I installed the Lindows operating system yesterday.

Lindows is a Linux OS. I downloaded the installation file and burned it onto a CD as an ISO (so that it is recognized as an installation CD). I have a computer that I use for experimentation -- it has two hard drives, both set as master -- I open the case and switch the cables from one to the other depending on what I want to do. I installed Lindows on one of them -- a clean install taking over the whole drive. Amazing: it took three minutes -- yes, three minutes for the complete OS install and set-up.

Here is a screen capture done in Lindows and cropped, sized, etc. using the GIMP (the free Photoshop-like graphics program for Linux). The screen capture shows the heart of the Lindows system, "Click-N-Run." I signed up during a special promotion and I get the OS, all upgrades for two years, and access to the Lindows warehouse of software for two years for a total of $99. As a full member, I can download all the software that I want for two years from the warehouse using click-n-run.

Here is how it works: you simply click on the click-n-run icon on your desktop and, via the Web, you are in the warehouse, as pictured below. If you click on any of the categories on the left, a list of software appears on the right with a brief description. If you want one of the pieces of software, you simply click on the button and it immediately downloads and installs on your computer. You can see the message displayed on the bottom of the image below stating that a piece of software that I chose has been downloaded, installed, and is ready for use. It is a cool system.

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