What would it take to get more Linux users playing video games? A better selection of native games for the Linux platform? It has been tried over and again with very limited results. But perhaps it’s worth trying again, this time with real, obtainable tools and help? Enter Garage Games.

Real Games: A Real Profitable Platform. Understanding these games remain few in number, the results are the same — they are cross platform and include Linux users. No using silly emulators, these indie developers have made sure that Linux users are included in the gaming fun. Now, the really important question — why hasn’t anyone heard of any of this? Largely due to the fact that these games are considered “independent,” the exposure these studios have received is otherwise limited.

And perhaps the one thing that is on all of your minds is how come all of these games are closed source? Simple, while they include Linux as a supported OS, it’s not their primary focus. Therefore, don’t expect these developers to giveaway something that likely took them years to make. There are some fantastic Open Source games, but unlike software, video games don’t make great Open Source business models as a rule.

Holding Onto Ideals Or Bringing Gaming Into a Cross-Platform Realm? As far as I’m concerned, it all comes down to a choice. Expect the gaming industry to follow the Linux doctrine or instead, build up a viable, cross platform gaming market that includes us, the Linux users. It ought to be set up as follows — if you don’t like the idea, don’t participate. But try not to put down the idea.

If we can get more companies like Garage Games on board with the idea of making games available to everyone, we could begin to see a slow influx of new and exciting games developed with the Torque gaming engine.

Build Your Own. Another approach altogether is to simply build your own games — within Linux, for Linux. What’s so cool about many of the development tools is that most of them allow for full, and if need be, simple development in Linux.

With the right amount of time invested, the ability to choose whether or not to give away the games or sell them, you could become part of the solution for getting Linux gaming into a stronger position.

Back to Windows-Only Gaming. What about Cedega , you say? It’s an admirable effort and does work well enough for World of Warcraft, along with other games. But forget about having anything short of a hair pulling experience with anything from EA. The Battlefield series speaks for itself in the forums. It’s less than the game itself and more of the informal use of Punk Buster, also referred to “Skunk Butter” throughout certain gaming circles, mainly because it’s such a hassle for Linux users. So yes, what TransGaming attempts with Cedega is neat, but it’s largely a 50/50 proposition.

Regardless, while it may not be fully Open Source, it’s a cross platform solution at least.

This article has been republished with the kind permission of our friends at Mad Penguin. For more news about the Open Source community, go give ‘em a look or Subscribe to Mad Penguin’s RSS Feed!

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Microsoft made a mistake with its investment in Facebook. Just because Google has made a business out of Internet advertising doesn’t mean that a traditional software company is going to do well here, too.

Facebook is likely to be seen as Microsoft’s ace in the Web 2.0 Wars. Google gave birth to the “online OS” by providing many of the applications you might expect to find in installable form. Today, others, such as Facebook, are growing exponentially because they offer much more than just “another social medium.” Yet as great as the little widget-like applications that everyone is going nuts over at Facebook are, at its core, Facebook can and will become yesterday’s news someday. Here’s why:

• Pull the plug. Seriously, just pull the plug on the connectivity to that platform and watch all of that Web 2.0 nonsense deflate right before your eyes. Whether it be a localized issue with being able to connect to any specific portal/service/ or worse, an international hiccup in the world’s ability to connect to the Web 2.0 company. It could happen…

• Besides eyeballs, what is the real value that Facebook is providing? Exactly, it’s a roundabout way to reach ad dollars. At the end of the day, Facebook joining Microsoft’s own portfolio will be great for Facebook but it’ll do very little for a company like Microsoft. Why? Microsoft is the new IBM as Facebook is the new Yahoo! (1990s era). Microsoft knows enterprise, but it has seriously lost its traction with most home users in almost every sense of the word. This is just a fact; people have been burned badly with high MS Office prices and Vista incompatibilities. Microsoft needs to focus on one business at a time as far as I’m concerned.
• Microsoft needs to understand that the way it develops software is dying. This doesn’t mean Microsoft will cease to exist in the near future, but the closed source mindset with mobile OS is taking its last breath. Same goes with Facebook. As a trend, sure, it’s cool. Yet to dump millions into it is just plain reaching for the stars and proof of a stale Redmond development scene.

