Friday, March 30, 2007
101 Great Freeware AppsPC Magazine has an article that lists free software for every occasion. A lot of useful stuff here. I am trying some of them out now.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Computer ProblemsMy motherboard failed on me. It had been acting up in the last week. So I need to get a new one, but it’s a model from three years ago and no longer for sale new. I was planning on building a new computer soon, but of course, it couldn’t wait.
‘Oh, well. At least I have my laptop as backup. I put some bids in at ebay for a used motherboard of the kind I need. But I have to wait a few days in the meantime.
Anyway, nothing got done yesterday and today will be me catching up, so sorry for the light posting.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Not SurprisedI predicted Vista would ruin Windows and it looks like my prediction is coming true. People are rejecting it in droves.
Upgrading to Windows Vista has been banned by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), technology giant Texas Instruments and other corporations and government agencies (V1, V10, V11). These organizations are evaluating their options, but overseas it’s turning into a stampede to get out of Microsoft software (V15).
School districts in the U.S. are starting to move entirely to Linux rather suffer the cost of upgrading Windows. Examples are the Windsor Unified School District in Northern California and the Bexley, Ohio high school district. Schools making this move have been surprised how easy it is and how much money is saved. (V6, V8)
Leading computer maker HP is reporting “massive deals for Linux desktops” with corporate clients (V4). Runner-up computer maker and long time faithful Microsoft ally Dell has been overwhelmed by demand and has started developing Linux desktop preloads for their notebook and desktop computers (V9).
Even that great bastion of the status quo, the Wall Street Journal, has published an article under the title Linux Starts to Find Home on Desktops (Business Technology, 13 Mar 2007).
Small business and consumer demand for computers with Windows XP is very high, but Microsoft has moved swiftly to make sure they can’t get it. No sane person wants Vista, so Microsoft is making sure they have no choice.
If you ask me, this is a good thing. Microsoft has had too much power in the business and it’s time for some change. By going in such a DRM heavy, cumbersome route, they are insuring that Apple and Linux do well in the near future. Linux based OS like Ubutu is really coming into its own. And it’s free, unlike Vista which can cost as much as $350. The more people switch to Linux, the better the Linux based platforms and software will be, as more money is poured in that direction.
I saw the same thing happen to IBM in the early 80s. Back then IBM was unassailable as the leader of the computer market (and PCs). But like Microsoft they made some major blunders taking themselves and their power too seriously. All Microsoft does nowadays is copy whatever other companies like Apple comes up with. And they do it years later.
Microsoft will probably be a big player for the next decade, but I think we’ll start seeing it’s decline soon. Watch.
As for me, I plan on building a new computer this year with a dual core pentium and I do not plan to install Vista. I’ll probably use XP Pro, but I may give Linux another try since it’s been a few years and they have made a lot of progress.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Ha HaNow that’s a funny piece of vandalism.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
20 Must Have ExtensionsGet Firefox, if you haven’t already. It’s free and way better than Explorer. Even the new one.
If you got it, these 20 must have extensions will explain why it’s so great. I didn’t know about some of these. Very cool stuff.
UPDATE: Yikes. I forgot the link. It’s there now.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Yeah, Sure…In a WeekThis almost reads like a joke, but some people are that clueless.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Why Vista SucksI have to admit I got Vista for my laptop, so one of my computers has a current OS on it. I needed that for work reasons. And what it did when it installed is take ALL the previously installed software on that computer and moved it to an OLD directory, so I had to reinstall everything. It also had problems seeing my wireless card, so until I fixed that I was using a USB wireless card. It took me a whole day of messing around to get it close to where I needed it even though the install was relatively smooth.
I have read myriad articles from various people on how their install went a lot worse than mine. But check this out. Holy crap.
It looks nice, but I don’t find it to be all that much of a revolution so far.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Quantum Computers Now?A Canadian company is claiming they have the first commercially viable quantum computer.
“D-Wave’s breakthrough in quantum technology represents a substantial step forward in solving commercial and scientific problems which, until now, were considered intractable. Digital technology stands to reap the benefits of enhanced performance and broader application,” said Herb Martin, chief executive officer.
Quantum-computer technology can solve what is known as “NP-complete” problems. These are the problems where the sheer volume of complex data and variables prevent digital computers from achieving results in a reasonable amount of time. Such problems are associated with life sciences, biometrics, logistics, parametric database search and quantitative finance, among many other commercial and scientific areas.
Quantum technology delivers precise answers to problems that can only be answered today in general terms. This creates a new and much broader dimension of computer applications,” Martin said.
What this means, if true, is that unbelievable leaps forward in technology will be upon us that make the stuff we’ve seen in the last 100 years seem like a joke. Quantum computing makes calculations possible that were only a scientist’s pipe dream. I hope this is true.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Ouch of the Day
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
It’s GeekaliciousA Dr. Who Tardis USB hub. I want one.
