Windows Vista, Mac OS X Leopard, & Ubuntu "Edgy Eft"
- Thread starter dougiemeats
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There was speculation that they were going to change the "scrap metal" look a while back. The screenshots have only appeared recently though. I wonder what the name of the theme is?
- 1,681
If you re-download the Beta, it will be the exact same ISO that you downloaded before.
This theme will probably show up in the upcoming builds for developers, and it will certainly be in the Release Candidate, which you'll have access to (unless they change the theme again).
This theme will probably show up in the upcoming builds for developers, and it will certainly be in the Release Candidate, which you'll have access to (unless they change the theme again).
- 6,447
Alright, I got it. Thanks.
Vista is lookin' good. I really want to install the Beta. But does anybody know whether if it will support 802.11g wireless network cards, as well as Halo for PC? Those two things are what I need for my computer.
My wireless PCI card is made by U.S.Robotics by the way.
Vista is lookin' good. I really want to install the Beta. But does anybody know whether if it will support 802.11g wireless network cards, as well as Halo for PC? Those two things are what I need for my computer.
My wireless PCI card is made by U.S.Robotics by the way.
GilesGuthrie
Staff Emeritus
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- Edinburgh, UK
- CMDRTheDarkLord
GT4_Rule
I did a readiness test on my PC, and for much of the hardware it said "contact vendor". I suspect that USR may have some drivers available for Vista for their wireless cards. I wouldn't imagine that all of the built-in drivers would be present and correct in a beta OS. Do the readiness test on your PC, and see what happens. You can get it at www.microsoft.com/windowsvista
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GT4_Rule,
Are you planning on using Vista Beta as your primary operating system? If so, then I strongly advise you against it. There are just too many things that could go wrong with an unfinished product. Stick with what you've got right now, and just use Vista for testing/preview purposes.
Are you planning on using Vista Beta as your primary operating system? If so, then I strongly advise you against it. There are just too many things that could go wrong with an unfinished product. Stick with what you've got right now, and just use Vista for testing/preview purposes.
- 1,681
News Update
*Bill Gates, while speaking in South Africa, stated that there is an 80% chance that Vista will be ready by the planned January release date. He also stated that he had no qualms about delaying the long-awaited operating system if necessary.
*Support for Windows 98 and Windows ME have officially ended. Users will no longer be able to download security updates from Microsoft.
Bill Gates
*Bill Gates, while speaking in South Africa, stated that there is an 80% chance that Vista will be ready by the planned January release date. He also stated that he had no qualms about delaying the long-awaited operating system if necessary.
*Support for Windows 98 and Windows ME have officially ended. Users will no longer be able to download security updates from Microsoft.
- 2,808
I agree with you that if you do anything important on your PC, you should probably stray from Beta programs, or in this case operating systems. However, I've run Vista as my primary OS for some time (for a while the only OS on the HD), and I didn't run into any problems that would hinder me from doing my work.. My wireless also works fine in Vista.dougiemeats
Halo doesn't work, though (nor do a lot of games).
- 1,168
dougiemeatsI posted this a while back:
While my stand on the issue remains the same, I have decided to do some research and list a few applications to compare with Apple's iLife software and Vista's similar group of applications that I listed previously. These are open-source projects and I think they have the potential to be just as good or better than their Mac/Windows competitors.
I have provided the links to the homepages of the projects. There are also some screenshots from their websites. Click the thumbnails for a larger picture.
F-Spot - Photo management/organization/light editing
Amarok - Music management/organization
Cinelerra - Movie making (although this may be more in the professional rather than consumer side)
Wired - Comparable to Apple's GarageBand
Xine - Media Player
Avimedux - Comparable to Apple's iDVD and Windows DVD Maker
MythTV - Media center experience
Since I don't use many of the above applications, they may not even be the best choices in their respective categories. However, I wanted to give an idea of what options a current or future Linux user has when it comes to their "digital life." Personally, I would love for a commercial Linux distribution to bundle a suite similar to Apple's iLife using some of these apps. MythTV looks to be the most interesting, but I have yet to look more into it. I'd like to know the requirements and the difficulty in setting it up.
