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SUSE 9.1 incorporates many of the new features of the 2.6 kernel, which was only announced at the end of last year. It improves performance when multiple processes are running, efficiently distributing hardware resources. So if you're listening to music while burning a CD or writing an email, the system shouldn't falter. Other 2.6 features include improved power management for laptops, and improved audio capabilities in the Advanced Linux Sound Architecture.

The previous version - SUSE 9.0 - incorporated certain functionalities from the 2.6 kernel on the 2.4 kernel upon which it was based.

Red Hat's Enterprise Linux 3 also incorporates many of the critical enterprise server requirements that are in 2.6 such as NPTL and IPv6.

Red Hat told us, 'Red Hat feels it is too soon to base an enterprise product on 2.6. The next release of Fedora (in April) will be based on the 2.6 kernel so that Red Hat may harden it and test it for enterprise production

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environments. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 will be based on 2.6 and be available in the first part of 2005. By then Red Hat will have had sufficient time for testing internally and with third party applications and hardware.'

SUSE told us its enterprise-level business products would be 2.6-based by about September.

The SUSE 9.1 Professional version - at £64.95 inc. VAT (£42.95 inc. VAT for the upgrade) - includes both 64bit and 32bit versions and offers server and networking functionality and a range of development tools.

The Personal edition - £24.95 inc. VAT - includes a Live CD version where the entire operating system can be run off the disc so that beginners can try Linux out without having to install it to the disk. The full installation is also included.

SUSE 9.1 includes both KDE and Gnome desktops. This is the source of some controversy since SUSE has traditionally supported the European-favoured KDE version whereas Novell's other Linux buy is Ximian - a Gnome-based desktop.

We were told by a spokesperson at SUSE that 'there is work underway to make sure Ximian is supported on SUSE,' with an announcement expected next week at Novell's BrainShare event.

Also included is Samba 3, which allows Windows and Linux installations to work together, so that files from Windows can be accessed from Linux or vice versa.

A student version of the Pro edition is available for £42.95 inc. VAT.

For more information, visit the SUSE website.