Before we get to the distro that restored my hopes in desktop Linux [spoiler], let's first cover the issue that trampled on my initial hopes of a Linux desktop contender: drivers. Without the proper video and network adapter drivers, my attempts at booting and running Mint/Ubuntu were in vain. After spending hours in Mint, my user experience was severely dampened by the frustration of getting my computer connected to the Internet. On top of this frustration was the less than perfect video drivers creating random x-window crashes and visual glitches. I was certain that if Mint and Ubuntu, the heralded leaders in Linux desktop environments, failed, then no other Linux distribution could meet my needs.

Enter Fedora. Although my Ubuntu and Ubuntu-based options above did boot off my LiveCD, they did so less than gracefully. From boot, however, my Fedora LiveCD started without a long list of errors. On top of that small victory, my dual monitors were immediately available and my network adapter operational! From this encouraging start, I knew that Fedora was going to be successful, and it was.

What Fedora makes up for in driver support, it lacks in overall usability. As advertised, Fedora is not a serious desktop alternative. There are no major setbacks in Fedora, but all the little small things add up. If a team of developers can do to Fedora what Mint has to Ubuntu, then we may finally have a true Linux desktop that can compete against Windows and Mac OS X.