Somone forgot:
Audacity, easily the best free music editing program (editing not creation), a program whose sheer brilliance has the potential to give Adobe Audition a run for its money.
GNU Image Manipulation Program, everyone mentions this program but it is still worth reminding people that it is out there.
- 1,681
Burnout, I'm glad Vista is in good shape for you so far. However, everyone has different hardware configurations so what might work for one person will not necessarily work for another, so I'd say Vista is not ready for primary use just yet.
Edit: Have you had a chance to use the latest build? I don't even know which build it is, but I saw screenshots somewhere and it wasn't 5456. I think this one has the new Windows Basic interface and a few new icons, so nothing big.
Flame-returns, those are excellent applications. Don't worry, I didn't forget about Audacity and the GIMP. My target software bundle was iLife, and those two applications do not compete directly with my target software. I would recommend those two great open-source apps to anyone though.
Update
*Microsoft's Virtual PC 2004 is now available for free. The software can be downloaded from the Microsoft website. Here is the link to the Virtual PC page:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtualpc/default.mspx
I just checked and the Mac version is not free.
I don't know about anyone else, but I think Microsoft is heading in the right direction. They have made Vista available to ANYONE for testing, they have greatly improved their browser (finally), and now VPC is free for download. Perhaps the competition (Firefox, Opera, Parallels, VMWare, Linux...) have inpired some motivation? Now we just have to wait for Vista and see if they really are heading in the right direction.
Edit: Have you had a chance to use the latest build? I don't even know which build it is, but I saw screenshots somewhere and it wasn't 5456. I think this one has the new Windows Basic interface and a few new icons, so nothing big.
Flame-returns, those are excellent applications. Don't worry, I didn't forget about Audacity and the GIMP. My target software bundle was iLife, and those two applications do not compete directly with my target software. I would recommend those two great open-source apps to anyone though.
Update
*Microsoft's Virtual PC 2004 is now available for free. The software can be downloaded from the Microsoft website. Here is the link to the Virtual PC page:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtualpc/default.mspx
I just checked and the Mac version is not free.
I don't know about anyone else, but I think Microsoft is heading in the right direction. They have made Vista available to ANYONE for testing, they have greatly improved their browser (finally), and now VPC is free for download. Perhaps the competition (Firefox, Opera, Parallels, VMWare, Linux...) have inpired some motivation? Now we just have to wait for Vista and see if they really are heading in the right direction.
I just got my Ubuntu & Kubuntu CDs. I'm running Ubuntu right now and so far I like it. This is a very simple linux. I recommend it for the people who wants to get into Linux. Most people recommend Mandriva but Ubuntu is just ALL-FREE (They ship free cds, support is free, all softwares are free, updates are free, EVERYTHING).
Ubuntu - The Original, running on GNOME interface.
Kubuntu - Ubuntu running on KDE interface.
So far, 10/10
Ubuntu - The Original, running on GNOME interface.
Kubuntu - Ubuntu running on KDE interface.
So far, 10/10
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MugenVTEC,
Let me know how the graphical installer works for you. Installing from the Desktop CD didn't go too well for me and I had to resort to the non-graphical-but-oh-so-reliable Alternate CD.
Also, have you decided on which desktop environment you're going to use?
Let me know how the graphical installer works for you. Installing from the Desktop CD didn't go too well for me and I had to resort to the non-graphical-but-oh-so-reliable Alternate CD.
Also, have you decided on which desktop environment you're going to use?
dougiemeats
I tryed the installer throught Step 5 (just before everything gets installed just to see) so far, but I didn't installed anything because I'm still at the experimenting state. I've tested Ubuntu this afternoon and now I'm running Kubuntu. Quite frankly, I love both interfaces (GNOME and KDE) and both have their differences, which doesn't make it easy on my choice. I've always had KDE Linux's and just discovered GNOME which I totally like. I love KDE for the candy-eye graphical style but some of the KDE softwares doesn't appeal me as much as those from GNOME. GNOME as a more simple/professional graphical style which I appreciate too and it works more like Windows which is basic. Softwares in GNOME looks a big more easy to use than KDE's. This is a tough choice so I'm gonna give it more time to take my decision.
