Linspire launches Freespire 2.0 Linux

Open-source operating system developer Linspire today announced the availability of Freespire 2.0, a Linux OS based on Ubuntu distribution.

Freespire 2.0 includes out-of-the-box file support for MP3, Windows and Real Media, Java, and Flash, as well as support for ATI, Nvidia, and Wi-Fi applications.

It also has a built-in plugin for Linspire's own CNR Service, a destination for users to access thousands of open source applications, from video games to DVD playback to CodeWeaver's Crossover, which lets users run Windows-based applications on a Linux system.

Much of the technology in the new Freespire is proprietary, including software to optimize file support, codecs to expand multimedia capability, and drivers to take advantage of graphics and Wi-Fi potential. In addition, certain open source software, including Firefox and Thunderbird, has been modified to fit optimally with the Linux OS. Freespire also adds KDE, a GUI (graphical user interface) desktop application, which it says allows for an easy-to-use and "more comfortable" interface.

The new version of Freespire is the first to be based on Ubuntu distribution, but it goes beyond that. "Freespire 2.0 picks up where Ubuntu leaves off by adding proprietary software, drivers and codecs, to make for a more complete turn-key solution for mainstream desktop computing," said Linspire CEO Larry Kettler.