Old Weird Ward
Unless otherwise noted, that which is posted here is opinion, which is protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution. If you don't like my opinions, go somewhere else. Nobody is forcing you to actually read this drivel.
The presumption exists that you can read at all.
That may be a large assumption.
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Sunday, May 04, 2003
- - - - - Computer Operating Systems - - - - -
Left to itself, a computer is connected pile of "stuff" that doesn't do anything. In order to work, it needs an Operating System to manage the physical bits and pieces, and a collection of Applications to let you do your "stuff".
I've been fussing with desktop and laptop computers for 20+ years. My first computer was a Commodore PET, 'way back in 1979. Since 1987, the computers I've owned and used have had one or another of the Microsoft Operating Systems on them, starting with MS-DOS 2.1. Along the way, I picked up a certificate as a Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MCSE), and a good working knowledge of the ins and outs of the Microsoft Office collection of applications.
Along the way, starting in about 1998, I've watched the evolution of Linux and it's applications with interest. Linux is a variant of Unix, alleged to be more stable, faster, and less expensive than the various flavors of MS Windows. The main sticking point has been the lack of main-stream business/office applications.
That's changed in the last year. Redhat Software has put together a distribuition of Linux, with a large selection of applications, that really is Ready for Prime Time. Redhat 9, using the KDE 3.1 desktop, and the Open Office applications suite is solid enough to be a serious alternative to Windows XP and Office XP. And the price is right - the software is all absolutely free.
Therefore, I'm going to be doing a lot of work in Linux/Open Office. I may even transition my personal system to a completely Linux / Open Office environment. Along the way, I'm sure I'm going to learn more about the various flavors of Linux than I ever wanted to learn. It's going to be an interesting journey, and may actually be fun!
What I'm using right now all came on the distribution CD set that I downloaded from one location. See www.linux.org for places to download the CD sets.
I'm currently using:
Redhat 9 (www.redhat.com)
Open Office 1.0.2 (www.openoffice.org)
Evolution 1.2.2 for email and calendars (www.ximian.com)
Mozilla 1.2.1 for web browsing (www.mozilla.org)
As I have updates and observations, I'll post them here, along with my usual run of observations on the society around me.
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