In our review of OEone's HomeBase 1.2 release ( OEone HomeBase Offers Computing, Simplified), we noted that HomeBase was probably the most innovative interface released since the advent of the GUI. OEone HomeBase Desktop is the only package we know of that has pulled off a simplification of the user interface without “dumbing down” the system.
Unfortunately, in our review we found several show stopper problems in the release. The graphical environment was on the blink after setup, our network card was not configured, and sound was missing in action too. We were disappointed to have to note such a large set of hardware problems on this otherwise promising software package.
Well, it is disappointing no more, in OfB Labs tests of HomeBase DESKTOP 1.5, which was released in June, we found all of the problems that we experienced had been ironed out. The X Windowing System GUI started without a hitch after installation, as did the network card. Shortly there after, we were prompted about our sound card (a SoundBlaster Live!), which was then auto-detected and setup perfectly.
Once in the new version of HomeBase, everything worked perfectly, and even seemed a bit snappier when moving around the environment (perhaps a benefit of the move to Mozilla 1.0). The most welcome addition to the environment was the OpenOffice.org office suite. While not integrated as well as AbiWord is, it provides the robust office functionality needed to use the system in an office situation.
We also noticed the documentation in our boxed set improved with this release. Included alongside the full color manual in this release was a guide to the new functionality in version 1.5 and troubleshooting information (including instructions on how to recover from the problems we encountered back in April). As we noted above, we did not encounter any issues with this release, however it is good to see information is provided in the box, should anyone encounter problems.
In summary, with HomeBase 1.5, OEone has fixed all the problems we had that would have prevented us from recommending the package to those not technically inclined. This release is easy to use from the moment the setup tool boots, and is still the most unique interface we have worked with to date. If you are looking for an excellent desktop solution for basic office and multimedia functionality, this Linux distribution very well could be the perfect one for you.
HomeBase is available in two editions; SUITE, a stand alone distribution available for $29, and DESKTOP, which runs on top of RedHat 7.1 or 7.2. For more information on both editions, visit the OEone web site.
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