I can tell you that not having to put up with Windows and the S L O W computing that comes with Windows is a true joy.
I can honestly say that I have had a few problems with Linux but, I just get online and visit the home blog site and look for my problem and if I can't find it I just put in my problems and email I will get an answer within 24 hours.
Not days, months, or even years that happen with Windows.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Fun on the computer
I am enjoying the computer ever since I moved from the defective Windows operating system that you need to purchase spyware, anti-virus to us on the internet. I am very happy to use Linux on a daily basis. True that Linux does not have the mega software that Windows has but you also don't have to pay thousands for this software and having to repurchase it after a new (broken) Windows OS comes out. If you had picked Linux way back then the software you got would still work.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Commodore 64 games
I grew up with the Commodore 64 and I was reviewing some old games.
There were some great graphics done on a simple 8 bit system.
The games were not all that great but the graphics to get you to purchase the game was awesome.
I found some web sites that had old Commodore 64 games on it and was taken back in time.
There were some great graphics done on a simple 8 bit system.
The games were not all that great but the graphics to get you to purchase the game was awesome.
I found some web sites that had old Commodore 64 games on it and was taken back in time.
Ubuntu working on a collapse.
Ubuntu has changed Linux in a small way and now it wants to do it in a larger way. It wants to get rid of all the desktops. No more Gnome, KDE just unity. There will no longer be xubuntu, kubuntu, maybe mythubuntu. Just ubuntu without Gnome.
Will ubuntu survive? I don't think so. Many people including myself have tried unity and frankly it sucks. Making unity another desktop option would be fine, but to make it the only one is completely nuts.
I am having to move to another distro without ubuntu. I like Gnome, I like KDE, I like the choice of being able to switch anytime "I" want.
Will ubuntu survive? I don't think so. Many people including myself have tried unity and frankly it sucks. Making unity another desktop option would be fine, but to make it the only one is completely nuts.
I am having to move to another distro without ubuntu. I like Gnome, I like KDE, I like the choice of being able to switch anytime "I" want.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Linux on the Radio
Yesterday I was listening to a local radio station. The show is called Tech Talk and it's a local computer repair company that does the show. They were talking about Linux, but they talked about how great Linux is but then they jumped in and said that Linux was just for Hobbyists.
Of course they had to.... They make their money repairing Window machines and selling Windows Software. So if everyone moved to Linux where you don't have the problems that most people have with Windows, and tons of software available with your distribution that came with your distribution or you could download. With Windows pull out your wallet and if you purchased in Windows that you get with Linux you would be Broke in no time flat.
Most Computer software companies won't or don't support Linux. They feel that Linux (or any Unix like Operating System) is not worth supporting. If you look at Unix the cost of Unix is massive and the software that companies purchase for those Unix systems are also massive cost.
You go out and purchase a Windows machine. It's usually buggy and prone to viruses and if you are online you will be viewing the blue screen in death at least once while you have Windows on it.
Every few years Windows needs to put out a new OS so they can make money. If you look from Windows 95 on you will see 95 that was so buggy it was not ready for the public but it was new and looked better than Windows 3.1. Windows 98 was a fix to 95 but it still had lots of problems and so Windows 98 Second Edition was put out. This was to fix 98. They finally had a halfway working OS but they were losing money cause no one was purchasing software or OS's. So out came Windows 2000, and a few others. Windows 2000 was decent. Then Windows XP. Here is where we the people got screwed. Windows XP will not run Windows 98 software so you have to buy all new. The home programmer could not keep up with the new OS went out of business. Then a few years later out came Windows Vista and again XP software would not run on Vista. Vista was like Windows 95/98. Very buggy. So several years later Windows 7 was put out to fix Vista. With each OS you had to purchase new software to work on the new OS.
Now let's look at Unix/Linux. Way back in the 60's a few monster corporations got together to come up with an OS that would work on Several different systems. As it was back then each computer made had a different OS. That venture failed but a few of the programmers who were part of that project got together and went back to work on it. They made it work. A few years later they rewrote the entire OS using C and at that point Unix could go on almost any computer.
