Other operating systems
The Chrome operating system is no Windows rival- yet
Ever since Google announced that it was creating a new operating system called Chrome, there has been speculation that this would be a problem for Windows. Very little was actually known about the potential OS until yesterday, when Google revealed some details. The OS will not be available for another year and seems to be [...]
Windows Start-up & Shutdown Sounds from Windows 3.1 on up
It seems that people will collect almost anything. Vince Bognot has put together Windows Start-up and Shutdown Sounds from Windows 3.1 to Windows 7. I am not sure who cares but here is his collection:
Via the Windows Club
Did Apple blow a golden opportunity?
When Microsoft was struggling with the poor reception for Vista, poor search market share, security holes, and other problems, Apple made some inroads on Windows. However, several observers have written that Apple failed to really take advantage when Microsoft was in a hole. Now with Windows 7 revitalizing Microsoft, they say the chance to [...]
Cell phone vs. PC
It’s been quite a while since the cell phone was just a voice communicator. Camera, games, music, personal data manager, email, texting, Web browsing- all of these and more are features that are available on various models of the so-called “smartphones”. In fact, the most advanced of these über cell phones are really small mobile [...]
Is Windows 7 the last major release?
Windows 7 is currently the focus of attention and will likely dominate the PC for a few years. But what about the future? At PCMag, technology industry analyst Tim Bajarin speculates about what comes after Windows 7:
So, Windows 7 does, in fact, matter. But for how long? At the moment, we live in a client/server [...]
Is Windows too unsafe for secure online transactions?
A growing number of technology professionals are saying that the Windows operating system is too unsafe for sensitive online transactions like banking. This is not just the same old tired refrain from Linux and Mac fanboys. These are respected professionals making a sober assessment of a rapidly growing problem. For example, Michael Horowitz, who writes [...]
Turning on PCs instantly
One of the drags in Windows systems is the length of time it takes to get a machine booted up and running. This is not inherent in PCs; Linux systems generally boot much faster, for example. Various technologies for near-instant bootup have been around for quite a while but the Windows hegemony has always been [...]
Unix is 40
Most home PC users are unaware of what is the most important operating system ever developed. Yes, it’s Unix and not Windows. That takes nothing away from Windows because Unix has played a unique role in general computing. Unix has reached its 40th birthday and eWeek commemorates it with a slideshow:
Forty years ago, a new [...]
Computing in Africa
The computing scene in Africa has been in the news lately. Here are some links with African stories:
How broadband is changing Africa Fast broadband will transform Africa, and the rest of the world will change too, says Bill Thompson at BBC.
IBM launches new Netbook software in Africa
CNET reports: “IBM has unveiled a new Netbook software [...]
Dell dabbles with Linux
It’s not exactly a major effort but Dell continues to play around with putting Linux on PCs. Ars Technica reports:
Dell has launched its first Moblin-based product, the Mini 10v netbook. It will ship with Canonical’s special Moblin remix of the popular Ubuntu Linux distribution. It looks promising, but Dell warns that Moblin is still incomplete [...]
New Apple Mac operating system
Windows isn’t the only operating system getting a new version. A new OS called “Snow Leopard” is being released for the Apple Mac. Numerous reviews have appeared and they are summarized by Harry McCracken at Technologizer.