Life without Windows or OS X

GNU/Linux is quite possibly the most important free software achievement since the original Space War, or, more recently, Emacs. It has developed into an operating system for business, education, and personal productivity. GNU/Linux is no longer only for UNIX wizards who sit for hours in front of a glowing console. Are you thinking about switching to Linux and want to learn how to use it? Have you been using GNU/Linux for some time and want to learn even more? This is the place for you.

Friday, November 18, 2005

The threat is in

Just about any time a major publication runs a story about Linux, Microsoft gets them to place a "Get the Facts" advertisements nearby and often right in the middle of the story. That seems pretty suspect to me. What is up? If Microsoft offers a superior product to Linux then why would they need a "Get the Facts" campaign? The thing is they know what we all know. They know executives will say to themselves, if Radio Shack uses it, then it must be good enough. I and others adopted Linux because it provides a stable and reliable platform that doesn't cause us many problems. It saves money and people can manage more machines and users with less people and resources. The kind of desperation you see when Microsoft obsesses about Linux indicates they “the threat is in”. Linux is very small in the sceam of things. I mean those guys have to be spending more money on advertising against Linux than Linux could possibly cost them.

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Not just any flash drive.



The MuVo TX FM is a must have MP3 player for any lifestyle! This tiny player is extremely easy to use and lets you listen to your music anywhere - commuting to work, trekking across campus, or walking your dog.


# 512MB player holds up to 16hrs of voice recordings
# You can customize the music you like, just the way you like it, with a 5-band custom equalizer and 4 presets for Jazz, Rock, Pop or Classical music. MuVo® TX FM will play up to 15hrs of continuous MP3 playback on 1 x AAA battery
# MuVo® TX FM has a high-resolution backlit LCD that is reversible for left or right handed operation. Plus, the LCD provides full track information (ID3 tags) and is great for folder navigation with the convenient scroll button.
# TX FM is equipped with super-fast USB 2.0 that transfers music or data files in blazing speed to and from your computer. Simply attach MuVo® TX FM to any PC or notebook and drag-and-drop your files - no cables or installation software needed.
# You can use MuVo® TX FM to carry presentations, photos and any other data files between PCs at home, work or on the road. And, with a built-in microphone for handy voice recordings, you'll never want to be without your MuVo® TX FM
# Size WxHxD: 1.4" x 2.9" x 0.9"
# Weight: 1.1oz (w/o battery), 1.5oz (with battery) (TBC)
# USB 2.0 Flash Drive Capacity: 128MB, 256MB, 512MB (TBC)
# Power: 1 x AAA Alkaline battery
# Battery life: Up to 15hrs of MP3
# Playback formats: MP3, WMA (DRM)
# Recording: IMA ADPCM, Mono
# Signal to Noise Ratio: >90dB
# Harmonic distortion output: <0.1%
# Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz
# Headphone out: 3.5mm stereo mini jack
# Interface: USB 2.0, compatible with USB 1.1

Yet One More Linux Filesystem

An R&D affiliate of the world's largest telephone company has achieved a stable release of a new Linux filesystem said to improve reliability over conventional Linux filesystems, and offer performance advantages over Solaris's UFS filesystem. NILFS 1.0 (new implementation of a log-structured filesystem) is available now from NTT Labs (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone's Cyber Space Laboratories).

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Building a powerful yet low cost desktop with OS

Building a desk top is not as hard it would sound. You just need the right parts.
I built a system using a low cost ATX computer case with a 450watt power supply.
Then I Bought:

1.ABIT GD8 mother broad
2.Geforce 6200TC made by eVGA
3.Intel 2.66GHz Celeron D CPU BX80547RE2667C
4.512MB (2 x 256MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR2 400 (PC2 3200) Dual Channel Kit
5.5618PSV 56K PCI Modem. Made by Archtek
6.Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 ST340014A-RK 40GB 7200 RPM 2MB Cache IDE Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive

I tested my configuration with Red Hat Linux, Mandrake Linux, Xandros Linux, Linspire,Ubuntu, and Slackware.They all worked just fine. Note: all other linux distributions should work as well. I just have not had a chance to test them all.

The only thing left to buy if you dont all ready have them is:

1.Keyborad and mouse

2.Computer Monitor.

3.Speakers.

4.CD/DVD rewriter.

5.Floppy Drive.