Those programmers left and move to colleges and universities. They took Unix with them. Then BSD Unix was created. After MA BELL was broken up AT&T wound up with Unix. They charged everyone massive amounts of money to use Unix. Move up 20 years from the birth of Unix to find the birth of Linux. Linus was a Computer Science Student in Finland and he had a Unix like OS to learn OS's. Linus wanted it on his home computer so he could work on it. Nothing was available. So he created one. Using his name he called it Linux.
Today Linux is turning 20 years old. Unix is over 40 and in some cases you can get Unix for FREE just like Linux.
So to call it a hobbyists OS is a disgrace. It's got about 14 years above anything Microsoft has. Bugs are fixed within weeks vs years with Windows. You can learn how your computer works and best of all. You have control of your computer. With Microsoft if you read the fine print on the OS. It's states (Generally) if you Install Windows on your computer you give Windows the right to control your computer. You LOSE CONTROL of YOUR Computer. With Linux YOU have CONTROL.
Of course they had to.... They make their money repairing Window machines and selling Windows Software. So if everyone moved to Linux where you don't have the problems that most people have with Windows, and tons of software available with your distribution that came with your distribution or you could download. With Windows pull out your wallet and if you purchased in Windows that you get with Linux you would be Broke in no time flat.
Most Computer software companies won't or don't support Linux. They feel that Linux (or any Unix like Operating System) is not worth supporting. If you look at Unix the cost of Unix is massive and the software that companies purchase for those Unix systems are also massive cost.
You go out and purchase a Windows machine. It's usually buggy and prone to viruses and if you are online you will be viewing the blue screen in death at least once while you have Windows on it.
Every few years Windows needs to put out a new OS so they can make money. If you look from Windows 95 on you will see 95 that was so buggy it was not ready for the public but it was new and looked better than Windows 3.1. Windows 98 was a fix to 95 but it still had lots of problems and so Windows 98 Second Edition was put out. This was to fix 98. They finally had a halfway working OS but they were losing money cause no one was purchasing software or OS's. So out came Windows 2000, and a few others. Windows 2000 was decent. Then Windows XP. Here is where we the people got screwed. Windows XP will not run Windows 98 software so you have to buy all new. The home programmer could not keep up with the new OS went out of business. Then a few years later out came Windows Vista and again XP software would not run on Vista. Vista was like Windows 95/98. Very buggy. So several years later Windows 7 was put out to fix Vista. With each OS you had to purchase new software to work on the new OS.
Now let's look at Unix/Linux. Way back in the 60's a few monster corporations got together to come up with an OS that would work on Several different systems. As it was back then each computer made had a different OS. That venture failed but a few of the programmers who were part of that project got together and went back to work on it. They made it work. A few years later they rewrote the entire OS using C and at that point Unix could go on almost any computer.
Those programmers left and move to colleges and universities. They took Unix with them. Then BSD Unix was created. After MA BELL was broken up AT&T wound up with Unix. They charged everyone massive amounts of money to use Unix. Move up 20 years from the birth of Unix to find the birth of Linux. Linus was a Computer Science Student in Finland and he had a Unix like OS to learn OS's. Linus wanted it on his home computer so he could work on it. Nothing was available. So he created one. Using his name he called it Linux.
Today Linux is turning 20 years old. Unix is over 40 and in some cases you can get Unix for FREE just like Linux.
So to call it a hobbyists OS is a disgrace. It's got about 14 years above anything Microsoft has. Bugs are fixed within weeks vs years with Windows. You can learn how your computer works and best of all. You have control of your computer. With Microsoft if you read the fine print on the OS. It's states (Generally) if you Install Windows on your computer you give Windows the right to control your computer. You LOSE CONTROL of YOUR Computer. With Linux YOU have CONTROL.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Linux the beginning
One question I get all the time. How hard is it to learn Linux?
