Hasta La Gadget!

This article was written on November 08, 2007 by CyberNet.

If you haven’t seen of, or at least heard of the “Dummies” books, I don’t know where you’ve been living! Ever since the first “For Dummies” book hit the shelves back in 1991, they’ve been a huge success. At this point they cover nearly any topic possible, focusing on ones that are complex, confusing, or intimidating. Seeing as the entire topic of computers, hardware, software, and the Internet can be a bit intimidating, there’s a whole line of books that fall under each of these topics. Today I thought we’d take a look at some of those books, but more specifically, the ones geared towards Open Source Software.

You’ll notice that there’s a link to the dummies homepage for each book. These books can be found for much less at sites like Amazon, but one of the benefits of linking to the homepage is that there’s an excerpt from the book as well as the table of contents so that you can see what all you’re getting and what it covers. If it interests you, go read an excerpt, and take a look at the table of contents before going to another site to buy it. Here’s CyberNet’s list of Open Source books for Dummies that may be worth taking a look at.

1. Linux for Dummies, 8th Edition
   If you’re wanting to dive into Linux but you’re just not sure where to start, Linux for Dummies will get you pointed in the right direction.  It focuses on Fedora Core 6 but also includes information on other distributions like SuSE, Mandriva, Linspire, Knoppix, and Ubuntu.
   Link
2. OpenOffice.org for Dummies
   This book was published in December 2003 so it’s definitely due for an update.  If you’re at all interested in using OpenOffice.org, it might be a good idea to stop at a book store and take a peak at it just so you can get an idea of what it’s all about. It covers a wide variety of different topics and includes into about templates and styles, creating spreadsheets, and more.
   Link
3. Ubuntu Linux for Dummies
   We talk quite a bit about Ubuntu Linux here at CyberNet because it is one of the most popular distributions.  Published just this year, Ubuntu Linux for Dummies will teach you how to tap into multimedia, graphics and other applications using Ubuntu, generate and mange web pages, print service, and troubleshoot problems you may be having. They’ll also explain how to run Ubuntu right from a CD-ROM and how to install it on your PC or a network server.
   Link
4. Firefox for Dummies
   Given the number of readers who use Firefox, and the fact that Learn Firefox can teach you just about anything you’d want to know about it, this book probably won’t come in handy for yourself. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t recommend it to a friend that’s not so tech savvy to teach them all about what they’re missing out on! Firefox for Dummies is written by Blake Ross (creator of Firefox), it’ll be just enough to get your Friends who have been using Internet Explorer for way to long thinking about making a switch. It’s full of history, and the sometimes forgotten details that make Firefox a browser to love.
   Link
5. Free Software for Dummies
   While this book isn’t completely dedicated to Open Source software, it covers a lot of it from OpenOffice.org to Thunderbird, GIMP (the image editor) and even Blender. They point out how to locate the best free software out there that will work with Windows, Mac, or Linux. Sure you can spend lots of money on software, but why do it when you can get a lot of it for free that works just as well?
   Link

Copyright © 2013 CyberNetNews.com

Dell this weekend announced the release of its third XPS 13 Laptop, Developer Edition, codenamed Sputnik 3. This 3.02-lb client-to-cloud touchscreen ultrabook comes prepackaged with Ubuntu Linux 12.04 LTS and a 4th-generation Intel (Haswell) processor. Developed by developers for developers, the Sputnik 3 is available in two configurations. The first configuration uses a Core i5-4200U […]

This article was written on August 08, 2007 by CyberNet.

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Freespire 2.0 was just released today, and it brings a lot of great things to the table. For starters it uses Ubuntu 7.04 as its baseline, and was built off of that. So you get the benefits of using Ubuntu, but a lot of the proprietary software, drivers, and codecs since it is created by Freespire!

I couldn’t have said it better than CNet when they expressed their feelings on the inclusion of proprietary software:

Think of it like adding sugar-free Splenda to your morning coffee, only to find there’s actually a dash of sugar in the powdery substance to make it taste better.

Here are some of the benefits of using Freespire 2.0:

1. CNR Plugin provides free one-click access to thousands of open source applications, as well as options for legally licensed DVD playback software, Sun’s StarOffice, Parallels Workstation, Win4Lin, CodeWeaver’s Crossover Office, TransGaming’s Cedega, commercial games and many more.
2. KDE is added for an easier-to-use and more comfortable interface, with a familiar look & feel for Apple Mac and Microsoft Windows users.
3. Enhanced applications and features are added for enhanced usability and ease of use, modifying software applications like Firefox and Thunderbird, along with adding Linspire-sponsored open source software like Nvu, Lsongs and Lphoto.
4. Proprietary software is added when necessary, like Java, Flash and Adobe Acrobat, to provide overall increased interoperability.
5. Proprietary codecs are added to expand multimedia compatibility and provide a superior overall experience so users can listen to MP3 files, play Windows Media files, and much more.
6. Proprietary drivers are added to expand hardware compatibility and provide optimum 3D graphic card support, better WiFi support, and more.

