The start of ElementaryOS is quite like Linux Mint 17, as they are both based on Ubuntu Linux. One notable difference is that Elementary prompts you by default to choose whether you wish to use the LiveCD system or install it on a computer, whereas Linux Mint 17 simply brings you right into the LiveCD system and provides you a link to install it on your computer, as a shortcut on the Desktop of the LiveCD system.
ElementaryOS requires less space, by about half than Linux Mint 17 does. That’s remarkable but not really a stumbling block since most modern computers all have more than 10GB of primary storage just to start. The installation was really quiet and direct, a pleasant change from PC-BSD for sure. Updates were slipstreamed into the installation routine so there shouldn’t be any need for them once the system is up and running.
The primary login screen is remarkably beautiful. The graphical login has my full name with a place for my password and a Login button, and to the right of that is todays date and time styled in a very appealing way. There also appears to be a “Guest Session” which I will have to investigate, as Linux Mint 17 didn’t include that. Looking around the basic OS I am pleased to see many “Look and Feel” similarities to my beloved Mac OSX. After starting the software update app I expected all the apps to be updated however that wasn’t to be, there are 347 updates pending – so that’s the first thing that needs to happen. Since I have the updater open, clicking on “Install Updates” should get that ball rolling. True to form, the updater is quietly processing it’s duties without user intervention beyond the authentication for elevated privileges that all updaters require in Linuxland. One really neat thing to note in this review is that the devs for ElementaryOS wrote a kernel extension driver for VirtualBox all by themselves. The activation was very straightforward, that’s very impressive. Almost all other OSes force you to install the VBox addins from VBox itself.
The installation of optional software is easily found through the Software Center, it’s icon is a big friendly downward pointing arrow. Many of the apps I would figure would be installed by default, like Firefox and Thunderbird and LibreOffice are not, but they are available. That’s perfectly fine. Having a lot of apps delivered by default only adds to the size of the installation media and can complicate the installation routine if one of those other projects doesn’t behave properly upon installation.
It’s really a toss-up so far between Linux Mint 17 and ElementaryOS. My bias for the Mac OSX interface pushes me ever so slightly over into Elementary territory personally because it isn’t hamstrung by an impossible to eliminate Gnome prime panel that you just can’t get rid of, Elementary comes with a Dock by default. The only irk that gets me about Elementary is that the Dock has no mouse-sensitive effects, but that’s the weakest of quibbles. So far for machines that we’ll end up surplussing, Linux Mint 17 wins for work, but if I were to buy one of the surplussed machines I’d go for Elementary OS instead. It’s mostly just a matter of taste. I could just as easily live with Linux Mint 17.