Well, being fairly new to Linux myself I would have to say "Using the Graphics mode like Windows - not hard at all" Now the truth "To do things you can't in Graphics mode much harder"
Now there are so many things you can do with Linux that learning it, and what it can do would take several years. To use it with the freedom that Microsoft products don't offer - PRICELESS.
The very first thing you need to do is get several different copies of a live Linux CD/DVD.
Play with each one and find which ones you like. Some will come with codecs installed and most won't. Finding a way to install the codecs.
Once all the non-free software is installed you have a Windows like OS. Fun to use and great to surf the Internet and many more features.
That is just for starters.
Well, being fairly new to Linux myself I would have to say "Using the Graphics mode like Windows - not hard at all" Now the truth "To do things you can't in Graphics mode much harder"
Now there are so many things you can do with Linux that learning it, and what it can do would take several years. To use it with the freedom that Microsoft products don't offer - PRICELESS.
The very first thing you need to do is get several different copies of a live Linux CD/DVD.
Play with each one and find which ones you like. Some will come with codecs installed and most won't. Finding a way to install the codecs.
Once all the non-free software is installed you have a Windows like OS. Fun to use and great to surf the Internet and many more features.
That is just for starters.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Linux the OS of your future?
How many of you remember DOS and Windows 3.1 for the 80's? It was rival to GEOS. GEOS was actually a better OS than Windows 3.1. Then Came Windows 95. You had to lose all your programs for Windows 3.1 and purchase new for Windows 95. Then came Windows 98. The fix for Windows 95. How many systems were destroyed by upgrading to Windows 98? It was all you saw on Television for weeks. Then there was Windows 98SE. Yes a fix for Windows 98. Then there was Windows 2000, and Windows ME. Windows ME was a huge flop. Windows 2000 was a little better. At least you could run 98 software on 2000. Then came Windows XP. You had to throw all your software out and purchase new again. Then came Windows Vista. Again some software that worked on XP would not work on Vista. Then came Windows 7 the fix for Windows Vista. I wonder if Windows 7SE will come out next year? A fix for Windows 7?
Whew! What a list. Now let's look at Linux. Let's first start with Unix. That is the Father of Linux. It was created back in the 60's and the first Unix that left the lab for use was 1970. By 1972 Unix was becoming a hot item. A lot of people who worked on Unix took a copy with them when they left AT&T and continued to work on the Unix they created. Several version of Unix eventually developed and that is when AT&T found out they had control of Unix and Demanded huge sums of money to use Unix. By 1991 a computer science student wanted a language like Unix to work at home. There was nothing available and it was way too costly to get a copy of Unix. So this student started to create his own Unix like OS. He got help from FSF, in no time he had Linux. After making it open source and allowing all people access to the code to modify and improve it and send it back into the community Linux 1.0 was out. At that time Linux was unreliable. But, the PEOPLE had the code and continued to work on it.
Let's fast forward to Linux today. It is still the same Linux from 20 years ago but with most of the bugs gone. I won't say it's bug free. But it's less buggy then Windows. Where you have a problem with Windows you make a report and sometime next year or two years from now a solution will be available for your error. Where in Linux you report your error and the community will explore the error and usually within a few days there is a fix for your error. Let's see if Windows can do that? Of course they can't.
Now you have to purchase programs to use on Windows. As you know some go as much as thousands of dollars but the average big ticket software are 250 to 600 dollars. The Games and cheap software are from 20 to 120 dollars. Let's look at Microsoft's Office, Adobe Photoshop, and many more software programs like this. Couple of hundred dollars a pop. At the end of the day you have to purchase Windows and if you are putting it on your computer and not purchasing a new one you most likely have to purchase a larger hard drive and more memory. Then the Windows and the software you want to put on your computer that Windows Controls.
Yes, I forgot to tell you that if you put Windows on your computer, Windows has control of your computer. Yes you heard me right. Read the License. If Microsoft thinks you owe them money they can go via the internet and shut down your computer. Will be nothing more than a Anchor.