It’s extremely nice that Freespire includes things like Java, Flash, and Adobe Acrobat so that you don’t have to worry about downloading it. Not to mention that you get to use the Click-N-Run (CNR) service for free, which makes installing, updating, and uninstalling applications a one-click process.

I can’t wait to try this out myself, and I could easily see it becoming my choice of Linux distributions since it takes out a lot of the guesswork. The download site that they have setup only supports 100 simultaneous users, and it has been pretty saturated with requests all day. So if you’re like me you’ll just want to jump on the Torrent to get it.

Freespire 2.0 Screenshot Gallery
Download Freespire 2.0

Copyright © 2013 CyberNetNews.com

This article was written on January 11, 2008 by CyberNet.

I can’t believe it’s finally here, but KDE 4 has been pushed out the door! After about 8-months of rigorous testing of pre-release versions they have managed to get a stable edition of KDE 4 assembled and made available to the public.

I read a lot of information this morning in regards to KDE 4, and from what I can tell the general consensus is that anyone wanting to be on the bleeding edge of software will be running it. However, some people have been noticing that it’s a little slower than KDE 3.5, and for that reason a majority of the audience will hold off until KDE 4.1 is released. It’s kind of like waiting for Service Pack 1 to be released for Windows before you make the upgrade. Even Kubuntu 8.04, scheduled for release in April, is expected to have KDE 3.5 enabled by default, but it will include the KDE 4 packages so that users can make the switch.

Below you’ll find all kinds of information in regards to the new KDE 4. First off we take you through a rundown of the features. Then we give you step-by-step instructions on how to get KDE 4 setup in your existing Kubuntu installation, and finally we wrap things up with what the plans are for several different Linux distrubutions in regards to KDE 4. To get the ball rolling let’s flip through some of the cool new features offered in KDE 4:

–Features–

• Dolphin has replaced Konqueror as the default file manager, and initially I would have to say that it looks pretty nice. It almost reminds me of a Mac at first glance.

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• Plasma breathes new life into the KDE widgets.

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• Application launcher fans rejoice! KRunner will let you run applications, open websites, and even do simple calculations.

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• KWin brings some more advanced window previews, which is useful for things like tiling all of your open windows. It can also be useful for managing your virtual desktops:

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• The Kickoff Start Menu is a drastic redesign from what you’re probably used to in KDE. It has a tabbed interface for quick access to your favorite applications, files on your computer, and more. Generally I think people will like it.

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–Kubuntu & KDE 4–

The Kubuntu team wanted to make it easy for anyone to try out the new KDE 4, and to do so they released a Live CD of Kubuntu 7.10 that is packaged with it. For those of you wanting to do this on your existing installation here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Remove previous KDE 4 packages, they are not compatible (apt-get remove kdelibs5 kde4base-data kde4libs-data)
2. Add deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/kubuntu-members-kde4/ubuntu gutsy main to your /etc/apt/sources.list
3. Install kde4-core, note that PPAs aren’t authenticated so you will likely get a warning when installing
4. KDE 4 apps should appear in your KDE 3 K-menu or you can run a full session by selecting “KDE 4″ from your login manager.
5. To avoid having to start a second X server for a full session install xserver-xephyr and run Xephyr :1 then and run /usr/lib/kde4/bin/startkde in the Xerphyr xterm.

–Distribution Status–

• An alpha version of KDE4-based Arklinux 2008.1 is expected shortly after this release, with an expected final release within 3 or 4 weeks.
• Debian KDE 4.0 packages are available in the experimental branch. The KDE Development Platform will even make it into Lenny. Watch for announcements by the Debian KDE Team. Rumours are that a Live CD is planned as well.
• Fedora will feature KDE 4.0 in Fedora 9, to be released in April, with Alpha releases being available from 24th of January. KDE 4.0 packages are in the pre-alpha Rawhide repository.
• Gentoo Linux provides KDE 4.0 builds on http://kde.gentoo.org.
• Kubuntu packages are included in the upcoming “Hardy Heron” (8.04) and also made available as updates for the stable “Gutsy Gibbon” (7.10). A Live CD is available for trying out KDE 4.0. More details can be found in the announcement on Kubuntu.org.
• Mandriva will provide packages for 2008.0 and aims at producing a Live CD with the latest snapshot of 2008.1.
• openSUSE packages are available for openSUSE 10.3 (one-click install), openSUSE Factory (one-click install) and openSUSE 10.2. A KDE Four Live CD with these packages is also available. KDE 4.0 will be part of the upcoming openSUSE 11.0 release.

KDE 4 Announcement
Thanks for the tip Mohan!

Copyright © 2013 CyberNetNews.com

Windows 8.1 doubled its market share among operating systems in its first half-month on the market, according to a new report by web analytics firm Net Applications. The OS rose from 0.87% market share to 1.72%, for a 0.85% gain. The trend is expected to continue in November and beyond as Microsoft herds its customers […]