A translation by Trevor Key of http://www.haiku-os.it/node/506, which was
 written by Giuseppe.
Sure, there's the Google translation, but I hope that this one is better.  Or
 at least easier to read.

The System Long-Awaited...

    I just tried the 29065 revision of Haiku.  One still deals with a pre-alpha,
but this time I was truly surprised by the stability and the housecleaning done.
Only a month ago the sensation that it left with me trying Haiku was of a gradual
progress but of a dependability still scarce due to numerous bugs... in the end
it remained clear that the system was not a suitable option for a daily user, as
one could not stay and wait hopefully for the progress of the revisions.  Instead,
breaking from the last revisions, the turning point was decidedly reached and the
system is now a rock, and also allows starting applications that gave more of a
problem before.  I do not know how much is lacking exactly from the alpha, but
we are truly much closer, and, personally, this revision is already a valid system
for me that could be used as an alternative to Zeta.

In the screenshots you will notice the numerous pieces of software that I tried
and some particular things.  For example, I succeeded in starting Robin Hood -
 The Legend of Sherwood (Demo) distributed by Runesoft only for Zeta.  Trying it
on Haiku is rather complex since the package distributed by Runesoft is in the
zpkg format, therefore only for Zeta... I copied the folder for the demo directly
from the partition with Zeta.  Moreover, once you have gotten to the RobinHoodDemo
folder with the terminal, you need to start 'robin' and not 'Robin Hood Demo'
(which is only for Zeta).  The game looks bad displayed in the window (as one sees
in this screenshot) because it tries to enter fullscreen but cannot.  You can set
a second Workspace to 640x480 and then drag the window to have the game in full
screen.  At that point you can also change the resolution.  We hope that when R1
of Haiku comes out that Magnusoft values the opportunity to rerelease those couple
of games already converted for BeOS and Zeta making the truly minimal necessary
changes to make them function without problems in Haiku.

Thanks to TiltOS (tiltos.com), a package repository available for Haiku and for
TiltOS (an operating system, based on Haiku, still not released), it is possible
to install numerous pieces of software and libraries... among these I installed
python and the modules python-pygame that allowed me to use many games written
in this language and lame 3.98 that, as seen in one of the screenshots, can be
used for the encoding of an audio CD.  BePodder, the program that allows one to
enjoy the contents of podcasting, functions without problems on Haiku.  Funky
Idea Software will release a freeware version of the application with some new
features in respect to the version that is found on BeBits or Haikuware.  Also
very functional is the new Jukebox 0.4, created by J. M. Reis, that now also
supports album covers and showing videos.

Firefox, Thunderbird, and Sunbird function without problems guaranteeing a good
use of the web.  Besides, thanks to the services like Google Docs, one feels
the absence of a modern office suite less.  Also, the dear but now dated Gobe
Productive functions without problems on Haiku.  Interesting also is the
progress of NetSurf - while still unstable, it will be a good and fast browser
alternative to Firefox when completed.

The graphics field is well covered by WonderBrush, ArtPaint, Pixel and
Refraction that functions on Haiku with some problems only in the display
of the toolbar that results in restricting to the margins, permitting one
to see just the tools.

Among the screenshots notice also HandBrake, that on a Pentium 4 at 3 GHz it
achieves 35 fps in the conversion of a DVD, while the system is also put to work
in the reproduction of the avi file produced at that instant by the same instance
of HandBrake.  You may also note the new icon for USB peripherals in the
screenshots.  Truly very appealing.

I finish by saying to you with great pleasure that you will not hear from me any
more that the system is still not ready to be used, as this revision, in spite
of us talking about a pre-alpha, is even with all its limits already a very
stable system, if not completely dependable.

A very big thanks to all the developers of Haiku.