You know, I just love the fact that my wife had to run a defrag on her PC running Windows XP Home and it still didn't complete defrag the drive. Why is that? I have never had to or intend to defrag a linux install. There is no need because the filesystem is just that well created. It is by default a much more security OS as well.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Fat, fatter, fattest
This is an excellent article on the mentality of Microsoft. As hardware gets faster and better, Windows/Office has gobbled up every bit of it and keeps asking for more. If the stories of Windows 7 are true ( and I hope they are ) it might be enough to turn things around. In the meantime Linux and MacOSX have continued to optimize, improve and fill the holes. If the programmers and users of Linux can get together and create an interface that is both easy to use and advanced with automated features; combining the light resource load of XFC, advanced features of GNOME and easy to use interface of KDE; that would be the knockout punch.
Judging by this article the tipping point was Office XP with Windows XP SP1, after that the scales really started tipping down. Adding more code for security to patch holes that should not have existed to begin with. More code added to Office, bigger memory requirements. When Vista was released the hardware requirements were drastically increased by 25% more that previous versions. Seven years is a long time to update an OS. Windows is incredibly bloated. In seven years KDE has updated itself to KDE3 and release five major update, GNOME has pushed itself up to 2.18 and the kernel itself has put out a major update 2.6 and release 20 updates. Mandriva has gone from Mandrake 10 to Mandriva 2008.1 with 7 updates inbetween. Even Debian with it's long dev/testing cycle has managed to release two versions, Sarge and Etch.
What Microsoft added to Vista? DRM, Aero, security, search? Not all that much when you look at it seriously. Apple has consistently evolved their OS. OSX 10 through 10.4; four major updates, increased security, better features; all without increasing the load on the computer itself. I can't say much about it since I don't use a Mac. Linux is releasing new/update version on a more or less six month release schedule. New features added since 2001: udev, compiz, journalling file systems, virtualization, easy to use package management, security features; innovation is coming from the opensource community at an ever increasing pace. Looking at distros from 2001 and today are like night and day.
Judging by this article the tipping point was Office XP with Windows XP SP1, after that the scales really started tipping down. Adding more code for security to patch holes that should not have existed to begin with. More code added to Office, bigger memory requirements. When Vista was released the hardware requirements were drastically increased by 25% more that previous versions. Seven years is a long time to update an OS. Windows is incredibly bloated. In seven years KDE has updated itself to KDE3 and release five major update, GNOME has pushed itself up to 2.18 and the kernel itself has put out a major update 2.6 and release 20 updates. Mandriva has gone from Mandrake 10 to Mandriva 2008.1 with 7 updates inbetween. Even Debian with it's long dev/testing cycle has managed to release two versions, Sarge and Etch.
What Microsoft added to Vista? DRM, Aero, security, search? Not all that much when you look at it seriously. Apple has consistently evolved their OS. OSX 10 through 10.4; four major updates, increased security, better features; all without increasing the load on the computer itself. I can't say much about it since I don't use a Mac. Linux is releasing new/update version on a more or less six month release schedule. New features added since 2001: udev, compiz, journalling file systems, virtualization, easy to use package management, security features; innovation is coming from the opensource community at an ever increasing pace. Looking at distros from 2001 and today are like night and day.
"Sulphur" smells sweet
I recently upgraded to the latest Fedora, "Sulphur". This version/distro of linux really shines. It's worth the download to get the "Everything" edition which is three DVDs. This way you can create a local repository that has everything you could need that isn't bolted down by liscences. The list of features include the latest KDE 4.0.3 and Gnome 2.22 desktops. Improvements have been made to a host of other features including a surprising newcomer the system-config-dhcp. A GUI tool for configuring the dhcp server. Openoffice upgraded to version 2.4, the latest XServer 1.5 beta and Firefox 3 beta 5. This is as cutting edge as you can find. Some might say too close to the edge, I say if the graphic card vendors would provide open-source drivers we wouldn't have a problem. Another welcome sight is the inclusion on Ruby-on-Rails in the package rubygems-rails. Some of the other inclusions include drupal, turbogears, eclipse, gcc 4.3.
As long as Fedora keeps going in this direction I will keep using it.
As long as Fedora keeps going in this direction I will keep using it.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Fat, fatter, fattest
This is an excellent article on the mentality of Microsoft. As hardware gets faster and better, Windows/Office has gobbled up every bit of it and keeps asking for more. If the stories of Windows 7 are true ( and I hope they are ) it might be enough to turn things around. In the meantime Linux and MacOSX have continued to optimize, improve and fill the holes. If the programmers and users of Linux can get together and create an interface that is both easy to use and advanced with automated features; combining the light resource load of XFC, advanced features of GNOME and easy to use interface of KDE; that would be the knockout punch.