This article has been republished with the kind permission of our friends at OSWeekly.com. For more computer news, go give ‘em a look or Subscribe to OSWeekly.com’s RSS Feed!

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I don’t care whether or not you are thinking of using Vista, OS X or Linux. As a personal rule, I rarely upgrade until any release has been out for at least six months. Why is this? Flash back to the two issues (not patched, I believe) with OS X Leopard, the vast issues with Vista (mostly patched, again) and of course, distributions like Ubuntu that almost always have a laundry list of bugs until the next LTS (Long-Term Support) release comes out.

With this in mind, allow me to pass on some tips that have kept my household OS frustration-free for years.

Major Patches On Any System: Some Things to Consider. While this is not really as much an issue with OS X and Linux as it is with Windows, I want to be clear, there still are issues that pop up every once in awhile. In Ubuntu, for instance, kernel updates are notoriously confusing to beginners when they restart the computer only to see X crashing. All Ubuntu would need to do is issue a firm, noticeable warning that required an OK before installing the update. Asking for a sudo password is about as much of a disclaimer as Windows’ UAC, in case anyone was thinking of stating otherwise.

Let’s take a random service pack (SP) for Windows as one example. Yes, there is a lot of beta testing that goes into it before its release, but anyone with a semi-decent memory remembers how many past Windows service packs have caused issues in the past. To me, they are no different than a completely new release of the OS and I generally treat them as such. Unlike a full release, however, I will generally only wait a couple of months before upgrading; whereas, with an OS upgrade, I prefer to wait a lot longer.

By waiting with SPs and full OS upgrades, I ensure that any issues that are public and well known mare taken care of, rather than me being one of the lucky few who get to try them out for myself.

What Are You Really Losing? What are you really losing by waiting a little longer before upgrading? If you are a Windows user, upgrading from XP to Vista, security is a serious consideration for most people. However, with OS X and various Linux distributions, it’s more or less going to be features, and in some cases, hardware support improvements that might have otherwise been missed out on.

Can you get by without it and even more so, should you? I’d say yes to both. Unless there’s a driving cause for you to upgrade right away, I have always been a strong proponent of waiting.

What You Gain Far Outweighs Anything Else. Running a stable PC, Mac, whatever is what it’s all about. If XP or Tiger is working for you and there are no complaints, why rush to upgrading now? Give it some time and while others become Beta testers for big software, you enjoy an opportunity to allow it all to sail by. Remember, I’m not saying that you ought to continue running an OS until support for it completely runs out. But this knee-jerk upgrading because the latest release of [insert OS here] has hit the shelves is senseless.

If your computing appliance is key to your work life, give upgrading a backseat. You may find that you will be happier for it.

This article has been republished with the kind permission of our friends at OSWeekly.com. For more computer news, go give ‘em a look or Subscribe to OSWeekly.com’s RSS Feed!

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Users by the truckload fill various user forums with problem topics in Linux despite widely available support documents available online. Today, I will talk about a few key areas that would solve a number of problems if they were to be addressed in the open.

Stop Pretending, It’s Time to Accept What Works With Wireless. One of the immature things I have seen on an ongoing basis is those distributions that dilute themselves into offering imaginary support for wireless drivers with terrible luck. Broadcom and Ubuntu are the two biggest offenders. If a simple warning popped on a LiveCD, after detecting the presence of a Broadcom chipset, stating that you are going to be getting geeky in a 50/50 effort to get that card working, you could save a lot of wasted time with NDISWrapper.

When a User Visits a Forum for Help, Leave the Attitude At Home. One thing that I see in some Linux forums is a real attitude like the beginner ought to know they are going to need to find the answer themselves. Again, this is a lot less of an occurrence these days, but this elitist nonsense still exists.

There’s nothing more disheartening than seeing new users coming into a messageboard with a relatively common question, only to be answered by some jerk who’s only comment is to tell them to use their brains and search the archives for the answer. It’s tired, unneeded and tends to drive people away.

