I've used Linux Mint and Ubuntu Linux for my everyday use in recent days. They are good distros, but they overall don't seem that much better than antiX Linux. That said, there are some changes i'd like to see in antiX Linux:
1. Provide the ROX Pinboard desktop by default to provide first-time users more of the Windows/KDE/GNOME feel without the bloat. It's already installed, so why not pre-activate it? When I install antiX Linux, I always activate ROX and change the startup file in .icewm to make the change permanent. Unlike KDE and GNOME, the ROX desktop is extremely lightweight and is used in Puppy Linux. Those of you who don't like the ROX desktop can easily deactivate it.
2. Change the default theme to IceClearLooks. The menu entries are difficult to read in the default theme. Those of you who prefer the old theme can easily switch back.
3. Provide desktop icons for the most used functions like Puppy Linux does. If it's lightweight enough for Puppy Linux, it's lightweight enough for antiX. Puppy Linux has its weaknesses, but I consider the intuitive and user-friendly feel of its desktop to be its strongest point. In my opinion, Puppy Linux has a desktop and menu even more user-friendly than the much heavier GNOME desktop of Ubuntu and Mint.
4. Provide as default CD/DVD burning software with verification. The default GnomeBaker doesn't offer this feature. iso2cd and PBurn for Puppy Linux do. Ubuntu and Mint provide Brasero. I find the verification feature to be essential. How else am I supposed to know if my CD/DVD burned properly?
5. Provide as default a link to installing OpenOffice. It's easy to add it from the repository, and I agree with you that OpenOffice is too heavy to be included in the default installation. However, OpenOffice is one of the most popular open source applications and is probably used by a substantial minority of antiX users. Giveing first-time users an even easier way to install it would make them feel at home.
6. Provide a Software Center as a supplement for Synaptic, as Ubuntu and Mint do. The Software Center doesn't do anything that Synaptic can't do, but it is more convenient. You don't have to include every software package - just the more popular ones. (But make it clear that the Software Center only offers the more popular packages.)
7. Offer the Disk Usage Analyzer program (like Ubuntu). It shows so much more than the Properties tab or the du command.

Again, I think antiX Linux has more potential than any other distro out there. It has a superior repository, it's lightweight, and it's reasonably user-friendly. Other distros can beat or match antiX Linux on one or two of these critera, but NONE can on all three.

I'd like to see antiX Linux become the super-distro that can overtake or at least compete with Ubuntu as the go-to distro for first-time Linux users and programs like Free Geek. Making antiX Linux more user-friendly will do this. Free Geek uses Ubuntu and refuses to work with computers too slow for Ubuntu. Many of these computers can work with antiX Linux. Just think of how effectively the digital divide can be bridged if 10-year-old computers (which have little or no resale value) can be revived.

jhsu,

sorry if I come across a little aggressive but I have seen several posts similar to this. Seeing that you have taken my suggestion to make a poll for"default ROX desktop and clickable icons" was great, but when I made the suggestion I was trying to suggest to use them for all of your suggestions. That being said I again think it would better express the thoughts of everyone if your suggestions were in polls.

Your first improvement was again putting rox as a default, according to your poll and therefore the thoughts of everyone, the answer for default desktop items was" No, I prefer the status quo". Therefore the majority would prefer not to see desktop icons.

Similairily you should also make your other suggestions into polls
Examples:

Poll: Change the default theme to IceClearLooks
Reason: The menu entries are difficult to read in the default theme.

In this case the solution / application for the solution is provided so this would be a completely informed poll.

Poll: Offer the Disk Usage Analyzer program (like Ubuntu)
Reason: It shows so much more than the Properties tab or the du command.

This would be a good poll if you provide a program name that will offer disk usage analisis. On a side note to this, if you feel that antix is so much more potential than other distros than why do you compare to them. EX: (like Ubuntu).

Again just want to state, that it has been decided to not have default desktop icons. Most feel that it is better to not have them. This shows a decision, a result, and that should be the way that all of you suggestions are made into desicions