Okay I am really interested in Haiku. I have heard excellent things about this, even though it is still in alpha. I hoping to have a good experience with the live-cd and if I do I will probably go to using it instead of my current Linux distribution. I was hoping just for some strong points of the OS aside from what I have read in reviews and some useful links, tutorials, things like that.
The main thing I like about the OS are that I have a 400mhz pc and it doesn’t lag at all except under a heavy load. It uses the philosophy, Make a program simple enough to get the job done, but no simpler. You will easily be able to see this because many of the program features are discussed on the mailing lists before being added.
Other things…
The bootloader was way easier to configure than grub, but iirc it will only chainload os’s on the same hardisk.
The downside to this os is that it doesn’t have an office suite yet. You can use KOffice thru tiltos, but it went very slow on my pc. I think they are working on porting libre office.
It boots a lot faster than windows.
There is a rich api being developed.
The stack and tile feature comes in handy a lot.(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MleAbU3AXs&noredirect=1)
You may want to check Haikuware(http://haikuware.com/hardware-database/ ) to check and see if your hardware is supported
userguide https://www.haiku-os.org/docs/userguide/en/contents.html
haiku welcome https://www.haiku-os.org/docs/welcome/welcome_en.html
Yes it’s the better system for oldest PCs… it works on Pentium I (your 400 Mhz it’s a PII, right?), too… an with a GUI, too!
It’s the demonstration that software written in the right way could be more efficient of an unnamed OS which kernel is “spaghetti code like” 
If only Haiku would have more drivers… it would be the PERFECT OS!
[quote=fano]
Yes it’s the better system for oldest PCs… it works on Pentium I (your 400 Mhz it’s a PII, right?), too… an with a GUI, too![/quote]
The only slow/lagging part of my PII was when moving windows, copying files and loading webpages. Other than that it kicked windows in speed.
Some linux os’s claim to be lightweight, but the software isn’t at all lightweight, so the system just feels slow and laggy. The haiku software is built light, so the os feels light.
[quote=fano]
If only Haiku would have more drivers… it would be the PERFECT OS![/quote]
I agree with ya there. Just add software and api documentation to the list, which will come in time.
Yes the reals Linux problems are:
- It's kernel is HUGE and unmaintenable anymore (that's not me but Torvalds itself saying this!
- It give its best as a Server OS, for desktop simply it's unfit :-(
- Lack of documentation, lack of a stable Kernel ABI (so after new kernel release I, Intel, have to recompile all and maybe MODIFY a perfectly working driver!), and the API pletora (Qt, GTK, WxWindows, Win APE via wine, X11, Gnome, KDE, ...)
It cannot be lightweigt if I’ve to install all this framework to make it works (do you like gnome? Do you want a decent burning software? Well there’s no one for Gnome… install K3B… ehhr it requires to download all the KDE/Qt framework!)… it’s strangely enough not so modular… try to create a sort of “CommanLine OS” as I’ve done in the simple in wich I’ve done with Linux… let’s try!
Start from a full CentOS and do for me a < 200 MB Linux image if you can (you do NOT can, M8, if you want to retain the GUI at least).
It will be interesting to test my modified Haiku version in wich there’s only Tracker, no Deskbar and 6 Terminals imatinting Linux “console”…
Here you can see an image:
Well regarding software YES, sadly we need more, but for documentation you’re wrong… there’s 2 sources of documentation for the ABI:
- Be Book (in html in this site)
- Haiku Book - WIP (always here)
Good developing 
Unfortunately my wireless card is unsupported Q.Q I am a student and need my wireless support.