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Archive for category Computers

Dell Selling PCs and Laptop Preloaded with Ubuntu Linux

May 27

Posted by Tejas in Computers, Tech News | No Comments

In what can only be called as perhaps one of the biggest if not the biggest milestone for desktop Linux in recent history, Dell recently starting sell three systems (2 desktops and one laptop) that come pre-loaded with Ubuntu Linux.

I used Ubuntu for quite some time now and the newest release, Ubuntu 7.04 is a huge improvement from last year’s 6.06 release but it’s still got a while to go yet. First of all, Ubuntu is free and easily downloaded from their site. It will install on most modern computers with little or no effort so purchasing a Dell preloaded with it doesn’t seem to make any sense to me. Also as some users have noticed, the Linux Dell systems are lower in possible specs than their Windows counterparts.

Unless you’re absolutely new to Ubuntu and the world of Linux (in which case you shouldn’t be buying it in the first place) you’ll probably want to stick to either downloading/installing it on your existing machine, an old one lying around or buy a regular Windows Dell PC and install Linux on there yourself – at least you’ll learn about Linux that way in the process.

Dell’s Linux Portal

Enable DreamScene in Vista Home Premium

May 7

Posted by Tejas in Bargains, Computers, Software, Tech News | 8 Comments

For those of you who have Vista Home Premium and are jealous of those folks that have Vista Ultimate because of among other things the whole DreamScene spectacle, never fear because enterprising “hackers” are here.

While browsing the Usenet via Google groups I came across a post by someone with a link to a ZIP file containing some DLLs, a registry import and quite detailed instructions. Figuring it’s worth giving a shot I tried it on my Vista Home Premium install and sure enough it works!

Now this doesn’t allow you to subsequently install Deskscapes as you can on Ultimate but you can use any WMV and/or MPEG video file and set it as your background. Some scouring on the internet will land you a few samples and for those videographers it’s a great opportunity to showcase your handy work.

So without further ado here’s the link to the file.

DISCLAIMER: Read the instructions carefully – do not attempt this unless you are comfortable making changes to system files and the registry.

The Complete List of MacBook Pro Defects

Jun 26

Posted by Tejas in Computers | No Comments

So you thought it would be a good time to buy a MacBook Pro? Think again. This wiki is a comprehensive list and description of all the MacBook Pro defects known to man. Very helpful for the wary consumer.

Make sure you read these before you think about buying a MacBook Pro.

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Microsoft, Lenovo Launch “Pay As You Go” Computer

May 23

Posted by Tejas in Computers, Software | No Comments

Microsoft Corp. and Chinese-based computer maker Lenovo said Monday they will launch market trials for pay-as-you-go purchases of computers in China and India. Consumers will be able to purchase a Lenovo PC for about half its retail price and pay off the balance over time by purchasing pre-paid cards from Lenovo.

Sounds like a good idea at first but they haven’t clearly stipulated what happens when your “balance” runs out? What if you run out of your balance in the middle of something important and you have no way to get a new pre-paid card at that time…will the PC allow you to save everything you’re working on? What happens if something is due? Worst case what if you only need 5 more mins to complete something and your balance runs out.

Should lead to some interesting situations for sure

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The $100 laptop – batteries not included

Jan 26

Posted by Tejas in Computers | 5 Comments

MIT Laptop

So rather than spend the money researching on ways to improve the health of the world’s poor population, our geniuses at MIT spent the time working on a laptop. Then again having a laptop is definitely better than having all your limbs, right?

I don’t quite understand how develop $100 laptop will improve the daily life of the target audience – impoverished kids. I think the idea is heartfelt but really shouldn’t be the priority in the current world. When you have families that don’t even have enough money to pay for food and for medications to keep them alive, I don’t see them being ecstatic when the UN shows up at their door and hands them this green piece of plastic for their kids.

As if that was not enough, since it is targetted for regions where electricity is not guaranteed you have to power the thing with a handcrank! Talk about being interactive…

The laptops will run Linux and contain a 500mhz CPU, 128MB RAM, no hard drive but four USB ports which I assume will be used to attach memory. What’s surprising is that they will come with WiFi built-in which apart from the regular function of connecting to a hotspot (infrastructure) it will support mesh networks (ad-hoc) to allow laptops to connect to each other. Now kids can setup wireless networks and communicate with each other about how hungry they are, brilliant.

I’m not against the idea behind the laptop – to help provide an education tool for underprivileged kids – but I just think there are far better things the UN and MIT could be working on ahead of this.

More pics below – click on image for the full size.

MITLaptop4MITLaptop2MITLaptop3

The MIT Lab site has a lot more information and there’s also a brief article on News.com

By the way, before you run to your local Walmart, these are not going to be offered to consumers but will only be distributed to foundations, schools, etc.

Windows on the Intel iMac? Why?

Jan 23

Posted by Tejas in Computers | No Comments

iMac-Intel

Can someone please explain to me why the moment that Apple decides to jump ship from the RISC PowerPC to Intel “Core Duo” CPUs that all of a sudden, there is a new fascination for people to run Windows XP on the new iMacs? Forget the fact that it currently isn’t possible since the new iMacs use a new Extensible Firmware Interface rather than the good old BIOS we know and love – what’s the attraction?

Most Apple fans are vehemently anti-Windows (maybe it’s a pre-requisite) so installing that very same OS that they have scoffed at for its various security holes onto their precious new iMacs seems almost insane.

I always felt one of the biggest attractions to Apple was the whole closed system – they make the hardware and they make the software – which is why things supposedly are more stable, better integrated, etc. etc.

Windows does not have this ability because the OS has to be able to support a multitude of hardware and software configurations from thousands of vendors, all of which Microsoft has some but little control over. This in turn leads to the infamous BSOD (blue screen of death) that shows up once in a while with Windows as well as other instabilities and issues.

No surprise that Microsoft has no issue with people installing Windows on the new iMac (as long as they pay for it), just more revenue and market share for Windows and with users who are probably die-hard Apple fans – a new untapped market.

I remember those ads that Apple ran a little while ago with the whole “switch” campaign of people switching from Windows to Mac OS…got to love the irony

Here’s a great FAQ on the situation from Cnet – Link