Category: Software
5 reasons to switch to Linux
Struggling along on your Windows-based PC and considering moving over to Linux?
Here are five reasons why you should make the switch.
1. Lots of free software available
If your PC doesn’t already have a Linux distro (the geek cool name for a particular distributed version of the operating system) installed on it, and you’re a tech-head then you can generally get the Linux operating system itself for free
If you want support and instructions on setting it up you can pay a software company for this.
However, once it’s set up and running, you’ll find a wide variety of useful software packages already available that will let you do pretty much anything you’re likely to want to do.
It’s true that there are more versions of Linux available than of Windows or Mac OS X, but you can find out more about the user-friendly Ubuntu flavour of Linux in Duncan’s How to get all the music and software you want for free and legally talk…
Windows 7 – release details confirmed
Microsoft has announced the release dates and prices for its latest operating system – Windows 7.
From 15th July the public can pre-order their copy of Windows 7 Home Premium for a special introductory price of £49.99 – not bad when you consider the RRP of £149.99. From the release date of 22nd October until the end of December, consumers will be able to buy a copy of Home Premium for £79.99.
If you were holding off buying a new PC because you were waiting for Windows 7 there’s no need to wait any longer. From tomorrow until the end of January any new PCs bought with Vista installed will receive free upgrades to Windows 7. Make sure you agree with your PC dealer that the upgrade deal is in place before parting with your cash.
Users should also be aware that, because of Microsoft and the EC’s little spat, the European version of Windows 7 (7E) will not be a simple upgrade – it will require a clean install. Make sure you back up all of your stuff before you do this – a clean install will wipe everything.
This all sounds like good news, until you consider that the Americans can pre-order their copies for $49.99 – not really fair when you look at the latest exchange rates.
Windows 7 Professional will also be available to pre-order for £99.99 and, along with the Home Premium version can be pre-ordered on Amazon or via the DSGi group (Dixons, Currys, PC World) from 15th July to 14th August or until they run out.
PC users will be hoping that Windows 7 is a major improvement on the disappointing Vista and not mereley a Vista Upgrade as was claimed by Apple’s Bertrand Serlet at the WWDC.
(via The Guardian)
The ten greatest Apple products of all time
32 years old and still going strong, Apple has launched a huge range of hardware and software in that time.
Not all of it was great, and there were some very dark years at Apple in between Steve Jobs’ two reigns. Nevertheless, picking the ten greatest Apple products of all time hasn’t been easy.
Here’s my attempt. I’m sure you have your own ideas.
Click on the image below to start
Windows 7 out on 22nd October
I’d like to sit here all smug saying we told you so after Acer let the cat out of the bag about a month ago but, as it stands, Windows 7 will actually be available one day earlier than we said. Can you ever forgive us?
Microsoft has promised that most retailers and manufactures will run an upgrade scheme for those who recently purchased Vista machines – we already know that Dell is a likely candidate – but it looks like only those with Vista Starter, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate will be included with no joy for those who opted for Basic. That’ll teach you to skate cheap.
Both the Windows 7 beta and release candidate have been well received and you’d think that the this full version will sit far better with the public than Vista ever has, despite being more or less identical. I’d still rather run XP after using the 7 beta for a while now but then perhaps I’m just a stick in the mud. It’s very sticky and muddy down here. Probably best you do your own thing.
(via Windows Blog)
Skype 4.1 beta brings screen sharing to your chats
At last, Skype has come up with a new version of their VoIP software that I actually want to download for reasons beyond the fact that it happens to be the latest. The Skype 4.1 beta sees the addition of screen sharing across Windows, Mac and Linux plus other trinkets like birthday reminders and a more in-depth contacts search.
Naturally, none of this costs any extra and, in case you’re worried about the privacy issue, it’s totally up to you whether you share the whole screen or just a part of it.
