For anyone who isn't in the know, Linspire™ (formerly known as Lindows) is a fully-featured operating system that offers the flexibility and stability of Linux while providing the ease of use found in Windows XP_® and Mac OS X_®. Linspire is a low cost alternative to Microsoft_® operating systems with real appeal to those who don't want to plunge into the deep end with Linux, but don't want to cower in the shadow of the Microsoft_® titan forever.

To celebrate the formal announcement of Linspire's name change from Lindows (because who would want their company and product name to sound like "Windows_®" anyway?), Linspire and deviantART are teaming up to bring you a fantastic wallpaper contest with some fantastic prizes. If that weren't enticing enough, Linspire wants to give a free copy of the Linspire operating system to any and all deviants.

The objective of the contest is simple: create an incredible, jaw-dropping wallpaper featuring one of the Linspire logos linked below. Linspire is glad to be rid of the Lindows name, so help them celebrate it! At the conclusion of the contest, Linspire Insiders will vote for their favourite entries from the contest. The winners of the contest will be decided by the tally of votes.

This contests begins on September 6, 2004 and ends on September 26, 2004. That gives everyone the better part of the month to work on your entries and get them in. The winners will be announced on October 4, 2004.

See the Official Contest Rules for more information!


Participating in the contest is simple.
Sign up for a deviantART account.
Go to the Submit page.
Click Deviation, look under Contests for the Linspire Wallpaper Contest category and follow the rest of the steps.
Make sure you read the contest rules carefully!

Question: Do I have to live in the US to participate?
Answer: No! Fella's Linspire (Not Lindows) Wallpaper Contest is open to anyone and everyone - whether you live in the contentinental United States or not!

Question: Is there any limit on the number of entries I can submit?
Answer: There is no limit to the number of entries you can submit, but you are only eligible to win once.

Question: In what ways am I allowed to change the logo?
Answer: You may work with the Linspire logo all you like - change colors, angle, perspective, opacity... You may even go for a 3D rendering of the logo if you're up for it. Let your creative juices flow. The bottom line is that the Linspire has to be recognizable as such, or it will be disqualified!

The Groovy Prizes

Here's the breakdown of the awesome swag offered to the winners:

• One Grand Prize winner will be awarded a KooBox Deluxe computer with 14" LCD flat screen monitor, a one year subscription to deviantART, a prints account, and $100 in deviantDOLLARS to spend at the deviantART Prints store.


• One First Place winner will be awarded a KooBox computer, a one year subscription to deviantART, a prints account, and $50 in deviantDOLLARS to spend at the deviantART Prints store.


• Three Second Place winners will be awarded a one year membership to Linspire's CNR Warehouse (a digital delivery system for Linspire software), and a custom Linspire personal MP3 player from RIO. In addition, deviantART will also pitch in a one year subscription to deviantART and a prints account.


• Three Third Place winners will be awarded a one year membership to Linspire's CNR Warehouse, a one year subscription to deviantART and a prints account.

All told, that's a whopping two thousand dollars in prizes!

There's more! The Grand Prize entry will be bundled in with future distributions of Linspire with your name attached. Talk about exposure! Other winning entries may also be packaged into the operating system as well. Then, everyone who installs Linspire after this contest will get an eyefull of your artwork!


For the duration of the contest, Linspire is giving away a copy of the Linspire operating system free to members of deviantART! This gives deviants the chance to break away from Microsoft's iron grip on the computer desktop world and use their computer in a totally new work environment.

To redeem your free copy of Linspire, follow these directions:
1.) Add Linspire to your shopping cart.
2.) On that page, simply click the button.
3.) When asked, enter the following coupon code: deviant9
4.) Then click the button. This will apply a $49.95 discount.
5.) Then click the button. 6.) Next, simply check out!
7.) Once you've completed checking out, go here to download the .iso file you'll need to burn your Linspire installation CDs. (You can always find these files by logging into your account at http://my.linspire.com and clicking on the My Products link, and then CD Downloads. If you would prefer, you can also pay a few bucks to have CDs or the Retail Boxes shipped to you later.)


You may choose from any of these logos, but you must incorporate at least one of them into your contest submission!
http://media.linspire.com/logos/linspire.eps
http://media.linspire.com/logos/linspireinc.eps
http://media.linspire.com/logos/linspirecry.eps
These are Encapsulated Post Script files; a vector format. They are supported by programs such as Adobe® Photoshop®, Adobe® Illustrator® and Jasc® Paint Shop™ Pro®. If you're using an image editor which cannot handle EPS files, you may try these GIF files instead:
Linspire: 150px Width, 250px Width, 350px Width
Linspire, Inc: 150px Width, 250px Width, 350px Width
Linspire Crystal: 150px Width, 250px Width, 350px Width


Must be JPG format
No smaller than 800x600 resolution
No larger than 1600x1200 resolution
Must conform to standard PC wallpaper resolution size
Must not be larger than 800K in size
Must incorporate one of the Linspire logos linked above




Contest Begins: 6 September 2004
Contest Ends: 26 September 2004
Judging: 27 September 2004 through 3 October 2004
Winner Announcement: 4 October 2004


Official Contest Rules
Browse Contest Submissions