SuSE's approach to hard copy documentation seems to be a little inconsistent. 7.3 Pro had 4 thin books labeled: configuration, reference manual, applications and network. Version 8.0 Pro had 3 books, basic, applications and reference. This version has 2 books labeled: administration guide and user guide.

I thumbed through the administrative guide and found coverage of the boot management, printer operation, configuring and using laptops, and networking. Special attention was given to sound setup, file synchronization, heterogeneous networks and network security. For a new user, the guide gives a good description of how things work under SuSE Linux and would be a great place to start to learn the system.

The 8.2 User Guide covered topics like YAST, KDE, Gnome, Konqueror, Evolution, OpenOffice and other office type applications. While the guides seem a little sparse, compared to most heavy duty Linux user's libraries, they provide enough information so a new Linux user can start being productive right away. SuSE seems to have a strong focus on the desktop audience with version 8.2.

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