Report

NewsForge | The facts behind the “Get the Facts” ad campaign
Joe Barr sounds off in NewsForge about the Get the Facts campaign run by Microsoft to replace their Linux Facts ads that ran earlier.
“Like many readers, I find Microsoft’s Get the Facts (GtF) ads repugnant, especially when they appear on sites dedicated to Linux and [...]

Sometimes speaking your mind pays off. As I reported a few weeks ago, Intuit was blocking users of Linux from accessing their Turbo Tax for the Web product. Many users (myself included) discovered that if we were to spoof IE 6 for Windows in our browsers we were able to file our tax information with [...]

As you may recall, I mentioned CompTIA’s Linux+ beta exam offer, where you can take the test for $75.00 vs. the normal rate of $207 and still get certified. I’ve taken advantage of the offer and took my test on Friday.

According to an article published today in PC Magazine, an Australian IT services firm has updated what it says is one of the few fully transparent studies comparing the costs of running Linux versus Windows– and found that Linux is still cheaper.

Internetnews.com reports on a new study which has found that Linux is more secure than most commercial software — results that echo what its proponents have long said.
A four-year study released today by Coverity, reports Linux has a low bug count, making the code more stable and secure. The 2.6 Linux production kernel, now being [...]

KDE is just about ready to release version 3.4, which will be the last major release before version 4. 3.4 alpha will be available soon, it will go beta in January, and the final version will be released in March.

What is GNU/Linux? What is the difference between RPM and Debian based distros? How do community based distros differ from commercial ones? What exactly is source code and how do you install packages using it? These are all interesting questions and I am sure some of you have thought about them already. Well now you [...]

This is a well-thought-out, well-written piece on Linux vs. Windows security. This continues to be an ongoing debate and the answer to which is more secure depends, to a great degree, on who you ask. This report looks in detail at the claims that are made and analyses them one by one, citing hard data [...]

The average home user expects to have multimedia capabilities built into any operating system they choose. Linux has always been somewhat behind Windows in this area. Is this still the case? Many distro developers have made an effort to rectify this situation - just look at the number of distributions where the release information inludes [...]

Any Gentoo fans in the house? Or Gentoo-curious gnomies? You may enjoy reading this article about using Gentoo as a server for ISP/webhosting chores.

I first mentioned the SME Server in my Small Business Server post a week or so ago, and now I’m bringing it up again because there’s a cool new announcement regarding the future of the SME Server: Lycoris, makers of the popular Desktop/LX distro, have assumed hosting and development of the SME Server project.

Tina Gasperson’s latest linux.com report discusses an application service provider’s move from Sun Solaris systems to Linux. In the process, they discovered they were able to consolidate their software onto a smaller number of servers and still see a great performance increase at less cost.

NewsForge is running a story about MontaVista being selected to power Amstrad video phones, essentially turning the videophone into a small Linux PC capable of handling telecommunications as well as email and gaming.

That’s the word going around at the moment according to internetnews.com. Neither company has commented on the rumor, and MontaVista has flat-out denied it. Time will tell.

As a former educator, I enjoy reading stories about schools using Linux to save money, especially cash-strapped schools. The case of the Enchanted Lake Elementary School in Hawaii is one such example.

I’m sure you have heard that children are like sponges, and with good reason. Most kids master stuff that takes adults twice as long to learn. Rob Reilly, a professional technology writer and consultant, shares his experience in getting his eight-year-old daughter turned on to computers. So now you’re wondering, what does Linux have to [...]

Ok this is not the traditional because Linux is not ready for the desktop article.
So what’s the reason Linux can’t compete this time? “I’m not saying that because Longhorn is a superior platform in any way. I’m saying it because Longhorn is not real, it’s just the latest codename for the next version of Windows. [...]

Mandrake despite being a user-friendly yet powerful Linux distro has not lived up to its’ true potential. Do you agree? One writer believes Mandrake could enjoy more popularity than it presently does. How? In one word marketing. “Mandrake has not done a good job of marketing its products or creating brand awareness worldwide.” A second [...]

“Longhorn’s woes may open a door for Linux - a very tiny door - but Linux just isn’t a good choice for desktops. Instead, desktop Linux proponents should wake up and switch to the Mac OS.” What are the reasons for this bold statement? The same Eweek article continues, “The best Linux desktops are still [...]

KDE 3.3 has been out for a few days now and the reviews are now starting to come in. I haven’t been able to give this new version a try but am hoping too very soon. This LinuxInsider report covers some of the noteworthy improvements made as well as the new apps you can expect [...]