But with Linux you have control of your computer. That's right, You have control.
The software that comes with Linux is part of Linux. So if you want a Photoshop like program you can use the Gimp. If you want an office suite you can use Open Office Org or Libre Office (an off shoot of Open Office) KDE Office and what is called Gnome Office. The software that is available for Linux is just thousands of packages. Games, to education, graphics, sound, internet, programming, science and wine. Wine is a program that allows you to use Microsoft Windows programs on Linux. There is also a Dos Emulator and Apple, Commodore emulators.
Linux brings back the fun in computing. A Live CD will allow you to do the most basic of everything, including surfing the internet. There may be some codexes that need to be installed so you can watch flash video, or a movie, listen to a mp3 or wav sound file. View graphic files. Yes, now you are starting to see the power of Linux.
Best of all little to no finical cost to you.
Whew! What a list. Now let's look at Linux. Let's first start with Unix. That is the Father of Linux. It was created back in the 60's and the first Unix that left the lab for use was 1970. By 1972 Unix was becoming a hot item. A lot of people who worked on Unix took a copy with them when they left AT&T and continued to work on the Unix they created. Several version of Unix eventually developed and that is when AT&T found out they had control of Unix and Demanded huge sums of money to use Unix. By 1991 a computer science student wanted a language like Unix to work at home. There was nothing available and it was way too costly to get a copy of Unix. So this student started to create his own Unix like OS. He got help from FSF, in no time he had Linux. After making it open source and allowing all people access to the code to modify and improve it and send it back into the community Linux 1.0 was out. At that time Linux was unreliable. But, the PEOPLE had the code and continued to work on it.
Let's fast forward to Linux today. It is still the same Linux from 20 years ago but with most of the bugs gone. I won't say it's bug free. But it's less buggy then Windows. Where you have a problem with Windows you make a report and sometime next year or two years from now a solution will be available for your error. Where in Linux you report your error and the community will explore the error and usually within a few days there is a fix for your error. Let's see if Windows can do that? Of course they can't.
Now you have to purchase programs to use on Windows. As you know some go as much as thousands of dollars but the average big ticket software are 250 to 600 dollars. The Games and cheap software are from 20 to 120 dollars. Let's look at Microsoft's Office, Adobe Photoshop, and many more software programs like this. Couple of hundred dollars a pop. At the end of the day you have to purchase Windows and if you are putting it on your computer and not purchasing a new one you most likely have to purchase a larger hard drive and more memory. Then the Windows and the software you want to put on your computer that Windows Controls.
Yes, I forgot to tell you that if you put Windows on your computer, Windows has control of your computer. Yes you heard me right. Read the License. If Microsoft thinks you owe them money they can go via the internet and shut down your computer. Will be nothing more than a Anchor.
But with Linux you have control of your computer. That's right, You have control.
The software that comes with Linux is part of Linux. So if you want a Photoshop like program you can use the Gimp. If you want an office suite you can use Open Office Org or Libre Office (an off shoot of Open Office) KDE Office and what is called Gnome Office. The software that is available for Linux is just thousands of packages. Games, to education, graphics, sound, internet, programming, science and wine. Wine is a program that allows you to use Microsoft Windows programs on Linux. There is also a Dos Emulator and Apple, Commodore emulators.
Linux brings back the fun in computing. A Live CD will allow you to do the most basic of everything, including surfing the internet. There may be some codexes that need to be installed so you can watch flash video, or a movie, listen to a mp3 or wav sound file. View graphic files. Yes, now you are starting to see the power of Linux.
Best of all little to no finical cost to you.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Linux today
There are so many free documents to help you with switching to Linux.
I found "Linux Reality" Podcast. It was created with the new user in mind. If you are a new user to Linux you should check this podcast out. "Going Linux" is another podcast that can help the new user to understanding Linux.
There are plenty of books in pdf format. "Tux Magazine" a pdf magazine that lasted 20 issues is still available for you to read.