- 1,681
I'm more of a GNOME guy myself, but I'm starting to lean towards XFCE (once Edgy Eft is released, I think I'll do a write-up of Xubuntu). I like GNOME for the reasons you've mentioned. It looks professional and they limit the eye-candy. There's a good reason that Ubuntu, as well as many other major Linux distributions choose GNOME as their default desktop environment.
One thing I like about KDE is the ability to have a Mac OS style menubar (File, Edit, View, etc.) at the top of the screen. It's something I'm used to and I wish GNOME would implement something like it.
I believe Linus Torvalds actually had harsh words to say towards the GNOME interface, which I don't understand. Here are the exact quotes:
Using words such as "Nazi," "idiots," and "disease"... Why so harsh Mr. Linux?
One thing I like about KDE is the ability to have a Mac OS style menubar (File, Edit, View, etc.) at the top of the screen. It's something I'm used to and I wish GNOME would implement something like it.
I believe Linus Torvalds actually had harsh words to say towards the GNOME interface, which I don't understand. Here are the exact quotes:
Linus Torvalds
Using words such as "Nazi," "idiots," and "disease"... Why so harsh Mr. Linux?
KDE is in fact a bit complicated, but it's useful for some people. The fact that you can run Konqueror as an internet navigator, a file explorer and a FTP is something that is really helpful instead of having 10 programs running at the same time.
But as he said, it's a disease, it's like a propaganza. But every user has their way to use their computer and some requires the power of KDE and some just the simplicity of GNOME.
But as he said, it's a disease, it's like a propaganza. But every user has their way to use their computer and some requires the power of KDE and some just the simplicity of GNOME.
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- Horbury, West Yorkshire
- GTP_Sprite
Ok guys here is the money question. Ive always wanted to support Linux, and have been recomended Unbuntu allot of times now, but Im still unsure as to if I should move over. these are the reaons.
1) This PC isnt just mine, its my parents, and while my dad is tech savvy and more inclined to use Linux, my mum isnt and still finds the basic PC tasks a little confusing, but its not as if they are heavy PC users anyway, they just play the occasional game of tetris and surf the net.
2) This PC is old, and I mean old. Its a AMD 1300, with a 30gb HDD and 256mb ram, and a GF FX 5700LE Graphics card, running Win XP Home SP2, now this PC is very stable under XP (it came with ME and it crashed straight out of the box
).
3) I use various programmes on this PC, but Im willing to give them up for alternatives, seeing as I can still run them on my own PC upstairs.
a)Now for a couple of questions. What CD burning software is out for Linux/Unbuntu? Can I get a version of nero or similar for this PC?
b)Will the PC run faster under a Linux install? and will it make a difference to the internet sopeeds?
c)Will my hardware be supported? and will I be able to get drivers for it?
I guess these are all questions I could answer if i did a little searching around the net, but seeing as this thread is here I just asked, Im going to download the Live CD and try it to see what its like, would this give me an indications to hardware problems? Im not a total noob at PC stuff, but its always been in the Windos OS never Linux.
Cheers in advance.
1) This PC isnt just mine, its my parents, and while my dad is tech savvy and more inclined to use Linux, my mum isnt and still finds the basic PC tasks a little confusing, but its not as if they are heavy PC users anyway, they just play the occasional game of tetris and surf the net.
2) This PC is old, and I mean old. Its a AMD 1300, with a 30gb HDD and 256mb ram, and a GF FX 5700LE Graphics card, running Win XP Home SP2, now this PC is very stable under XP (it came with ME and it crashed straight out of the box
).3) I use various programmes on this PC, but Im willing to give them up for alternatives, seeing as I can still run them on my own PC upstairs.
a)Now for a couple of questions. What CD burning software is out for Linux/Unbuntu? Can I get a version of nero or similar for this PC?
b)Will the PC run faster under a Linux install? and will it make a difference to the internet sopeeds?
c)Will my hardware be supported? and will I be able to get drivers for it?
I guess these are all questions I could answer if i did a little searching around the net, but seeing as this thread is here I just asked, Im going to download the Live CD and try it to see what its like, would this give me an indications to hardware problems? Im not a total noob at PC stuff, but its always been in the Windos OS never Linux.
