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It is said that the only occupants of the middle of the road are yellow stripes and dead critters of some sort (skunks in the north, armadillos in the south). Yet the middle of the road is exactly where Red Hat is positioning the latest and greatest version of Red Hat Linux, 6.2.

Of course, Red Hat is not alone in this pursuit: Corel Linux, Linux-Mandrake, and TurboLinux Workstation are all geared toward the same audience. That this audience is growing rapidly cannot be disputed; whether there's room for a slew of major Linux players certainly can be debated.

Judging by Red Hat 6.2, we know exactly what these users want. They're sick and tired of Microsoft's monopolistic and bullying actions are seeking a viable alternative to Windows, so they naturally turn their attention to Linux. But these same users are accustomed to the Windows graphical interface, the relative ease of Windows installation and the raft of applications available for Windows users. So when they come to Linux, they're expecting the best parts of other operating systems, without any of the drawbacks. They want it both ways.

Does Red Hat Linux 6.2 serve this audience? Yes and no. Red Hat Linux 6.2 continues to be a leading Linux distribution in terms of ease of installation. But when compared to other Linux distributions--Corel Linux, Linux-Mandrake, Slackware Linux, and TurboLinux Workstation--Red Hat Linux 6.2 is a surprisingly unsophisticated offering, sporting a stripped-down KDE interface and lacking many essential tools.

Next: Obtaining Red Hat Linux 6.2 »