"Fans of the online virtual world Second Life can now connect from Linux machines. Linden Lab, creator of Second Life, recently launched a public test of the Linux client, sporting the same feature set and interface as the Windows and Mac OS X versions. The download and membership are free, so there is no excuse for not taking a look. If you were ever jealous of the exciting world your Sims live in, now you have the opportunity to get a taste of their experience firsthand."
When SL first came out I tried to convey to them that a Linux client would yield a lot of users. This is especially so when Linux systems often take a back-seat in the gaming world, having to run Wine, or some other go-between software making the Linux experience second rate, if it exists at all. I think there is pent-up demand among Linux users (which apparently include a lot of Linden Labs staff) and after all, the huge (2000 server) back-end is all Linux powered, so now we can see what is possible on a very large scale using only Open Source infrastructure (even if the client app itself isn't open).
Since the Linux client has taken so long, I've since switched to OS X, but with Apple now only a subsidiary of Intel (boy it must burn them up to be left out in the cold while Intel once again makes sweet love to Microsoft with that Origami device) I'll probably be going back to some sort of dual processor AMD desktop and Linux sooner or later. I'd almost guess sooner so that I can see this new SL product at full speed.
Get on in there Linux fans!
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