Cheers in advance.
- 5,622
- eMadman
Ubuntu is a live cd installer so you can play with it before you make the switch. The Live version is significantly slower due to the fact that it reads off the cd but it'll run. Installed, you probably won't have speed issues - just the fact that you're on a new OS that you may not necessarily need in the first place. As far as hardware support, Nvidia has you covered and their drivers are included as part of the package 👍
- 1,681
sprite,
1) If computing needs are basic, then Ubuntu is more than sufficient. You can browse the internet, listen to music, and play movies. Just a simple download of EasyUbuntu (look a few pages back in this thread) and you'll be set with codecs, flash, java, and DVD-playback.
2) The only setback is the RAM. I have used Ubuntu with 256 MB RAM and it isn't as "snappy" as Windows XP on the same computer. But for basic needs, you should be OK.
3) A quick search through Google or Ubuntuforums.org and you should find many alternatives to any applications you use. You will also find instructions on how to install them. Just curious, what applications are we talking about?
a) Search for GnomeBaker. I don't know how it compares to Nero, but it's been recommended as a Nero alternative in the forums.
b) Internet speeds should be the same. About the speed of Ubuntu compared to Windows XP... it's a little more complicated:
(Based on my experience with 256 MB RAM) A fresh install of XP will seem fast compared to a fresh install of Ubuntu. Over time, as you install and uninstall programs, XP will begin to feel slower, while Ubuntu stays about the same. Also, with Windows XP, it is pretty much necessary to run antivirus and antispyware in the background, taking up valuable resources. So basically, XP is faster out of the box, but over time this does not hold true.
If you up the RAM to 512 MB, you will not really feel much of a difference. The only thing I can think of is that Firefox launches faster with Windows XP (thanks to a certain feature) compared to Firefox in Ubuntu. 512 MB is really the sweet spot for Ubuntu 6.06.
c) Ubuntu has pretty good hardware support. It's not so friendly with 64-bit (I don't think flash works) and ATI cards, and some people had trouble with wireless, but other than that, you should be fine.
One thing I'll note with Ubuntu is that the Desktop CD (the one that you probably downloaded) is not best for a computer with 256 MB RAM. The live CD was unbearably slow and you're better off downloading the Alternate CD. You won't have the fancy graphical installer, instead it is text-based, but it's fairly straight-forward.
A few things to remember:
* Download "Alternate CD" instead of "Desktop CD"
* Upgrade the RAM, if possible (but you'll be fine if you don't)
* Become a member of Ubuntuforums.org and search through the forums. Lots of questions can be answered there.
* Make sure you have your XP CD handy. There's always the chance that you or your parents will not like it.
* Patience! I couldn't stand Linux when I first used it. It took me about 6 different distributions and countless blank CDs to finally settle with my favorites (Fedora, SuSE, and Ubuntu).
* Don't let the terminal intimidate you. A lot of it is checking the forums and a simple copy&paste.
* If you have a question, then post a thread on here. Many members here at GTP are using or have used Ubuntu 👍
* Ubuntu isn't the only good distro. If you don't like it, search around, and maybe you'll find the one right for you. My only suggestion is find a distro with a good forum community.
* Even if you end up going back to XP, at least you gave yourself a chance to see what else is out there. You've learned something new and maybe you'll try it again later. (This was the situation with me)
I know I didn't cover everything, so just ask away if you've got more questions.
Edit: The first alpha of Ubuntu 6.10 "Edgy Eft" has been released. I will download and install in the next couple of days. Since it is so early in development, it's not recommended unless you don't mind if a few things break
. I'll post screenshots later.
1) If computing needs are basic, then Ubuntu is more than sufficient. You can browse the internet, listen to music, and play movies. Just a simple download of EasyUbuntu (look a few pages back in this thread) and you'll be set with codecs, flash, java, and DVD-playback.
2) The only setback is the RAM. I have used Ubuntu with 256 MB RAM and it isn't as "snappy" as Windows XP on the same computer. But for basic needs, you should be OK.
