Santa Fe Linux CTR3 review

Santa Fe Desktop Linux is an easy to use desktop operating system

License: GPL (GNU General Public License) File size: 614110K Developer: New Mexico Software

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Santa Fe Desktop Linux is an easy to use desktop operating system. It puts some of the worlds best open source applications within the reach of non-technical users. It even runs right off the CD so you can try it without installing.

Santa Fe Desktop Linux was built following these design goals:

Make it familiar. Present the user a familiar interface where they don't have to guess which buttons do what.

Keep it small. The distribution should install and run from a single CD.

Make it useful to normal users. The distribution should be useful to a large non-technical audience.

Keep it fun. Make sure audio and video work to the best of their abilities so the users can play games and enjoy multimedia without hassle.

Leave the user alone. Hardware should always be automatically detected and configured without the users help. Software configuration should automatically have sane defaults.

Unlike other operating systems, Santa Fe is designed to automatically configure itself everytime it runs. It will auto-detect the right drivers for your hardware and configure it all to the best of its abilities. No more troublesome driver installs. Santa Fe works best in Plug and Play and DHCP environments.

Here are some key features of "Santa Fe Linux":
A viable alternative to your current operating system (OS).
Imagine if your OS came preinstalled with a fully featured photo editing and image creation program.
Imagine if every OS included an animation and 3D graphics creation program.
What if your OS came standard with finance management and desktop publishing applications?.
Now imagine if all those things were available for $39.95.
Santa Fe Linux offers the open source solution to the seemingly impossible dream described above. Santa Fe comes with a program called the GIMP, a fully featured digital photo editing and image/graphics creation program. Blender, another standard program, is a 3D graphics, animation, rendering, and post production program. Managing finances is easy with GNU Cash, an open source program that gets your finances organized quickly. Desktop publishing is simple with Scribus, a program that allows you to create everything from newsletters to a fully produced magazine.
Also, Santa Fe features a full office suite that is compatible with Microsoft� Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Outlook.
Additional programs that come with Santa Fe Linux:
Gnome Meeting: Video teleconferencing application.
Audacity: Records, renders, and applies digital effects to audio.
Kino: Digital video editor.
XMMS: Audio player that supports a wide variety of audio file formats.
Anjuta: Developers program which allows users to create their own applications/programs.
Also, at a price of 82.99, Santa Fe is now available with Codeweavers Crossover Office. This program allows users to install the Microsoft� Office Suite including Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, and Access.