You will find that the learning curve is bigger for Linux than Windows. But once you spend the time to learn Linux you will never want to go back to Windows.
Why do you want to spend 100+ dollars for Windows, then have to buy a anti virus to get Windows to work on the internet. Then if you want to do anything on your computer you can download the 90% of Linux software ported over to Windows or spend big bucks to get a "for Windows" software.
Best thing of Linux is, the power that you have. You can create a Firewall, Server, Desktop, and many other features that Windows charges for each one and Linux you get for FREE.
So go find a LUG near you and seek another installfest and take your computer and learn the power of Linux.
I found "Linux Reality" Podcast. It was created with the new user in mind. If you are a new user to Linux you should check this podcast out. "Going Linux" is another podcast that can help the new user to understanding Linux.
There are plenty of books in pdf format. "Tux Magazine" a pdf magazine that lasted 20 issues is still available for you to read.
You will find that the learning curve is bigger for Linux than Windows. But once you spend the time to learn Linux you will never want to go back to Windows.
Why do you want to spend 100+ dollars for Windows, then have to buy a anti virus to get Windows to work on the internet. Then if you want to do anything on your computer you can download the 90% of Linux software ported over to Windows or spend big bucks to get a "for Windows" software.
Best thing of Linux is, the power that you have. You can create a Firewall, Server, Desktop, and many other features that Windows charges for each one and Linux you get for FREE.
So go find a LUG near you and seek another installfest and take your computer and learn the power of Linux.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Microsoft is losing market share
There was a story on Linux celebrating it's 20th year. In that story it noted that Linux has 70% of all market share from smart phones to Super Computers. When it comes to the desktop it is less than 1%. MS has 90% of the Desktop market and Apple has just about 10% of what's left. Linux has less than 1%.
When you look at Windows you have to spend good money for the OS and then you have to purchase an AntiVirus to get Windows to work. Then if there is anything you want to do you have to spend good money to get that software. Then if Windows thinks you owe them money they shut down your computer.
So you spend money to buy your computer but Windows has control of it. It is time to take back control of your computer just like your country. Try Linux.
It comes with just about everything you could ever want and best of all. It Free. Just purchase a magazine with a disk in it or download a version and install it. You can even run both Windows and Linux from the same computer although why you would do that I really don't know.
There are only a few places were you have to put up with Windows. But for the most part. You could save thousands just by switching to Linux. And did I mention, Wine on Linux will allow you to run some Windows software on Linux! I think it is long overdue for you to take back control of your computer. Bring that Desktop market share to 70% like everything else Linux is involved with.
When you look at Windows you have to spend good money for the OS and then you have to purchase an AntiVirus to get Windows to work. Then if there is anything you want to do you have to spend good money to get that software. Then if Windows thinks you owe them money they shut down your computer.
So you spend money to buy your computer but Windows has control of it. It is time to take back control of your computer just like your country. Try Linux.
It comes with just about everything you could ever want and best of all. It Free. Just purchase a magazine with a disk in it or download a version and install it. You can even run both Windows and Linux from the same computer although why you would do that I really don't know.
There are only a few places were you have to put up with Windows. But for the most part. You could save thousands just by switching to Linux. And did I mention, Wine on Linux will allow you to run some Windows software on Linux! I think it is long overdue for you to take back control of your computer. Bring that Desktop market share to 70% like everything else Linux is involved with.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Learning Linux Commands
After spending some time learning Linux commands it is clear that command line in Linux is the only way to go. You have to remember Unix was around 10+ years before any windows of any kind showed up. So Linux did everything through the command line.
Most of commands in the GUI are just shells for the command line.
You will find Linux is much better than DOS and Linux will run on most systems that MS Windows can't. In order to get your system ready for the next Windows offering you have to upgrade your system, more memory, bigger hard drives and then you have to buy all new applications because you can't run Windows 98 on Windows XP and you can't run those programs on Windows 7 either. Some Windows XP will not run on Windows 7.
