Every long-time Linux distribution hopper and reviewer knows that checking for hardware compatibility is the least fun part of trying out a new release. Thankfully, Linux's alleged hardware issues are a thing of the past especially when it comes to Bluetooth, wireless, and audio problems. As long as you know how to switch on your wireless card using your laptop or desktop's hardware, you shouldn't have any problems with your WLAN. Linux Mint has always benefited from Ubuntu's strong hardware support and Mint 14 Nadia is no different. If you've already tried recent Ubuntu releases on your rig, Mint 14 Nadia should work fine.
I've had issues with my Lenovo Ideapad Z360 when running LiveCDs but Linux Mint worked without any problems. Mint's Network Manager works in the background and is anecdotally superior to KDE's somewhat inconsistent KNetworkManager. As usual, the Nvidia Optimus video card on the Ideapad defaulted to the Intel graphics chip. Unlike Gnome 3 and Unity, however, Cinnamon does not switch to a lower "version" of the desktop due to graphics card requirements. Cinnamon worked the same way on the Optimus-powered Ideapad as it did on the Intel HD-equipped ASUS 1000H.
I wasn't able to run informal tests on the battery performance of Linux Mint Cinnamon on either the Ideapad or 1000H. However, I did appreciate that Cinnamon was able to gauge battery life more accurately than Ubuntu Unity's battery manager, which notoriously vacillates from one value to another every minute or so. Although it's unfair to compare Mint on LiveCD/LiveUSB, Lubuntu and openSUSE was able to hit battery life approximates much better.
Applications
Like hardware, the default applications of most Linux distributions is really a moot point because all it takes is a quick visit to a distro's package manager to install your utility/application of choice. Linux Mint Nadia 14 still comes with one of the worst screenshot utilities in any Linux distribution, but it doesn't take anyone very long to install Shutter considering Mint uses the same well-supported repositories as Ubuntu.
The emphasis of Linux Mint since its inception is basic desktop productivity and entertainment. The usual suspects for Linux Mint releases are on hand: Tomboy Notes, Thunderbird, Pidgin, Firefox, Transmission, XChat, and LibreOffice. I was somewhat depressed at seeing Brasero though I would admit that the buggy disc-burner has improved considerably since its last release. I still prefer K3B though K3B fits better on a KDE desktop. Finally, Linux Mint Cinnamon's curious inclusions are a standalone Font Viewer, a sound recorder, and a desktop sharing utility.
Linux Mint includes three video players (VLC, Gnome, and Movie Player) in case you want to watch Avengers Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Aoi Sola, and Will Ferrell's Semi-Pro at the same time.
I was terribly happy to see Gimp 2.8 (with the full screen view) included. gThumb, a competent image manager with an integrated editor somewhat like Google Picasa, is also included with Cinnamon Nadia. I can certainly see myself using gThumb when I'm writing blogs and cropping screenshots on the go although I don't necessarily use image managers except when I'm in Windows running Adobe products.
Nemo, Linux Mint's file manager, is a worthy follow up to the classic Nautilus (Gnome). It fits perfects with the Cinnamon theme and functions across shared folders almost as fast as Thunar (XFCE) or PCMANFM (LXDE). Plus, Nemo has the F3 split window option that Thunar and PCMANFM don't have by default (but is found in KDE's Dolphin and Nautilus).
One my biggest complaints about Linux Mint is the ALT+F2 run window. It's not the best at running applications (type "Screenshot" and it won't run Linux Mint's Screenshot application). I will concede though that it's certainly better than Ubuntu's Dash but nowhere near as accurate or usable as KDE's ALT+F2 command utility (which can execute context searches and do some math to boot). Lubuntu uses a similar command window but benefits from its simple arsenal of applications and utilities.
MacOSX comes with almost everything a user needs but at a price while Windows 8/7 is barebones compared to most Linux distributions. It's also easy to say that Linux Mint lacks the advanced utilities found in openSUSE KDE, which includes several network utilities such as KNetAttach, a screen ruler, the excellent KSnapshot, Blue Devil, and several file editors. At the end of the day, however, Linux Mint, like most desktop Linux distributions such as Fedora, PCLinuxOS, and Mageia, is not only a good bargain, but a good starting point for users who intend to expand their desktop productivity little by little.
The Cinnamon Control Center
Most operating systems have a control center to manage desktop environment settings. Mageia/Mandriva Control Center, Unity's System Settings, and Windows Control Panel are just a few examples. Cinnamon, like XFCE, has a central settings window to manage customizations and applets while providing a separate window for hardware/user configuration settings. openSUSE KDE uses the same approach with the powerful Yast taking care of heavy global/enterprise configurations while the Configure Desktop window provides options for more user-relevant settings. Unlike Windows Control Panel or MacOSX's System Preferences, Cinnamon's control center is a frugal affair and only focuses on superficial settings at best. True to Linux Mint's overall approach, it keeps things simple without overwhelming the user with hardware, security, and network settings.
Linux Mint 14 Review: Mint with a Touch of Cinnamon Part 4 - Package Manager, Looking Glass, and Conclusion
0 comments:
Post a Comment