In today's open source roundup: The virtues of hardware designed to run Linux right out of the box. Plus: The best desktop environment for Linux? And how Linux brought a happy couple together One of the biggest complaints about Linux is that sometimes it can be hard to get it to work with certain kinds of hardware. But what if you buy Linux preinstalled on a computer? Does it make things easier? Going Linux explores the advantages of buying hardware that is designed to run Linux well right out of the box. According to Going Linux: Apple was right! Everything just works when a computer’s hardware and software are designed to work together. I’ve been using my new ultrabook for a couple of weeks and I’ve come to realize that the “magic” that Apple credits with making all of its products “just work” together, is real — and it’s not available only from Apple. When you use hardware that is made for Linux, everything just works! No need to mess with finding the right drivers. No need to worry that the display might need a tweak to get it working. No need to mess with the sound card or any other component. The advantages of having hardware and software that are designed for each other works for Linux computers just as it does for Apple devices. More at Going Linux I can see the advantages of buying hardware with Linux already installed on it. It’s a model that certainly works well for Apple. They have millions of happy customers who buy computers with OS X already installed, so the same model might work very well for some Linux users who aren’t interested in building their own computers or who just want their systems to work well right out of the box. I poked around on Amazon to see what I could find for preloaded Linux systems and I managed to find some desktop and laptop computers with Linux preinstalled from Acer, Dell, System76 and others. You may also want to try visiting the site of your favorite hardware manufacturer to see what sort of Linux systems they offer directly. You can also find lists of companies that sell computers with Linux preinstalled on GNU.org, Lxer and Debian.org. Computerworld also has useful article that helps you weigh your options when it comes to buying systems with Linux preloaded. The best desktop environment for Linux? Lifehacker wants to know what you think is the best desktop environment for Linux. According to Lifehacker: There’s no shortage of ways to customize your Linux installation, but one of the biggest is choosing your desktop environment. Some distributions have a preferred one, but you can always change it. Others ask you up front what you’d prefer. This week, we’re looking to you Linux users—which do you think is the best? Your choice of desktop environment isn’t a small one—it can determine how your entire Linux install behaves and how easy it is to use, how many of your favorite features are bundled in, and what add-ons, themes, and custom tools you can and can’t install. More at Lifehacker Lifehacker is asking for a screenshot and the reason you picked that particular desktop. So far the responses include MATE, KDE, Cinnamon and LXDE. But there are a few offbeat choices as well such as Openbox and XMonad. One brave soul even picked Unity and noted that “once you get the hang of how to use it, it’s great.” My own preference leans more toward XFCE than anything else. But I distrohop frequently so I can usually adjust to another desktop environment fairly quickly. Sometimes it is refreshing to use something completely different than what I usually use. Having such a range of desktops to choose from is one of the best things about Linux. There’s a desktop out there for everybody, no matter how eclectic your tastes. How Linux brought a couple together DarkDuck shares a personal story of how Zorin OS brought him and his girlfriend together, and helped her family accept him into their good graces. Clip Art Pal According to DarkDuck: Zorin OS had an amazing impact on my relationship. I’m now really well accepted by my girlfriend’s family. For an Italian girl this is quite important. They like me and my girlfriend is so so proud of me. Her family already asked me to update all their Zorin version and I’m willing to do it as soon as I can. I love Zorin OS. I feel so grateful to it. My relationship couldn’t work better than now. Love you guys for the amazing work you are doing. Hope you never stop. More at DarkDuck Wow! I cover a lot of Linux news but this is the first time that I’ve ever heard of it being part of a love story! Congratulations to the happy couple, I hope they stay together for many years to come. Here’s a great Tina Turner video for the two people who were brought together by Linux: What’s your take on all this? Tell me in the comments below. Open Source