box. The Microsoft way is for users to shell out more bucks for Microsoft Office. USER EXPERIENCE
Comparing Vista's Areo Glass interface to SUSE's Xgl desktop effects really comes down to a matter of taste. Areo Glass offers 3-D enhancements, such as transparencies, 3-D scrollable task manager and so on. SUSE's desktop effects offer a 3-D spinnable cube to switch between virtual screens, as well as transparencies and windows effects.

When it comes to basic usability, SUSE's menu system does a decent job and groups all common applications and tasks together, making it pretty easy to find the application you want. But Microsoft does that a little better; its pop-up menus have less of an alien feel to them and are easier to navigate.

With Web browsing, SUSE goes with the highly regarded Mozilla Firefox as its default browser, yet several other browsers are included for those who want something different. Vista offers the ubiquitous Internet Explorer, which will be version 7 when the product ships. IE offers the one thing that Firefox (and others) can't: support for ActiveX. Though ActiveX is a Microsoft technology, it's found in many places, ranging from Outlook Web Access to some Web-based applications. That said, if you're not concerned about ActiveX, IE7 offers basically the same features as Firefox.

In terms of helping out end users, Vista offers an excellent integrated help system that can quickly guide users through common tasks and help them solve many problems themselves. SUSE, on the other hand, has very limited help, which forces users to access online knowledge bases or manuals. Novell could greatly improve the end-user experience with more extensive help, how to's and examples.

ADMINISTRATOR EXPERIENCE
Support tends to be the largest cost associated with an IT department and has become an important part of determining the value of a product.

Vista integrates several technologies aimed at easing the support burden. Capabilities such as remote desktop control, software deployment and integrated management and so on have become vitally important. Vista lives up to those expectations for the enterprise user.

But so does SUSE Linux. Administrators will find SUSE bundled with many of those same capabilities, remote access via VNC, application deployment via ZEN and many other management tools worth considering. Other capabilities, such as remote deployment, system cloning and so on, are also well-represented in SUSE, adding additional value to the product.

THE NETWORK
Connecting to various networks is a key capability in today's OSes. Vista offers several enhancements for managing network connections. Its new network control center makes it much easier to configure secure connections, both wireless and wired.

By taking a no-nonsense approach, Vista offers a clean networking experience, but so does SUSE Linux. SUSE includes a Network Manager, which offers point-and-click simplicity for attaching to networks. SUSE supports LDAP, Active Directory and eDirectory, along with traditional peer-to-peer style network authentication. ADD-ONS and THIRD-PARTY APPLICATIONS
Installing third-party applications is a breeze with Vista. There are a plethora of commercial and noncommercial apps readily available, and for the most part, all can be installed with just a couple of mouse clicks.

But that's one area where SUSE Linux falls flat on its face. Although installing applications directly available from Novell tends to be straightforward, third-party applications are another story. The problem arises because so many versions of Linux are available and can sport a variety of GUIs. With Linux, there really is no such thing as a "simple install," at least when compared with the worlds of Windows and Macintosh.

For example, when locating an application for installation, you need to decipher terms such as RPM, DEB, TAR and TGZ. For SUSE, RPM (Red Hat Package Manager) is the route to follow. Installation of an application can be done in one of two ways: using a graphical installation tool or from a terminal session. SUSE offers a simple installer called Install Software as the graphical installation program. After downloading an RPM, the application can be installed by a right click. While Install Software does install the software, users will be faced with the challenge of finding and running the application. No shortcuts to the executable are created, and no hints are given as to what to do next.

SECURITY
One of the biggest concerns with Windows has been security. With that in mind, Microsoft has put security at the top of the list with Vista, and the Beta 2 release shows that commitment.

Linux, by nature, does not have the multitude of vulnerabilities that Windows users have suffered with, so security has always been an easier task with the open-source OS. And Novell is taking the necessary steps to protect users with SUSE Linux.

With security, the market--or most likely, the hacker community--will determine the winner in the security wars. Microsoft's biggest burden comes from the fact that Windows is everywhere, making it a target. As Linux becomes more popular, the same problem may very well occur.

BOTTOM LINE
The basic question here is, can solution providers count on Linux to fill the gaps? The simple answer is yes.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 has the feature set, compatibility and flexibility to meet the needs of most corporate desktop users. What's more, at a price point roughly one-tenth of what Vista and Office 2007 will cost, SUSE Linux becomes harder to ignore.

That said, there still will be challenges. Channel players will need to train employees and customers on Linux, equivalent applications may not exist in the Linux world to meet line-of-business needs, and inherent complexities can slow the adoption of Linux.

Microsoft delivers what corporate desktop users need as well, but also provides "the comfort of an old friend" factor, since most users are familiar with Windows.