But you know what? You can install a program on Fedora 5 and it still works on Fedora 14 or Ubuntu 6 it will still runs on Ubuntu 10.
I have seen lots of changes in Linux in the last 2 years that my system is now ready to be upgraded to a newer version of Linux and I won't lost a thing. Back up my files and install a newer version of Linux on this machine and put all my files back into my home folder and I will have everything back that is important to me. There are some others but that is a little more advanced. But the long story short is Linux allows you to have control of your computer. While MS Windows has control of your computer as long as you have MS Windows on that computer.
Read the license that came with MS Windows. It states that they have control of your computer while Windows is on that computer. They can shut down your computer remotely if they deem you have black market MS Windows programs on it.
That is the best part of Linux. It is open source, It allows you control of your computer and not some mega corporation control of your computer.
Just imagine how much businesses have lost in revenue going from one MS Windows program to another over the last 15 years. Just think on how much tax dollars are lost on MS Windows in schools and governments. That is why you hear of other countries getting rid of MS Windows from their machines and moving to Linux. The cost savings alone would be like getting a huge bonus.
Yes there may be some headaches but many more headaches are due to MS Windows.
Most of commands in the GUI are just shells for the command line.
You will find Linux is much better than DOS and Linux will run on most systems that MS Windows can't. In order to get your system ready for the next Windows offering you have to upgrade your system, more memory, bigger hard drives and then you have to buy all new applications because you can't run Windows 98 on Windows XP and you can't run those programs on Windows 7 either. Some Windows XP will not run on Windows 7.
But you know what? You can install a program on Fedora 5 and it still works on Fedora 14 or Ubuntu 6 it will still runs on Ubuntu 10.
I have seen lots of changes in Linux in the last 2 years that my system is now ready to be upgraded to a newer version of Linux and I won't lost a thing. Back up my files and install a newer version of Linux on this machine and put all my files back into my home folder and I will have everything back that is important to me. There are some others but that is a little more advanced. But the long story short is Linux allows you to have control of your computer. While MS Windows has control of your computer as long as you have MS Windows on that computer.
Read the license that came with MS Windows. It states that they have control of your computer while Windows is on that computer. They can shut down your computer remotely if they deem you have black market MS Windows programs on it.
That is the best part of Linux. It is open source, It allows you control of your computer and not some mega corporation control of your computer.
Just imagine how much businesses have lost in revenue going from one MS Windows program to another over the last 15 years. Just think on how much tax dollars are lost on MS Windows in schools and governments. That is why you hear of other countries getting rid of MS Windows from their machines and moving to Linux. The cost savings alone would be like getting a huge bonus.
Yes there may be some headaches but many more headaches are due to MS Windows.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Wanting to start a LUG here.
I have been using Linux for a little while and would like to start a LUG (Linux User Group). There are a couple of LUG's on the internet for around here, but they are at the colleges and no way to contact them. I think that the people that started the LUGS are now graduated and the sites are still up and running. I would like to find local folks around that are interested in Linux/Unix and saving money. I have a lead of a Linux/Unix user from my Step Sister and will contacting them soon. I think that this one will not pan out looking at his website. But, you don't know without trying.
Q: Why do you pay money for the right to use YOUR Computer?
A: Linux let's you use your computer the way You want.
Q: Why do you have to buy an Antivirus in order to get the computer you purchased to work?
A: Why not move to Linux and have a computer that works?
Q: Why do you have to pay good money for a program to lose it when your OS is changed?
A: Move to Linux and get most of your programs for free and keep them when your OS upgrades.
Q: Why do you pay money for the right to use YOUR Computer?
A: Linux let's you use your computer the way You want.
Q: Why do you have to buy an Antivirus in order to get the computer you purchased to work?
A: Why not move to Linux and have a computer that works?
Q: Why do you have to pay good money for a program to lose it when your OS is changed?
A: Move to Linux and get most of your programs for free and keep them when your OS upgrades.
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