Look, netbook or notebook, get as many hardware upgrades as possible when shooting for the low end. While you might not really need the next Dual-core system with four GBs of RAM, it would also be cool to be able to edit documents without it taking all day for them to load.

Should you steer clear of the VIA setups? For me, I break it down this way. Never buy from an OEM unless they are also providing you with aftermarket support. If this is too much trouble, then you need to think the hardware you are about to select.

Some people fear that including or embracing Mono within the Linux community may lead to Microsoft controlling aspects of Linux application development, through Novell’s efforts.

Speaking for myself, I refused to give either party that much credit. I think that it is true, that there are aspects of Mono used with desktop Linux that is a concern. But at the same time, so long as it is a choice to include or not include it with specific distros, I do not think it will lead to anything too terrible. Besides, applications built with GTK and Mono such as Banshee are not bad to use whatsoever. Actually, I rather enjoy it myself.

As you can see in the above linked piece, the Pre does well with mounting the file system via USB, but there is the question as to whether it works well with music players such as Banshee or amaroK.

I suspect that it is likely that the file system will mount just fine and allow for a fairly straight forward data transfers. This also means that it is plausible that music transfers should work easily as well. But I would be interested in hearing from any of you that might own a Pre and are using it with desktop Linux.

This download package is free and contains full functional Paragon NTFS for Linux drivers for the most popular Linux distributions with their default kernels only. This package contains a demo version for any Linux distribution as well.

[2M] [Linux kernel 2.6.X] [FREE]

Frankly with as much trouble as NVIDIA has with drivers on any platform, I doubt it will matter much anyway. I have not been able to remember a single new Windows release in which NVIDIA wasn’t dead last in getting it right. Actually, the truth is that NVIDIA has seen better support on Linux in not screwing up than it has on Windows, but this is just my own experiences with countless cards and PCs.

NVIDIA knows full well that Windows CE is a “safe” bet for them. Because Windows is expected to be a market leader with netbooks, NVIDIA is following the money and leaving common sense at the back of the bus as per usual. So good luck to the video card maker, supporting a Windows styling that has been plagued with issues over the years. From what I understand, this release of Windows CE is “different”. Well again, good luck with that.

Both of these editors, provide me with the level of functionality I need. From simple to advanced editing. Still, while KINO is dead easy to use, Cinelerra has a steep learning curve. Both are quite usable though.

Looks like we have yet another editor in the up and coming area. It’s called OpenShot. But unlike many of the other “simple” editors out there, this one was created with most of the functionality one would want from and editor. Effects, transitions, etc all seem to be included. Once OpenShot comes out of beta and has the bugs worked out of it, perhaps it will become a viable alternative to similar editors?

But for those who prefer not to use Truecrypt, there is an alternative. ScramDisk works a lot like Truecrypt, but does not have the concerns over whether or not there is too much secrecy surrounding its development. Despite me having no issue with it myself, I have read on occasion that there are those who simply have “issues” with Truecrypt and are in the market for an alternative.

At this point, using ScramDisk should be done with the understanding that the software is just now entering production status. So while it is not to be considered beta, it is still fairly new software and should be treated as such in my opinion. Still, it is worth trying out if you are simply not interested in using Truecrypt.

Honestly, I am not an expert in licensing or even the advantages of using one open source license over another. But I do know that it is more than possible to both make money with the a GPL licensed piece of software, especially if it is a web based app.

So at the end of the day, I really do not see a threat to the GPL either on Web apps or in the localized world. It’s still here, despite the numbers giving a completely different impression. But hey, I am open to debate. Do you see the GPL disappearing on the network-delivered software front?

Then one of the lead developers from the Samba project provided a patch that might just be enough to prevent Microsoft from being a threat in this regard. In short, the patch basically alters the behavior of FAT in such a manner that it apparently is no longer something Microsoft can come after anyone for.

And because the whole lawsuit situation with TomTom had to do with the patents surrounding the way FAT deals with file names, it seems that the above mentioned patch could be just what the doctor ordered to prevent any more problems for hardware vendors ending up in the sights of Microsoft’s lawsuit engine.

Native code has something going for it, when thinking of bringing Firefox on board. In short, it simply means that it will happen vs not having a prayer of taking place otherwise.

To be brutally honest, I am not sure whether or not Firefox would see the level of usage to warrant a build just for Android. Nothing against Firefox at all, rather I am just unsure as to the immediate benefit. Yes, any and all adoption would be great. But I am not just convinced that Android is the best place to look for it.

Yet despite seeking to use commonsense, more often than not we fall victim to some loud mouth’s comments that make us want to lash out in frustration. This article here explores the problem at length and even points out some actual examples of this type of behavior.

Even though none of us pretend to be perfect, I am hopeful you will join me in turning over a new leaf rather than following suit with the mindset as seen in the linked image above. It may not be easy, but we will feel better about ourselves in the morning if we can collectively take the high road when dealing with those who have only half of the story.

Now there are a number of ways of fixing this. Assuming the specs I found on the computer are right, that it is using an integrated NVIDIA video chipset, one could likely use the restricted driver manager to gain a driver that is going to provide *vastly* better resolution options than the default NV driver.

Being as I have never had anything but trouble with the restricted driver manager, I have always used the Envy tool on Ubuntu PCs…even before there was a restricted driver manager. While your mileage may vary, it has yet to fail me on roughly seven different NVIDIA cards.