3) A quick search through Google or Ubuntuforums.org and you should find many alternatives to any applications you use. You will also find instructions on how to install them. Just curious, what applications are we talking about?
a) Search for GnomeBaker. I don't know how it compares to Nero, but it's been recommended as a Nero alternative in the forums.
b) Internet speeds should be the same. About the speed of Ubuntu compared to Windows XP... it's a little more complicated:
(Based on my experience with 256 MB RAM) A fresh install of XP will seem fast compared to a fresh install of Ubuntu. Over time, as you install and uninstall programs, XP will begin to feel slower, while Ubuntu stays about the same. Also, with Windows XP, it is pretty much necessary to run antivirus and antispyware in the background, taking up valuable resources. So basically, XP is faster out of the box, but over time this does not hold true.
If you up the RAM to 512 MB, you will not really feel much of a difference. The only thing I can think of is that Firefox launches faster with Windows XP (thanks to a certain feature) compared to Firefox in Ubuntu. 512 MB is really the sweet spot for Ubuntu 6.06.
c) Ubuntu has pretty good hardware support. It's not so friendly with 64-bit (I don't think flash works) and ATI cards, and some people had trouble with wireless, but other than that, you should be fine.
One thing I'll note with Ubuntu is that the Desktop CD (the one that you probably downloaded) is not best for a computer with 256 MB RAM. The live CD was unbearably slow and you're better off downloading the Alternate CD. You won't have the fancy graphical installer, instead it is text-based, but it's fairly straight-forward.
A few things to remember:
* Download "Alternate CD" instead of "Desktop CD"
* Upgrade the RAM, if possible (but you'll be fine if you don't)
* Become a member of Ubuntuforums.org and search through the forums. Lots of questions can be answered there.
* Make sure you have your XP CD handy. There's always the chance that you or your parents will not like it.
* Patience! I couldn't stand Linux when I first used it. It took me about 6 different distributions and countless blank CDs to finally settle with my favorites (Fedora, SuSE, and Ubuntu).
* Don't let the terminal intimidate you. A lot of it is checking the forums and a simple copy&paste.
* If you have a question, then post a thread on here. Many members here at GTP are using or have used Ubuntu 👍
* Ubuntu isn't the only good distro. If you don't like it, search around, and maybe you'll find the one right for you. My only suggestion is find a distro with a good forum community.
* Even if you end up going back to XP, at least you gave yourself a chance to see what else is out there. You've learned something new and maybe you'll try it again later. (This was the situation with me)
I know I didn't cover everything, so just ask away if you've got more questions.
Edit: The first alpha of Ubuntu 6.10 "Edgy Eft" has been released. I will download and install in the next couple of days. Since it is so early in development, it's not recommended unless you don't mind if a few things break
. I'll post screenshots later.
- 7,898
- Horbury, West Yorkshire
- GTP_Sprite
dougiemeats
Well My mum has an I-pod, so I-tunes is one, plus My dad being into photographs n that, dose Unbuntu have an image viewer like windows? and Im not a big fan of AVI's or WMV movies so any type of quicktime would be a welcome too. I think I may give it time till I get a MAC laptop, then swich my main PC over to Unbuntu or maybe a Duel-Boot, do any of you guys recomend Duel-booting?
Ive already found out that Nero have a Linux version so im covered with that one, My main reason for moving over to A linux based OS is the security compared to Windows, and the fact that im supporting Open Source and not some giant company.
Thanks for the quick reply and Im going to do some more research before deciding on a change.
Cheers.
- 5,622
- eMadman
sprite
iPod - try running Amarok - the open source alternative to the iTunes music manager. Otherwise run WINE or the Codeweavers Crossover office to specifically run iTunes. Crossover announced iPod compatibility about a year ago so you should be set.
Image viewer - there's several. If he wants to edit images, try The Gimp and be sure to get the Gimpshop gui for it - it mimics the look and feel of photoshop. Google also offers their Picasa image management program for linux - I love the thing for managing my picture library and it's got some basic image manipulation features (mostly for colors, contrast, etc)
Video - Once you get the codecs installed, you'll be able to run any type of video. Easy Ubunt should cover that
