So let me say that when computers break… it can be aggravating to me. I am a nice guy with machines… until they anger me. Windows XP has been that thorn in my side that I had to do something…
Click for a link to the bigger image!
I did it… I thought I never could return to Linux but somehow… I did. So with toiling and help from by GREAT friend Maczimus… I am back. To my Ubuntu buddies out in the DFW Area, I am back home again. Home to one of the kindest operating systems ever to have graced its presence to me. I just have to test and make sure if my VPN settings play nice with my school. They’d better, damn it!
I have another slew of tech reviews coming soon so keep your eyes out for those! I plan on taking a new approach to this particular one as it does need a second opinion for all fair intents. It will be pretty sweet!
I have returned my machine to “OEM” spec with Windows XP Media Center Edition and await for my new machine purchase hopefully later this semester. However, due to the temporal return… I have been bitten by the gamer bug again and I have a few of my favorite games. I just need to get my vintage favorite game Quake on my system and all should be golden.
My family has been bugging me to set them up a machine so they can start trying to use the web again. My last experiment was a bit of a failure as Adobe’s implimentation of Flash for Linux in combination with Firefox and Konqueror on KDE didn’t quite pan out as well as I had hoped. From what I experiences with Ubuntu 8.04.1, Adobe is STILL slacking on the job there… So I am at a loss of how to make a safe and “idiotproof” machine for them that I won’t get the lovely service call at college of “Zero! We broke the computer! HELP!!!”
To close, I leave you all with a notice that “Zero’s Farewell to College” party is almost done on the details… From that, we wait for completion of everything and I will post the invite here, on social networks and personal e-mails. Expect it to be goofy and fun!
Due to the fact that emulating Windows is not a perfect “end-all” solution for me, I have decided to make a small Windows partition for my machine for the few times I need Windows. “When?” would you say I need the operating system of the evil empire? Phone hacking procedures and some backing up of my HTC phone are essential things that could be crucial. There are also some proprietary pharmacy education tools that require the use of Windows and sadly do not play nice in Wine (for Linux) or in a Virtual Box session.
I unfortunately remember why I hate Windows so much from lack of open standards… because my native resolution of 1200 x 800 is not there, nor was my wi-fi card.
Ubuntu, however has been a pleasant experience… I have loved every minute in it! PulseAudio has been a wonderful sound server! If I can sit down and really review it… I’ll give you my full thoughts. I am going to relax for now.
Why?
I aced part one of two on my pharmaceutical aseptic training course with flying colors!
So I was curious about RAM upgrades for my machine… I figured I’d hit up Crucial Memory to check my specifications and ran into a deal that I simply could not say no to. They had two sticks of DDR2 PC2-42oo 1GB RAM for $39.99. I figured “Let’s not get too excited… check Newegg” and no surprise they had the same deal but with better shipping options. For me, I am not going to lie… I love instant gratification when it comes to tech toys or upgrades. I tried ShopLocal to try to bargain hunt… but the local retailers were asking ridiculous $60.99 prices for just one stick of 1GB of RAM! The rational part of me said “Why the hell not go with Newegg? With their great shipping, it could be here as soon as Tuesday!” I am no brand whore, but to have Crucial Memory in my system will be hot. I got into playing with VirtualBox last night, so the RAM should help me test distributions within the comfort of Ubuntu.
The new RAM should be like injecting steroids into my laptop… I can’t even begin to tell you the excitement. I do plan to document my exploits though. Keep a watch for an image post soon!
Life, Games, Logic, and Tech