1998 Readers' Choice Awards

Linux Journal readers choose this year's Linux favorites.

by Amy Kukuk

This year, the number of Readers' Choice awards expands once more to include 28 categories of Linux favorites. The voting took place on the Linux Journal web site for two months. Over 3000 votes were cast, with over 50% of them from Germany. This is a small number of votes considering the number of subscribers we have. Next year, exercise your right to vote and help determine the winners.

Each year it is quite a surprise to scan through the results. Go ahead, see for yourself!

Favorite Audio Application

Winner: RealAudio

Runner Up: Soundstudio

Favorite Backup Utility

Winner: BRU

Runner Up: CTar

Most Used Linux Book

Winner: Linux Network Administrator's Guide by Olaf Kirch and Andy Oram

Runner Up: Running Linux by Matt Welsh

Best Browser of 1998

Winner: Netscape

Runner Up: Lynx

Most Used Business Application

Winner: StarOffice

Runner Up: Applixware

Favorite LJ Column

Winner: Kernel Korner

Runner Up: Best of Technical Support

Primary Communications Board

Winner: Cyclades

Runner Up: Digi

Most Used Database

Winner: MySQL

Runner Up: PostgreSQL

Best Development Tool

Winner: GCC

Runner Up: XEmacs

Favorite Linux Distribution

Winner: S.u.S.E.

Runner Up: Red Hat

Favorite Editor

Winner: vi

Runner Up: Emacs

Favorite File Manager

Winner: Midnight Commander

Runner Up: xfm

Most Played Linux Game:

Winner: Quake

Runner Up: XTetris

Best Graphics Application

Winner: GIMP

Runner Up: xv

Favorite Programming Language

Winner: Perl

Runner Up: Tcl/Tk

Most Loved Mailer

Winner: Netscape

Runner Up: Pine

Favorite Peripheral

Winner: Ethernet

Runner Up: ISDN

Best System Vendor

Winner: VA Research

Runner Up: Linux Hardware Solutions

Favorite Platform:

Winner: Intel

Runner Up: AMD

Most Used Portable

Winner: Toshiba

Runner Up: IBM

Favorite Security System

Winner: PGP

Runner Up: sshd

Favorite Shell

Winner: Bash

Runner Up: tcsh

Most Loved Special Purpose Tool

Winner: PalmPilot

Runner Up: plan

Best UPS

Winner: APC

Runner Up: Best Power

Favorite Video Tool

Winner: Xanim

Runner Up: RealPlayer

Best Linux Web Page

Winner: slashdot.org

Runner Up: linux.org

Favorite Window Manager

Winner: KDE

Runner Up: Fvwm

Most Used X Server

Winner: XFree86

Runner Up: Accelerated X

More information about the winning products and programs and other Linux hardware and software is available on our Linux Resources web site at http://www.linuxresources.com/.

Planning for the 1999 Readers' Choice Awards is already underway. If you have ideas for new categories, questions or comments, please e-mail linux@ssc.com. Voting for next year's awards will be held in August and September on the Linux Journal web site, http://www.linuxjournal.com/.