Like all Linux variants, Enterprise Linux benefits from the fact that open source applications such as Samba, Mozilla, and OpenOffice keep getting better. Red Hat cannot really claim credit for these improvements, but they do enhance the user experience and make Linux a more suitable candidate for the high-end treatment offered by Enterprise Linux. Red Hat can claim some credit for the BlueCurve desktop design, which provides a uniform interface for both Gnome and KDE, and other improvements.

Enterprise Linux 3 looks and feels more like a steady, sober corporate computer system than previous Red Hat offerings, although the changes to the user experience are subtle and may not attract a lot of attention. The real changes are largely invisible to the user — better performance, and better and more efficient support for alternative platforms. But you'll also find enhanced support (including improvements to the Red Hat Network services) and better tools for enterprise administration, such as better deployment and rollout tools and new support for diskless clients. Is it worth it? That depends on who you are.

By Joe Casad at UnixReview.

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