Jim Lawrence
accessd at shaw.ca
Sun Dec 2 18:20:01 CST 2007
I can only speak from my particular experience when installing Ubuntu Linux. The writer of the article had a number of issues, on all version of Linux with his ATI graphic card. Whether an install would work flawlessly on a specific collection of hardware is anyone's guess. There has always been issues when installing new software and hardware on any OS and if there wasn't I would be retired. Do not get me wrong I am not trying to get everyone to use Linux but considering what a bear it was to install only a couple of years ago, its design, growth and stability has been remarkable. I tend to use Linux on my older boxes to get a few more years of life from them with similar functionality I have come to expect on the more resent versions of Windows. (That may be the reason I have few hardware issues as the older hardware has all the required drivers.) When installing it on an older box, my recommendation is to allow the installing CD/DVD to create a partition on some remaining space on the drive or on a second drive and run it and see if it works. If it does not work the area can be returned to Windows and no loss. My main reason for getting into Linux was "that it was what the clients were asking about' and willing to pay for. I must admit I do have my principals but they can be bought. Jim -----Original Message----- From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of jwcolby Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2007 3:40 PM To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving' Subject: Re: [AccessD] Interesting Laptop / Vista commentary Well, everybody has an ax to grind. This is what I was reading re Linux on laptops. http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2222409,00.asp?kc=EWKNLBOE120107STR3 I am not a Linux kind of guy and have no patience for the kind of stuff this article was talking about. I really wish Linux would just install because I could really use it in specific places (my son's laptop for example). John W. Colby Colby Consulting www.ColbyConsulting.com -----Original Message----- From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Jim Lawrence Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2007 6:31 PM To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving' Subject: Re: [AccessD] Interesting Laptop / Vista commentary Actually, I do not consider my self a Linux guru by any stretch of the imagination, I installed a new Ubuntu partition on my laptop in around 30 minutes, internet connected without a problem, the blue-tooth setup without out issues (other than I could not remember my passwords) all codexs etc. and was running a movie from DVD in less than an hour. I do not recommend it as a replacement for Windows as I like my XP/Server2003 very much. Vista is very pretty but it tends to be such a pig on resources. I even have some computers that are 5 years old and when purchased were the state-of-the-art but they will not run Vista. Only the latest equipment can run Vista. My best equipment tends to go into servers and not desktops. As one friend said that he would move to Vista when MS pulled XP from his cold dead hands. Jim -----Original Message----- From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of jwcolby Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2007 9:14 AM To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving' Subject: Re: [AccessD] Interesting Laptop / Vista commentary Bobby, Don't get me wrong, I am not about "the good old days". I loved Windows XP because it was based on Windows 2K which was Microsoft's "server grade" system. Remember that Windows 98 was a HUGE step up from Windows 95 in terms of stability. When XP came out people were running Windows 98 on the desktop, and likewise Windows XP was a HUGE step up from Windows 98 on a lot of fronts, stability first off, but also security. We finally got away from the DOS underpinnings. I am not reading anything that indicates that Vista is a step up at all, at least until you do get to the Business edition. All the good stuff is left out of the version that is sold for the home desktop. And it runs like a pig. I am not one of those "let's all run to Linux" people. I was reading just yesterday the experience of a real "techie" tech editor trying to install three of the most popular Linuxes on a laptop and what a joke that was. The built-in pad pointer wasn't supported, the wireless wasn't supported, he was going all over hell trying to find drivers. Windows XP will "just install". Vista MAY "just install". Here is something I found when googling "advantages of Vista over Windows XP". http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3529 A very interesting read. Admittedly it was written in February but it was "top of the Google list" for that particular search. Having read this I certainly wouldn't rush to buy Vista. And finally I admit, I don't own Vista (or it's not installed anyway). But I have to say these things. 1) In XP I explicitly TURN OFF the eye candy in order to make the interface as snappy as possible. Eye candy is for people who don't use their computers; I have work for my processor cycles to do. It makes no damned difference to me if a control is square and solid or round and looks like glass. It makes no difference to me if they use a color pallet of 64K or 64 bajillion colors. Beyond a certain point it simply doesn't matter any more. Shadows and light sources? C'mon! In a game yea, but on the desktop? 2) XP is stable. I use Pro and will until it is replaced with something legitimately better. 3) DRM sucks (Even in XP I have run smack dab into that wall already with purchased music downloads) and I don't want it embedded in my computer. 4) The built in Windows firewall and other "security" crap that comes with XP is junk, promptly replaced with real protection. Given the "junk" status of the XP variety I see no reason to expect better from the Vista variety. 5) I LOVE new stuff, but it needs to be BETTER stuff. I buy processor upgrades, video upgrades, program upgrades and even OS upgrades WHEN THEY MAKE SENSE. Vista just makes no sense to me. Believe me I had high hopes (I LIKE new BETTER stuff), but in the end it just makes no sense to me. I am quite certain that in a few years I will be forced, kicking and screaming, to upgrade to Vista. MS will somehow manage to make XP non-maintainable any more and I will go. My fervent hope is that Vista actually works when I am dragged there and that I will be able to not install or get rid of the eye candy and DRM crap, and that I will get at least a tiny value for the pound of flesh Microsoft extorts from me. In the meantime... Give me XP or give me death! ;-) John W. Colby Colby Consulting www.ColbyConsulting.com -----Original Message----- From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of jwcolby Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2007 10:44 AM To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving' Subject: Re: [AccessD] Interesting Laptop / Vista commentary I guess I have to ask what Vista brings to the table that makes it worth having to buy a dual processor with 4 gigs just to run the system? It damn well better have a built in space shuttle if it is going to require those kinds of specs. So give us a list of what it does that XP doesn't (other than eye candy). John W. Colby Colby Consulting www.ColbyConsulting.com -----Original Message----- From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Bobby Heid Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2007 9:55 AM To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving' Subject: Re: [AccessD] Interesting Laptop / Vista commentary I have Vista Business on my pc and I love it. I have a P4-3.0GHz, 2GB RAM, and a 7800GS AGP video card. Sure, there are some things that I think could be better that I hope will be addressed in SP1. I ran XP Pro for years, so I am able to compare the two. Don't forget that a lot of people really complained about XP before SP1/SP2 came out. I helped a friend buy a desktop with a Core 2 Duo processor and 2 gigs of RAM and Vista is much more snappy on that machine than mine. I think it has to do with the dual processors. Bobby -- AccessD mailing list AccessD at databaseadvisors.com http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com -- AccessD mailing list AccessD at databaseadvisors.com http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com -- AccessD mailing list AccessD at databaseadvisors.com http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com