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Linux Training Week: Which Distribution To Choose?
February 21, 2010
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Linux in the past week of using it is how versatile it is. I’ve concentrated on using Ubuntu 9.10 and found it to excel, in many ways, further than Windows and Mac OS X.
Of course Ubuntu is just one of the many distributions available out there, and Linux comes in many forms, including ones you may not expect; even Google’s Android OS runs off a modified version of the Linux kernel.
So with so many distributions to choose from, which should you go for? There are too many choices to cover, but there are definitely some main contenders. If you want an experience close to what you’re used to with Windows, you may want to consider openSUSE – an easy to use distribution with great hardware support and a Windows-esque start menu to match.
Continue reading »Linux Training Week: Customisation
February 19, 2010
One of the great things about any Linux distribution is the ability to customise the look and feel of it to your taste. Throughout the past week, I’ve discussed software availability, compatibility and ease of use, but I haven’t gone as far as modifying the way I use it.
Coming from using a MacBook Pro and its OS X operating system, I was eager to see what docks were available, as I’m accustomed to using a dock on Mac OS X. As well as modifying for added functionality, I also wanted to add a little eye candy with the help of Compiz.
Continue reading »Linux Training Week: Ease of Use
February 17, 2010
For most consumers, the number one factor when buying a computer is for it to ‘just work’ without them having to play around with various settings or install drivers for various hardware components.
There’s certainly quite a long way to go for many Linux distributions, but my experience so far with Ubuntu 9.10 has been painless, with everything seemingly slotting in to place and co-operating nicely. This also applies when installing software, and thanks to the Ubuntu Software Centre, it couldn’t be much easier…
With the introduction of the Software Centre, there’s now one place where the user can install, remove and update all of the software on their computer. Introduced with Ubuntu 9.10 in October, the functionality of the Software Centre will grow with the release of future versions, eventually replacing other applications such as the Synaptic Package Manager and taking over their functionality by incorporating it into the Software Centre.
Continue reading »Linux Training Week: Software Availability
February 16, 2010
One of the biggest issues when moving away from Windows is software availability; what we do on a computer isn’t defined by the operating system, but the third party software we use on that operating system. Because most of the software written for Linux operating systems is open source, it may be difficult to find a replacement for the everyday software that you use on Windows or Mac OS X.
Web Browsers and Email
Everybody has their favourite browser, and you’ll find many available for Linux. I chose to use Firefox (which is installed on Ubuntu by default), Google Chrome (my browser of preference on Windows and OS X) and Opera 10 Browser in addition to this.
When testing each browser, I found them to be on par with each other, although Opera was definitely slower than Firefox and Chrome. I found Chrome to be extremely fast and lightweight in comparison to Firefox, and it remains my browser of choice on Linux. If you make the switch, or already use Ubuntu, I definitely recommend checking Chrome out. Enabling Flash was also an easy process – I simply downloaded the plugin on first use and everything worked great.
Continue reading »Linux Training Week: Setup & Compatibility
February 15, 2010
If you saw our introductory post yesterday, you’ll know that this week on Zath is Linux training week! Over the next week, I’ll be using Ubuntu version of Linux in place of my norm of Mac OS X and Windows 7 to see how it stacks up against its rivals and whether it’s viable for the average computer user to make the switch.
Installing Linux on your hard drive is a much easier affair than it used to be, with an almost automated GUI that takes you through the necessary steps of installation. One of the computers I chose to install Ubuntu 9.10 on was my Mac Mini. I chose to install it side by side with Mac OS X as I didn’t want to erase my personal data or swap out the hard drive in the Mac Mini as it’s a rather tricky operation inside such a small case.
Continue reading »Linux Training Week – Introduction
February 14, 2010
5 years ago, the average person would have never heard of Linux or known what it is, but with the netbook boom carrying along many flavours of Linux with it, more people have become aware of open source alternatives to the Windows 7 operating system.
Despite this, many distributions of Linux are still too difficult to manage for the average computer user – most see ‘Windows’ as the only computer available, and the majority of PC users don’t see any advantage in switching operating systems after learning the ins and outs of Windows over the years.
Continue reading »How To Get Dolby Digital Sound From A Standard PC/Mac Mini Audio Output
December 29, 2009
I use my Mac Mini for everything… Surfing the net, managing my humongous iTunes library, watching HD video files? You name it, I do it. Sitting next to the Mac Mini is my Sony DAV-DZ260 Home Theatre System (amazing amp) which outputs to a 5.1 surround sound system.
Ever since getting the Mac Mini, I’ve connected it to the amplifier with a standard PC audio cable, but this meant that when I was watching my downloaded TV or movies from iTunes or other sources, I could only get 2.0 stereo sound which wasn’t as good an experience as the 5.1 I got from DVD’s played through the system.
Continue reading »How To Setup Xbox 360 Media Player ‘Ecosystem’ Guide: Part One
December 23, 2009
As promised in my How To Setup Xbox 360 Media Player Guide teaser, with this help of this guide you should be able to stream everything. Play anything. Hundreds of HD movies. Thousands of songs. No DVDs, no DRM, no getting up from the sofa. No need for your PC to even be on and above all, no fruit! I told you I’d show you how to do it, so here it is. From scratch.
Part One: Infrastructure and Software
I recommend that you follow this guide with a clean installation of Windows 7 on a modern, Intel, dual-core or better native PC (ie. Not VM or Boot Camp), with at least 2GB of RAM, an internal SATA HDD, wired Ethernet and USB2 onboard.
Continue reading »How To Remove Windows 7 Shortcut Arrows (And Restore Them!)
December 14, 2009
For some reason, unknown to me, Microsoft insist on slapping humungous arrows all over your shortcuts.
This is particularly annoying when, like me, you have large icons on your desktop. As you enlarge the size of your icon, the size of the arrow gets even more annoying. Luckily for us Windows 7 users, there is a workaround. If all goes to plan for you, it is an extremely simple workaround as the correct registry modifications are already made for you.
Continue reading »How To Create A Windows 7 Theme
December 7, 2009
You may have seen our article last month on how to add lots of Windows 7 country themes to your collection of already pre-loaded themes on Microsoft’s latest OS… But what if you want to be able to have your own collection of pictures and wallpapers displaying on your desktop? Well, you can create your own theme for Windows 7 in just a few simple steps, or just create a desktop slideshow for simplicity.
In previous versions of Windows, if you wanted a picture to be displayed as your desktop wallpaper, you could right click that picture and select ‘Set as Desktop Background’, but if you wanted to cycle through wallpapers, you had to use a third party program such as this Windows Vista wallpaper changer. Don’t worry, the basic option is still there in Windows 7, but you also have another option…
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