I recently downloaded the new Linux Mint 8 (Helena). I liked what I saw so I decided to install it. The installation took about 15 minutes. The graphical installation process was simple enough for someone who has ever had to reinstall Windows before.
The installer gave me the option to install Helena along side my existing Windows XP partition. I gave it a try. It automatically resized my hard drive partitions and set Linux Mint next to Windows without having to mess it up. Really slick. Below are the notes about my experience:

Upon logging into me new installation, I notice the sound works and the screen resolution is correct. Nothing to do here. I also notice that in the panel notification area is an icon (looking like an internal PC card) notifying me there are "Restricted drivers available". I click on the icon to see what is available. The available drivers are needed to get my onboard wireless working. It informs me that I need a Broadcom B43 wireless driver as well as a Broadcom STA driver. I click on the first but it fails to work because I don't have the necessary Internet access required to download the necessary drivers. Hummmmmm. That makes some sense anyway.
I decide to plug in the Belkin "Myessentials Wireless G", USB network adapter I use on a computer downstairs. No drivers required here. My USB adapter is recognized and tells me there were networks available. I click on my network and enter my WPA password and am connected to the Internet.
Now that icon has vanished so I go to the menu and then to "administration to find the restricted drivers area. I click on it to find the dialog box for installing my onboard drivers. After downloading the first driver, I also download the second Broadcom driver. After downloading, I'm prompted to shutdown and restart to make this driver work. I shutdown, remove my USB dongle, and restart. My onboard wireless connects automatically to my network.
Now online, with my internal wireless, I noticed another icon (looking like a padlock) notifying me there are "96 recommended updates available". Clicking on this starts an "update manager" that advises me about the level of importance of each update and prompts me to download these files. Pleased by the speed on my new fiber optic DSL, these updates take less than a minute to download.
Now, off to setup a printer. Back to the menu, "administration", "printing". It is nice to find a PDF printer driver already installed by default. Though I'm connected to my home network wirelessly, (nothing had to be done to setup a home network at all, by the way) I simply have to click on "network printer" to reveal my HP Photosmart 3300. One click and it is my default printer. Easy.
Onto my HP Photosmart R827 camera. Plug it in and it works. Nothing to do here.
Onto my SanDisk Sansa c250 MP3 player. Plug it in, Rhythmbox opens. Files transfer . . . Everything works.
How about the scanner? I plugged in my HP Scanjet 3100C and it performs without any further work. It was nice to see all the programs like Java and multimedia codecs included. The last Windows install I did took me over 3 hours to get to the point that I'm already at with Linux. So where is the lack of hardware support I've heard about? Command line? Never used it. Thanks to Linux Mint and the GNU/Linux community for doing such nice work.
On a side note, I was especially pleased to see the new default wallpaper. Not only was it nice looking, it didn't try to remind me of the obvious by having the printed words, "From Freedom Came Elegance". Just one more touch of elegance as far as I'm concerned.

Home