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.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Hackers Lurking in Obama's Web Site

Monday, January 26, 2009 1:30 PM PST

U.S. President Barack Obama ran a successful Web 2.0 campaign last year. Now, as president, he's got to deal with a very Web 2.0 problem: hackers abusing the social-networking features of his Web site.

Hackers have registered bogus accounts on Obama's online community, my.barackobama.com, where they are posting images designed to set off a chain of events that lead to malicious Trojan horse programs. These programs are stepping stones used by hackers to download more and more malware onto a victim's computer.

more here..





Friday, January 30, 2009

Microsoft's Multitasking Tax

Ever here the M.T.T. Aka the “multitasking tax”. I know what many of you are about to say. There is no such thing, right? Wrong. The multitasking tax is very real. Real stupid if you ask me. Microsoft will launch a Windows 7 Starter Edition as a low-cost option designed specifically for mini-systems, like they did with the XP stater way back when. With Windows 7 Starter Edition computer users could run up to three programs concurrently, thanks to the three-app rule. The three-app rule includes applications running in the background, meaning that if I ran MS word and Firefox for example, I could only run one further application on my system. Microsoft’s defense behind the restriction was that it ensures that users can get the best possible performance from power limited hardware. Now I did some checking. A cross the web read that Windows 7 is working great with as little as 512 MB RAM and Atom low end processors. Blogs say usability has been improved better and now it is lean like XP. Windows 7 has been designed to run well on low-end systems is what everyone is saying, right?

The sad truth is that if 7 stater was the only Edition able to run effectively on mini-systems then there would be no plans to install Windows 7 Basic & Home Premium on such under powered hardware as they can not run more than 3 apps at once. Didn't that group learn a lesson the last time they tried to put one over everyone. You know, the class-action suit from people who bought machines labeled as "Vista Capable" in the months prior to Vista's release accused Microsoft of selling a bill of goods, because many of the computers were able powerful enough to run only Vista Home Basic, the lowest-priced edition. To be fair Microsoft has denied the charges, and you can’t blame a cow for not barking like a dog. Microsoft earned more than a billion dollars on the sales of PCs marked "Vista Capable." Don’t be mad because that snake you saved from the house fire bit you. Since last year M.S. has promoted the fact that Windows 7 is able to run on hardware not able to handle Vista. Can’t afford real WIN 7 you poor souls, then the WIN 7 Starter Edition is for you guys, “wink-wink”. A lot of poor people could be disappointed with Starter if they weren't aware of its limitations, you know like getting shocked when the fourth app won't run.

Microsoft is ready to fight its war against GNU/Linux and they don't care who gets hurt. With the cost of the Windows operating system remaining relatively unvarying, even as PC hardware components costs have dropped over the last 10 years. It stands to reason that if hardware price is down then why not is cost of Windows operating system still so high and getting higher each time. Things like SLED Linux, Ubuntu Linux and Xandros Linux seem to run systems for less. The thing is Microsoft wants users to buy cheaper systems pre-installed with Windows 7 Starter. The the single mother of 4 will get the shock of her life when the fourth app she clicked on won't open. She reads the fine print to see whats wrong, only to find that she needs to upgrade to Home Premium paying the “multitasking tax” (MTT) because Starter is so crippled.


Sunday, January 11, 2009

I'm a Gnu

I hope the first week of this year has been good to everyone. I’m sure everyone has seen the I’m a Pc and I’m a Mac ads on U.S. Television. Well on this site it is possible to become a Gnu. Gnu/Linux is beginning to rival Microsoft Windows, the leading desktop operating system. Gnu/Linux in many cases is absolutely free of cost to the run of the mill, non-commercial user. Linux is now over 17 years old. Its free nature meant that it developed fast, and even less than a year after it was released, there were associated newsgroups springing up.

One Saturday evening, September 10, 2005, I made my first post. If your seeing this site for the first time. I want to make it clear that this is not a weblog just for geeks. It’s for those who like computers and computer software. I've been working with computers for a little while. In that time I've used a variety of environments. Linux is freely available, and most are not required to register their copies with any central authority, so it is very difficult to know how many people use Linux to date. Could be as many as five million users. Linux 2.6.25 has 9,232,484 lines of code, up from 176,250 lines of code in Linux 1.0.0 back in March 1995. Many users do not understand the difference between the kernel, which is Linux, and the whole system, which many also call “Linux”. The system as a whole is basically the GNU system, with Linux added. When you're talking about this combination it is called really GNU/Linux. Technically, GNU is like Unix. But unlike Unix and other commercial operating systems, GNU is free to distribute and use.

The Windows desktop user community is much-much larger than the GNU/Linux one and it takes a lot to have someone switch to another operating system. I use GNU/Linux for the every day person. This is the type of GNU/ Linux that is widely available. Microsoft makes its living selling people plain operating systems and has a lot to lose if Gnu/Linux ever got popular with the masses. For that reason they have done everything in their power to warn the public that Gnu/Linux is something that you probably can’t use. I feel that the meager income that many are stuck with now days should not keep them out of touch with the tech revolution. So with Gnu/Linux a non-profit organization, can recycle, refurbish and giving away computer systems to families who are on a low income with kids at school.

I know that getting started with a new OS is a big adjustment. Yes it is true that Windows is the OS that is used by the majority populace in the United States. It comes preinstalled on most consumer brand PCs. In 1984, it was impossible to use a modern computer without installing a proprietary operating system. So in 2008 we have a choice.

In fact this post is being made on a Dell Inspiron Mini 9 netbook, that I borrowed from a friend. This Gnu/Linux version is a nice price and offers all the basic functionality you would expect from a notebook. It has the Intel GMA 950 onboard graphics, which are good enough for non 1080p HD video playback and can manage older games at low settings. I loaded Unreal and it played just fine. Last but not least, this GNU system has a 32GB solid-state drive, which has very fast storage and makes this thing very quiet and 2GB of RAM for the best performance. A 4-cell battery offers up to 3.5 hours of battery life. However the basic system has a 4 GB solid-state drive and 512 of RAM ($349.00 U.S). But if do buy the basic one and you need more power later, not to worry. The Mini 9 is very easy to upgrade than other netbooks. I have looked at many netbooks like the Aspire One, which require complex disassembly in order for you to get to the storage drive, system RAM, or wireless cards. On other netbooks they have slots for upgrades but no connections on the motherboard so it is impossible to upgrade them. This is not the case with the Mini 9. The combo of Intel's Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, and Unbutu Gnu/Linux works well for basic tasks, as long as you keep expectations modest and don't mind occasional slowdown if you try and open too many browser windows at once. If you need more power go with Dells Inspiron 1525N

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Happy New Year...













My first post of this new....

Super Bowl 43 is upon us. 12 teams make it to the post season. However only two teams make it to the last dance. Who win? Its anybody s guess. I predict a Cards & Pitts Super Bowl 43. I'm hoping for a Giants-Raves Bowl, but im just sure it wont be the case.

Will there be a cards win for the first time ever?