Rethinking "old" computers
With Vista now being the only main stream choice for a new computer, I have stared to develop a new strategy to look at "old" computers. Computer users who have late model Windows 98 machines (bought in 1999-2000), they might be able to get a few more years out of their systems and get a more updated operating system by switching to a Linux based system. I plan on doing some testing over the next few months of revamping older systems with Linux and of course will post my findings here at the site.
For Windows XP users (computers bought between 2001-2006), XP should work fine for most people for many years to come. Early models of XP machines and later bargain models, however, came with only 256mb of RAM. With the early editions of XP, 256 was adequate, but with the 100+ updates that have subsequently been released and larger need for security software, 512mb is now a minimum for XP and I encourage my customers to strongly consider 1024mb (1 GB). If a computer user isn't careful about security and updates, a reformat and reinstall is necessary, but the computer will be running top notch again afterwards.
In very rare cases does a computer user actually need to "upgrade" to a new computer. I am suggesting computer users think about upgrading RAM and reformatting a system first, and upgrade only when software needs dictate or the computer actually gives up the ghost.
For new computers, I truly recommend factoring an Apple Macintosh into the decision making process, and I'll let you know about the Linux option as I learn more.
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ubuntu live cd
i installed ubuntu linux from the live cd ver 6.06.1 lts.
once you burn the live cd iso which can be downloaded from ubuntu.com it will boot up and run as if you installed the linux o/s.
if you like it, you can click the install icon and install it on your hard drive. it takes about 30 mins total including updates.
it is rock solid stable, but no wonder with a unix back bone.
one major side benefit: it doesn't phone home continuously like vista. (ie: it's not spyware!)
give the live cd a try. i like it more each day.
bill
linux
linspire is a good one to try to .rooman
DSL Disconnecting
Sometimes your DSL disconnect problems are really your wiring. The DSL signal will not travel but a few feet down the standard telephone flat wire that is easy to find.
The solution to the problem is very easy if you can find it. The solution is phone cable extension of two pair cat-5. Some phone companies will send you a 6 foot piece of this hard to find cable. It is the small gray round cable that comes in the modem box. However the builders tend to put phone jacks on the opposite side of room of where you want to put the DSL modem. Many times you want have to run 15-25 foot of wire to you modem. Plain and simple the DSL will not travel 15 feet down the flat wire you can easily find. You need a 15 foot piece of the round wire that your phone company might of sent you.
Of course I am complete geek, and have modular connector crimper, and I know the Belden part number for two-pair cat-5 cable.
Any more ideas on this one. Any sources for this cable?
Mark
Microsoft free!
Video on ubuntu
You'll find video on Ubuntu is much more open than Windows, Linux ignores Digital Rights Management. HD-DVD from my understanding is already going on Linux. The big thing with Ubuntu and other Linux's is accepting it not WINDOWS, it better. Linux does not stack tons of junk on otherwise simple protocol or system. Also with Ubuntu go to http://ubuntuguide.org and read it and follow the directions you will have quite a powerful system. Also I highly recommend webmin for managing the maze of linux setup files. Since Linux will let you do most anything you want, a setup file manager is big help.
Mark
Microsoft free!
Ubuntu Linux
I installed Ubuntu Linux on a then six-year old Dell desktop computer last year. The installation process is very simple; less than a half hour, and it was running. But ... (and there's always a but)
Then it took several hours to figure out how to get the dial-up modem connected, to find a dialer that worked for me, and to get it all configured. I needed alternate internet access to make this work.
Ubuntu can be installed dual-boot, which means that during the power-on sequence you can select either the Linux or the original Windows system. If you only have the one computer, you can get your alternate internet access that way, although it's inconvenient having to shut down and reboot so many times.
The Firefox browser and Thunderbird email programs are readily available and look and act pretty much the same as the Windows versions.
Getting a video player to work is also something that doesn't happen right out of the box. You can expect to spend some time researching and implementing that.
There are Linux analogs of just about any program you might be running in Windows, and for the most part they're free. Being different programs, the look-and-feel is going to be different. Sometimes there can be significantly different capabilities.
A case in point is the media viewer program category. You will not find one pre-installed in Ubuntu due to various legal technicalities. You can install one, but you are going to spend at least an hour or two to figure it all out. Also, if you need cutting-edge video, (read HD), I'm not sure it's even possible yet. Windows Vista is a megabucks investment of hardware and software implementing and protecting the copyrights and patents involved with HD. As far as I know, that just doesn't exist yet in Linux.
My opinion is that Linux, and particularly the Ubuntu version, is a viable alternative to Windows, with some caveats. You have to be willing to spend some time to get it to work the way you want. You have to be willing to accept a different look-and-feel. Your programs will have different, sometimes lesser capabilities. The upside is that it runs fine on old (cheap/free) hardware, and the software is, for the most part, free.
It works, but it's not for everyone. Yet.
IMHO,
Dave
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