Judging by this article the tipping point was Office XP with Windows XP SP1, after that the scales really started tipping down. Adding more code for security to patch holes that should not have existed to begin with. More code added to Office, bigger memory requirements. When Vista was released the hardware requirements were drastically increased by 25% more that previous versions. Seven years is a long time to update an OS. Windows is incredibly bloated. In seven years KDE has updated itself to KDE3 and release five major update, GNOME has pushed itself up to 2.18 and the kernel itself has put out a major update 2.6 and release 20 updates. Mandriva has gone from Mandrake 10 to Mandriva 2008.1 with 7 updates inbetween. Even Debian with it's long dev/testing cycle has managed to release two versions, Sarge and Etch.
What Microsoft added to Vista? DRM, Aero, security, search? Not all that much when you look at it seriously. Apple has consistently evolved their OS. OSX 10 through 10.4; four major updates, increased security, better features; all without increasing the load on the computer itself. I can't say much about it since I don't use a Mac. Linux is releasing new/update version on a more or less six month release schedule. New features added since 2001: udev, compiz, journalling file systems, virtualization, easy to use package management, security features; innovation is coming from the opensource community at an ever increasing pace. Looking at distros from 2001 and today are like night and day.
Judging by this article the tipping point was Office XP with Windows XP SP1, after that the scales really started tipping down. Adding more code for security to patch holes that should not have existed to begin with. More code added to Office, bigger memory requirements. When Vista was released the hardware requirements were drastically increased by 25% more that previous versions. Seven years is a long time to update an OS. Windows is incredibly bloated. In seven years KDE has updated itself to KDE3 and release five major update, GNOME has pushed itself up to 2.18 and the kernel itself has put out a major update 2.6 and release 20 updates. Mandriva has gone from Mandrake 10 to Mandriva 2008.1 with 7 updates inbetween. Even Debian with it's long dev/testing cycle has managed to release two versions, Sarge and Etch.
What Microsoft added to Vista? DRM, Aero, security, search? Not all that much when you look at it seriously. Apple has consistently evolved their OS. OSX 10 through 10.4; four major updates, increased security, better features; all without increasing the load on the computer itself. I can't say much about it since I don't use a Mac. Linux is releasing new/update version on a more or less six month release schedule. New features added since 2001: udev, compiz, journalling file systems, virtualization, easy to use package management, security features; innovation is coming from the opensource community at an ever increasing pace. Looking at distros from 2001 and today are like night and day.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Website Resume or Job Search Engine
Anyone have any recommendations to either creating a website that has my resume such as: My Resume or keeping my online resumes up to date. Both are good ideas of course and you should always keep up your Monster, Career Builder and Dice resumes up, but is there any real benefit to maintaining another website? What I see as help is on your personal website you build links to projects you have completed, post your transcripts and other documents useful to prospective employers.
Hm...I guess I answered my own question, do both and keep them all up.
Fedora 8
I am so liking linux ever more each day. Vista and XP just can't compare with the the amount of software, the ease of installing and the visual effects. I know eye candy doesn't add to the functionality but if you have never used transparent windows to type and look stuff up then you don't know what you're missing.
I downloaded and installed the Fedora 8 Everything DVDs and have thousands of packages to choose from: blender 3d modeling, scribus desktop publishing, openoffice.org office suite, inkscape, compiz, multiple im clients and browsers. The best part is that it is all free!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Low cost PCs and Linux
So, I'm scanning the headlines on Google and I see:
Inexpensive computers may give Linux operating system a big lift
Interesting, I read the article and it's what I've known for quite a while, Linux absolutely runs circles around any version of Windows. Secure, stable, plenty of software and all the eyecandy you could want. I click the link to see all the articles expecting to see more of the same and guess what, the only one about Linux is the first one. All of the other two hundred and some were about Microsoft extending XP. WTF! I want to know more about Linux and low-end PCs and what other news carrier is looking into this.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Progressive Metal
Check it out Progressive Metal, just want to spread the word of a growing musical genre.
Looking for better work
I am a hungry IT professional looking for an employer that is willing to take a chance hire a professional who will be loyal to the first that hires them as a professional.
Been away
I haven't been around lately, mostly living life and struggling to make ends meet.
Mind if I bash a few subjects, no, good!
Mind if I bash a few subjects, no, good!
- The president or el dictator. How can he possibly suggest that we are not heading into a recession. I have been working the same job for four years and have yet to get a raise, even a cost of living raise would be sufficient. No one in my workgroup has received a raised either so I know it's not just me. The price of everything has gone up except wages, jobs are lost and people are losing their houses. Illegal aliens are taking away low paying jobs and some people even have to get two jobs just to afford health care. Do we need dust bowls to make a point.
- It's been over 18 months since I graduated and I'm still working the same job for the last four years. Everyone wants five years experience in this that and the other and no one wants to give me chance. What do I need to do? Lie?
- Most of you computer users out there need to grab your head and pull it out of your rear and stop taking the slop that MS feeds you about computers. Take some time and do the research about other operating systems and software out there. Linux and BSD are free, stable, secure and have some of the greatest software available.
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