The birthday reminder is pretty self-explanatory – although interesting it does leave me wondering what kind of plans Skype’s cooking up for social network world domination – and the world’s favourite desktop VoIP app will now rootle through your Gmail, Windows Live Hotmail, Yahoo!, AOL and LinkedIn profiles to find more contacts for you.
I’m downloading mine the minute I publish this. I suggest you do yours. Enjoy, and let me know what you make of it on the comments down there.
Skype 4.1 beta
Google updates Chrome – faster, more stable and now with form autofill too
I may not be enamoured by gmail but I’m a sucker for Google Chrome. I admit it. So, it brings me great pleasure that the G-Lords have just updated their browser by making it 30% faster at loading Java-heavy pages and added a couple of features too.
The new version of Google’s WebKit, on which the sofware’s based, and the V8 Java engine are to thank for a lot of the improvement but, if it’s tweaks you’re after, then you’ll be pleased to hear they’ve added the auto form-fill and a degree of discretion by allowing you to delete thumbnails from the “most viewed pages” section. What you browse when you’re not reading Tech Digest will, of course, go no further.
If you haven’t tried Chrome, I’d recommend giving it a blast. If you’re using Firefox, I’m not going to argue. I’d risk the wrath of a certain Mr Rawlins if I didn’t give a shout out to Opera and, if you’re using IE, please stop.
(via Google Blog)
Gmail turns babelfish with auto-message translator
The addiction that is gmail has added yet another feature to its burgeoning tool kit in the shape of an automatic translator. “Yay,” I hear you cry, “now, I can read about cheap VIaGra in all the languages I can possibly be spammed in.” Thanks gmail.
If you’d like to sample this dawning of a new age, you’ll have to switch on the Google Labs feature to enjoy it. It’ll automatically translate whatever e-mails arrive in your inbox in Johnny Foreigner’s tongue and put them into Google’s version of your own land’s language.
Naturally, it’s bound to produce large piles of unintelligible nonsense whenever it has a go at proper nouns or anything approaching an idiom, so it could be worth it just for the craic. And the VIaGra.
(via Shiny Shiny)
Nero lets comsumers BackItUp & Burn with simplest software yet
Nero has taken an interesting step, today, a little away from media software specialist to more of a home IT solution package with the launch of BackItUp & Burn.
The idea is to provide an incredibly simple way for people to copy and save their data without having to think or know too much about what’s going on – or remembering to do it for that matter. Nero has minimized the footprint as much as possible and kept the interface design in a similar vein to well known Windows products like Outlook to promote whatever warm glow that may bring.
The software allows you to back up to HDD, CD, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, FTP, memory card and online too as well as synchronising files and folders and scheduling activity along with all the norms you’d expect.
It’s available for a very reasonable £29.99 for the downloadable version and, provided you actually buy software, that’s pretty hard to argue with even if you only use the package for burning. Definitely worth a look.
Google Chrome TV ad hits the airwaves
Google has taken, what is for them, an unprecedented marketing step by releasing a TV advert to promote one of their services. A 30-second commercial for Chrome is now airing in the States to encourage the public to use their browser which launched a year ago.
The advert was put together by a team from YouTube and is obviously designed to demonstrate the simplicity of the software with the playschool look animation. That’s all very well and good on YouTube but Google’s aim is to take market share away from IE, which currently handles over 60% of US traffic, and that could be difficult when the advert doesn’t explain what Chrome actually is.
Acer Exec confirms Windows 7 release date: 23rd October
“23rd October is the date the Windows 7 will be available” says Bobby Watkins, Acer’s UK MD. The company will be releasing its all-in-one Z5600 PC on that date, and it will come pre-loaded with Windows 7.
Microsoft is still claiming a release date of January 2010, but the company has acknowledged that it’s running ahead of schedule on the follow-up to its poorly-received Vista. Any Vista-based PCs purchased within 30 days prior to 23rd October will be eligible for a free upgrade.
Stay tuned for more news on Acer’s 2009 lineup. We’ll have the full details for you shortly.
(via Pocket-Lint)
