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May 23, 2012
Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts
Mary Beth Franklin: How to Choose the Right Annuity for You
Tina Susman: The wig wasn't enough: Man gets 13 years for posing as his dead mom
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
May 28, 2009
/ 5 Sivan 5769
A Tale of Two Operating Systems
By
Mark Kellner
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
I sometimes wonder if God has the best idea about operating systems: If you're a
believer, you're likely to affirm that the Creator gave us an "operating system"
at birth, and while it is shaped, modified and sometimes even warped as we grow and
develop, for most of us it runs, basically, every day, every week and every year,
until it (and we) stop.
By contrast, I've had a lot less fun with a couple of operating systems that have
arrived recently.
Let's start with Linux, or more precisely, SimplyMEPIS Linux. The 8.0
version, available via free download at www.mepis.org, or via subscription at $50 a
year or on a CD for either $18 in a basic package or $30 with all sorts of programs
added. The download "subscriptions" get you updated versions as the year progresses.
It's built on the Debian flavor of Linux, which is a specific set of interfaces
and accoutrements that sit on top of the Linux "kernel," or core. In plainer
language, SimplyMEPIS is a version of Linux that claims it is easy to install and
configure on most computers, at least those with Intel (and compatible) processors.
Because its cost can be much, much lower than that of Microsoft Windows or Apple's
OS X (which is supposed to run only on Apple-made hardware), the appeal is having a
computer system on the cheap, but with enough power to do what needs to be done. The
other big "draw" of this product is that it's smart enough to figure out all your
devices, install the necessary drivers and let you rock and roll quickly.
Well, I'm still hopeful, but so far, not so good. Using a Dell Vostro 1310 as my
base unit, I had a promising start. You can boot SimplyMEPIS from a CD, and the
computer will fire up. You get a "desktop" and applications with which you can work,
including the OpenOffice.org suite and Mozilla's Firefox Web browser. In fact,
there's enough basic software to make this quite appealing.
Try as I might, I couldn't accomplish two things of some importance. One is to get
the system to recognize my wireless network and connect to it. The computer, under
this Linux flavor, could "see" my wireless net, but it wouldn't connect.
Installing it as a permanent OS on the computer might help, but no sale there,
either.
I'm sure that with enough hacking and effort, I can overcome these things. But,
you do remember the name, "SimplyMEPIS," right? That's "Simply" as in simple?
Well, any time you have to start hacking, in my opinion, you lose simplicity, which
has been (and in my view remains) the chief problem in getting Linux to achieve
greater general acceptance in the marketplace.
At the same time, I'm wrestling with the "release candidate" of Windows 7, which
Microsoft should bring to market some time this year. The news here is that Win7 is
moving forward, and that's a good thing.
Those who've worked with it say that it clears up a lot of bugs found in the
public Beta version, although, frankly, I didn't encounter many. It took a couple
of tries, but I was able to install this version in a "virtual machine" mode on my
Intel-based MacBook Pro, so now, some would say, I have the best of both worlds.
Regardless of operating system theology, however, it's nice to have Windows coming
along. As mentioned several times in this space over the years, hegemony isn't one
of my favorites, in terms of totalitarianism or operating systems. Now we're on
the verge of getting a better version of Windows, a new-and-improved Mac OS, and
maybe a Linux for the masses, if the MEPIS folks can overcome some issues.
Not a bad horizon, I'd say.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Mark Kellner has reported on technology for industry newspapers and magazines since 1983, and has been the computer columnist for The Washington Times since 1991.Comment by clicking here.
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© 2008, News World Communications, Inc. Reprinted with permission of The Washington Times. Visit the paper at http://www.washingtontimes.com
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