As true as the original point may be, being a decent person and elaborating to the new user might be in order. Because the chances are good this person who just received the cold shoulder will not be coming back to that messageboard for help. And perhaps even worse, they will eventually give up on Linux altogether.

Last But Not Least, Choices vs. Consistency. The biggest area that the Linux desktop still needs to overcome is settle on a means of providing choice, yet also considering the adoption value of a consistent desktop as well. On top of this, users in the US find themselves at odds with the legalities behind what is known as “restricted codecs.”

If we can find some common ground between GNOME and KDE, in addition to more promotion for free codecs, things will become a lot less convoluted for users trying to use Linux full time.

This article has been republished with the kind permission of our friends at OSWeekly.com. For more computer news, go give ‘em a look or Subscribe to OSWeekly.com’s RSS Feed!

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It was only a short time ago I wrote a piece detailing my initial thoughts on the little Everex boxes running a Google branded OS (Linux) that magically had no actual Google fingerprints anywhere on it at all. Today, I learned that their main distributor, Wal-Mart, has completely sold out of them [Editor’s Note: At the writing of this article.]. I have to admit, I’m speechless.

A Computer for Non-Geeks? As much as I’m shocked to say this, the gOS-powered machines may have hit on a market that even other, better-known distros have yet to approach on. I will continue in my belief that the gOS has only scraped the surface. But could it be that their marketing ploy is paying off where other distributions like Linspire and Xandros have failed in the same position — at Wal-Mart? What is the difference and why is one succeeding where others have failed? Does this mean instant success? It’s a start, but not without some hard lessons.

How Many of These Boxes Are Being Returned? The big question that needs to be asked is how many of these PCs are being returned? Not because of any confusion over Linux vs. Windows per se, rather as one sharp commenter pointed out — the lack of dial-up modems.

With many brands of modems readily working with Linux, it would have been smart for the folks at Everex to have thought far enough ahead to have bother including this as an option. If it was a matter of price, I could have shown them where to get one for roughly $7.00 USD, you can easily buy working dial-up modems via an online retailer. Seriously, this is pretty obvious. Not everyone has access to broadband, you know.

And then there is the X factor. Those who thought they were ready to kick the Windows habit only to discover this is not in the cards. How is Wal-Mart reporting these returns and are people truly feeling good about these PCs over what they would be getting from other Linux vendors?

Box Size Remains a Consistent Issue. It seems like the actual form factor of the PC itself remains an issue with many of the otherwise advocates of this gOS-powered box. Personally, as a do-it-yourself-type, I prefer the larger size should I wish to replace something, swap out some RAM and so on.

Others still may find that the power consumption is spot-on with their needs and best of all, they feel good about the money that was spent on this product.

Will This gOS Box Do As Well Outside of Wal-Mart? Frankly, I think it could do quite well based on the purchasing frenzy of late. Last time I was a bit skeptical; however, this time I feel fairly confident that Everex may have a hit on their hands. Let’s just hope that both groups remember to give back to the developers who helped make all of this possible for them. Because without all of the fantastic Linux developers working crazy hours to meet impossible deadlines, none of this would be where it is today. Congrats to both Everex and to the gOS team! I’m impressed.

This article has been republished with the kind permission of our friends at OSWeekly.com. For more computer news, go give ‘em a look or Subscribe to OSWeekly.com’s RSS Feed!

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I do not honestly care which OS each of you chooses to run. For some of you, it will be Windows, others OS X. And for a growing number of the remaining minority, your OS of choice will be one of the Linux flavors available today.

But how would you feel if Microsoft Windows was powering the voting booth in which you were to select important elected officials? Would you, knowing of Microsoft’s past security record, feel confident that using this OS and not being allowed to inspect the code, feel safe knowing that these machines could very well help to dictate the future of your perspective countries? Don’t feel guilty; I don’t really like it either.

New York Tells Proprietary Voting Options ‘No, Thanks.’ If Microsoft wants to fully disclose the code that powers these voting machines, then those who feel uncomfortable with the idea of closed source code powering their personal votes on these Windows powered machines, then I suspect that people in the know might be a little less reluctant to use what e-voting has to offer.

