BeOS 4.5 with BeOS Bible

BeOS 4.5 with BeOS Bible Review

BeOS is one of those products that is superior in so many ways that you just have to hope that it hangs on and eventually becomes mainstream. In this time of hype and excitement over Linux, BeOS has been somewhat glossed over, probably because it doesn't subscribe to the 'Open Source' movement currently in vogue. This is too bad, for BeOS really is a gem.

Installation is better than any other operating system I've ever had experience with, it asks only a few questions of you and everything just works right out of the box. Simplicity is the name of the game for BeOS, many of the founders were once Mac guys and it shows in the look and feel of the interface. BeOS isn't just fluff though, it's reliable and speedy as well, and combined with the simple interface makes it a real joy to use.

Like all alternative operating system BeOS has one major flaw however, and that's the lack of applications. Particularly in the browser area, BeOS does not yet offer something comparable to Netscape 4.6 on Linux or IE 5.0 on Windows, sure, there is Opera, but it is unreliable and doesn't always work. Web browsers really are the killer app these days, and it's unfortunate that BeOS can't compete in that area yet, but maybe Mozilla will give it a second life. Also the community around BeOS seems to be focused around 'shareware' instead of the open source model. Although I won't argue to the strenths and merrits of either, the latter seems to encourage more development, so many more applications are available on Linux than BeOS. That said, those which ARE available on BeOS are well polished (mostly due to the consistency of the interface that BeOS presents the user) and do their job well.

I wouldn't recommend BeOS to anybody, but I think it would work well for many. For example, I think my mother would be perfectly happy working on a BeOS box, and would appreciate the simplicity, reliability and speed that it offers, never missing some of the software it misses. (except for the lacking web browser) If you're tied to Photoshop or Word or other software not available, you're obviously tied, but I still recommend picking up a copy (5.0 is available for download free) and giving it a try, I guarantee you won't be disapointed.

BeOS 4.5 with BeOS Bible Overview

Neal Stephenson, in In the Beginning... Was the Command Line, describes the Be operating system as "an extremely well-thought-out GUI built on a technological framework that is solid." He's not the only fan. A speedy, stable system for power-users and hardware tinkerers, Be may yet give Linux a run for its open-source money.

Be delivers on its promise of providing high-end or dedicated multimedia hardware for audio or video editing at a consumer-level price. Another considerable plus: Be actually installs in the time the manufacturer says it will (15 minutes). A system that can coexist with Linux, Mac, and Windows, it can also be your primary system if you want to create a dedicated "BeBox."

Be can run QuickTime and MPEGs, has accessible Mediaplayer and Webcam applications, and contains its own Web browser, NetPositive. The OS supports Universal Serial Bus (USB) and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption. As with other alternative operating systems, new free and shareware applications are constantly in development. An excellent realization of key operating system ideals--reliability, speed, and functionality--Be is worth the attention of any power users who haven't yet discovered it. --Jennifer Buckendorff

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