Once you follow the instructions carefully, rebooted, etc, then you are ready to see if the resolution has corrected itself. Chances are pretty good that you will end up with something like 1280*XXX after your installation and reboot. If not, open a terminal, type in gksudo nvidia-settings and carefully correct the resolution.

Let me save all of you a lot of time right now. If you own a computer designed for one OS (note the sticker), how can we possibly be shocked when their is in some instances a problem that requires a bit of investigation?

Example: I own an old notebook that uses a rather problematic version of the VIA video chipset. While Xorg has drivers for it, there is a 100% failure rate of getting X to configure right. Even after a reconfiguration, it is a massive task to get it working. Does this mean that Linux sucks? No, rather that the driver designed for the VIA chipset does, actually.

I say this as all of my ATI, NVIDIA and Intel video cards do just dandy. The issue is that I rolled the dice with a notebook displaying a Made For Windows sticker and lost. Luckily, there is a work-a-round though.

The point is if you are buying a new notebook and choose one designed for Windows in hopes of dual-booting, you are accepting the results are given. If it works, awesome for you. If does not and you’ve read this article, too bad. The smart money for notebooks is always to buy pre-installed (Dell, System76, ZaReason, etc) unless you are experienced enough to overcoming basic configuration issues. In short, there is a simple, brain dead option available to all those in the market for a new notebook purchase. Just something to consider when complaining about “compatibility” issues. You’re in the driver’s seat.

Question: Dual-booting?

If the user is working with XP, I would say that the chances are pretty good that this could be done pretty easily. However with Vista, I have heard mostly of problems due to how Vista does it MBR to some having success. Frankly, in my honest opinion, dual-booting is stupid.

If you want to use Ubuntu, but still rely on Windows for whatever reason, use Wubi. It will allow Vista to remain master of the Universe like it prefers to be in the MBR realm and you can still “install” Ubuntu.

What else should someone making the switch to Ubuntu know about? I guess is depends on what you are using your computer for. Generally speaking, the biggest challenges are simply getting used to the different desktop options (KDE, GNOME, etc).

For the most part, I would start off by heading to Amazon and picking up a book called Ubuntu for Non–Geeks. Also, realize there is a whole world of Linux outside of Ubuntu. PCLinuxOS, Linux Mint, Simply Mepis are all good options for you to explore.

Question: What is WINE performance like?

Outside of launching IE4Linux out of need, I never use it. WINE is a great effort, it really is. But sadly, it is not as great as people like to think it is. I avoid it like the plague and instead use native programs designed to work with Linux specifically. A good place to get your bearing here can be found at this site. Just enter in the title of the program you used in Windows, this site will provide you with a Linux viable alternative.

In the rare instance where a native program is just not cutting it (iPhone updates for instance), I would use an XP install with VirtualBox.

Question: What about CD/ISO/DVD burning?

I personally use Brasero for all of these things. It supports DVD burning as well.

Question: What about Process Lasso(CPU Affinity)

Ah, by simply adding the system monitor to the taskbar (panel) with right click, add; the user can actually select individual processes and assign different priority to them.

Continued with part three…

First question: Is it easy to set up drivers(GPU and sound) with Ubuntu?

Actually, that is the wrong question. See, any drivers needed are already provided by the kernel - period. So with the rare exception of using some odd-ball VIA video chipset, things have a way of just “working” out of the box. In a perfect world, you should not have problems here. In my own experience, the only time I have ever had problems was with VIA video chipsets and in then, only recently.

As for sound, again, you should not have any problems. And with the addition of PulseAudio, you might actually find audio in Linux to be a really powerful option.

Continued in part 2…

Then there is the question of function. While visually compelling, one cannot really say with a straight face that Compiz Fusion is doing all that much for my ability to be more effective with my desktop. And that then brings us to this fine project.

The idea is to pickup where Compiz Fusion by itself has left off. Smart Windows is such an example. Going beyond merely making the effects happen, the “smart” windows actually figure out where they are to be placed based on user actions.

Will this mean that folks such as myself are going to really gain something from such an evolution? This remains to be seen I think.

Don’t get me wrong, from a server side perspective it is a pretty good place to start. And it setup right, it can do a pretty good job. But I have found that I have vastly better luck running a local POPFile server here in my home.

To make things even sweeter, you can use this guide to setup a POPFile server and do so with some SSL protection to boot. So really, you could even use both POPFile (LAN) and SpamAssassin (on the mail server). Between the two of them, chances are excellent that you will cut down your spam immensely.

Not to fear though, it looks like Google and T-Mobile have the next phone coming from the T-Mobile will have all of the things that were missing from the G1. This translates into improved battery life, doing away from with the clunky slide out keyboard and also providing MS Exchange support. Something that is a critical piece that a number of G1 users wanted early on.

The next phone release is known simply as the myTouch. Did I mention that you will be able to have more control over the phone itself? It’s true. Using technology known simply as Sherpa, the myTouch will learn what you use and prefer to best design a user profile that best meets with your needs. Beat that, Apple!

This can be a tricky dance, between wants and needs. Usability and support. And of course price. For the most part, price is not really an issue with Linux unless you are investing in outside support from open source consultants. In most cases, price is not really a factor.

Big issues for most people, comes down to the desktop environment, package management and yes, hardware support. Even though people like to think that the hardware support is basically the same across the board, I have found a number of distros using their own customized kernels. And often this means adding their own take on some hardware support.