In reality, it’s a shame that there are not more laws like the one in New York preventing e-voting from becoming more popular. As a concept, it is just fine. However, it is the code that powers the e-voting system that has most people overly concerned.

Time for An Open Source Alternative? I do not believe that anyone out there has the financing or the desire to step up and offer a fully Open Source compliant e-voting solution. In the past, the idea has been explored to some limited extent, but the fact remains that it will need a very serious corporate player that can both gain instant attention along with carrying the needed bankroll to make this happen.

After giving it some thought, my logical choice for a corporate sponsor for such a concept would have to be Google. With the tenacity to pull it off and the desire to retain its reign in the information business, Google is definitely the logical choice.

AdWords Next to Your Electoral Selection? Tell me it wouldn’t be wild to have AdWords appearing next to your choices for say, the next President of the United States. To some of you, this may sound wild and implausible. But to Google, there could be a deal to be worked out here, especially if it is willing to release the source code to the public as Open Source.

The real battle would likely be with ratifying enough cooperation from the various Board of Elections from state to state to actually provide Open Source voting with a real shot in the arm. If we could get enough people to see that anything is better than closed code being trusted with our voting results, then it is totally worth pursuing.

Your Vote is All Too Important, Let’s Treat it As Such. Fully realizing that e-voting on Windows ‘feels’ more secure because the code that powers the process is secret to some extent, for any Open Source option to have a shot of changing Microsoft’s destiny in this area will largely depend on demonstrating that when kept in check, the community can provide safe, untampered code.

Once we can come to this point, then and only then will Open Source voting become a true reality.

This article has been republished with the kind permission of our friends at OSWeekly.com. For more computer news, go give ‘em a look or Subscribe to OSWeekly.com’s RSS Feed!

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Tags: election, evoting, election 2008

In a previous article, I had mixed feelings about the new Microsoft Surface project, as it was really difficult to understand where the market for such a thing would be. Then I watched some new footage on DL.TV and I will admit, even as a Linux guy, that I was blown away.

Consider for a moment what will happen if Microsoft is able to get this technology down to the home user for the cost of today’s home PCs. I’m not saying that keyboards and mice would become a thing of the past, but I could see them evolving into virtual devices to better suit Surface-like advancements. Remember those old virtual keyboards that were once available for the Palm Pilots? Imagine something like this as your future keyboard… it could happen.

Hasn’t This Already Been Done Once Before? One thing that I have been seeing over and again is that Microsoft Surface has already existed for some time. Reactrix anyone? Even still, it has been my understanding that we are talking apples and oranges to this end. In short, while Reactrix is so common that many of today’s shopping malls feature them to entertain the kids, to compare what it can do to Surface is almost criminal in ignorance.

But what about this innovation? Ah, now this would be a little more difficult to explain away, as it does look a lot like the Surface that we have been viewing in all of the demo videos. I would submit that despite the claims made on DL.TV that Surface and the contraption was shown before at TED (a conference), the visuals are identical in many respects. It certainly does get the mind going, doesn’t it?

Ready, Get Set, Go to Market! Like most things Microsoft, I suspect that it will not matter a single bit whether or not the Redmond giant actually is offering something that was created by the company itself. In the end, it will be about the industry as a whole embracing this technology or rejecting it. And that is where Microsoft needs to focus their efforts, while their engineering crew works on getting everything ready for prime time.

Form Factor Matters. One other challenge that I’m anxious to see overcome is getting this technology into a PC form factor that the whole family can enjoy. As long as the intuitive nature of human-to-PC input is honestly being considered, I believe that a small learning curve will be tolerated by most potential users. In the end, seeing success in its current form will be key for Surface technology to eventually progress into a form factor that will gain the imagination of the casual home user.

What do you think? I’m curious. Do you see Microsoft Surface becoming the eventual standard the way Windows-like operating systems are today? I believe there is a strong possibility here, yet I will reserve any final judgments until I have finished reading the commentary from our OSWeekly.com readers first.

This article has been republished with the kind permission of our friends at CoolTechZone. For more news about the gadgets that make the world go ’round, go give ‘em a look or Subscribe to CoolTechZone’s RSS Feed!

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Tags: microsoft surface, user interface

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