Practical Technology

for practical people.

June 20, 2008
by sjvn01
3 Comments

Novell enters the UMPC Linux Market

In case there’s anyone left out there who doesn’t get that the UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC) is a big deal for the Linux desktop consider that arguably the most important business Linux desktop, Novell’s SLED (SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop) 10 SP2) is now available on MSI’s (Micro-Star International) new Wind Notebook.

The Wind NB-Linux is what Intel would have us call a NetBook. It uses a 1.6-GHz Intel Atom microprocessor and comes with 512MBs of RAM and an 80-GB hard drive. For networking it uses 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and conventional Ethernet.

This new SLED-powered UMPC also has a 10” wide (1024×600 resolution) LCD screen and a built-in 1.3-Megapixel Webcam. MSI and SLED support this, and the built-in microphone, with Skype for on-the-go video conferencing.

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June 20, 2008
by sjvn01
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The Simpsons, Red Hat, and Open-Source Development

What do The Simpsons and Red Hat have in common? Well, almost nothing on the surface.

You might be able to imagine Lisa working on a green-technology, open-source project or Homer going into a panic because his Linux/Unix computer might turn him into a eunuch but that’s a real stretch between America’s favorite dysfunctional family and most popular Linux operating system. That didn’t stop Red Hat from bringing Joel Cohen, the Simpsons‘ co-producer, to speak to the Linux giant’s partners and developers at this week’s Red Hat Summit. And you know what? It turns out there is a real connection between The Simpsons and open-source.

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June 19, 2008
by sjvn01
4 Comments

Red Hat and the Linux Desktop 2008

Boston, Mass. — Red Hat has a desktop Linux plan. It’s just not the same desktop Linux plans that everyone else has. As Jim Whitehurst told me in an informal gathering of Red Hat executives and press, “There are companies that sell hundreds of products for millions of dollars and there are companies that sell millions of products for hundreds of dollars. Guess which kind of company Red Hat is?”

Does that mean that Red Hat doesn’t plan to bring out a desktop Linux? No, it doesn’t meant that at all. It does mean that Red Hat is not going to compete with Ubuntu on Dell; Xandros on Asus; or gOS on Everex. Red Hat simply doesn’t see a role for itself in consumer desktop Linux. As Paul Cormier, Red Hat’s executive VP , noted at the same get together, if Joe User wants a home desktop Linux, there’s always Fedora, Red Hat’s popular community Linux distribution..

What Red Hat is working on is continuing to make RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) business desktop friendly. Whitehurst said many business customers want the Linux desktop. They don’t want to move their desktops lock, stock, and barrel to RHEL, or any other Linux desktop. What Fortune 500 companies do want though is to start moving up to 25% of their desktops to Linux.

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June 18, 2008
by sjvn01
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Virtualization and Linux: Red Hat Unveils New Vision

Three strategic virtualization initiatives were the stars of the show as Linux powerhouse Red Hat opened its Red Hat Summit today in Boston. What do the Red Hat moves mean to you? More options in open source virtualization tools and a new open source effort around virtualization security, for starters.

The Red Hat move that will catch the eye of most users is the Embedded Linux Hypervisor, oVirt. This is a lightweight, embeddable hypervisor that currently lets you run Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Microsoft Windows VMs (virtual machines) on Linux. What makes this more interesting than just another virtualization announcement: you will be able to carry oVirt-customized VMs from PC to server to what-have-you in your pocket on a USB key drive, Red Hat says.

The open-source oVirt hypervisor, now available as a beta, is based on the KVM project. KVM, in turn, has been an integral part of the Linux kernel since February, 2007. In other words, this is not pie-in-the-sky technology. It’s founded on existing virtualization technologies.

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June 18, 2008
by sjvn01
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Hands-On: Firefox 3 fixes what’s broke and keeps what’s right

The Mozilla Foundation is celebrating the arrival of Firefox 3 with a worldwide party — and an attempt to set a new world record for the most downloads ever of a single software program. OK, so that’s silly and extremely geekish, but what the heck? Why not kick up a fuss?

Especially because Firefox 3 is the best Web browser I’ve ever seen. And I’ve been using the Web since before there were Web browsers.

As far as I’m concerned, Firefox has been setting the standard for Web browsers since it first appeared in 2004. At the time, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer ruled the Web, and it did a lousy job. But unless you were savvy enough to try alternatives such as Opera — or were still hoping that Netscape would get its act together — you were stuck with IE.

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June 16, 2008
by sjvn01
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Ballmer’s biggest flop to date

No, I’m not going to say Vista. I see Vista as an organizational failure. Ballmer gets his share of the blame, but there’s plenty of blame to go around. Now, Microhoo, the failed attempt to buy out Yahoo — that heaping pile lands directly on Ballmer’s doorstep.

Let me walk you through it. First, as we all know, Microsoft has been obsessed by Google. Ballmer is convinced that Google is The Enemy.

I’ve never quite understood this. Yes, in general terms, Google is the one technology company that Microsoft hasn’t been able to beat into the ground. So what? Microsoft makes its billions from selling software. Google makes it mint from online advertising and the search engine that powers it.

Certainly, as the years have rolled by, Microsoft has tried to storm into Google’s search stronghold. They’ve failed. It won’t be the first or last time that Microsoft moved out of its comfort zone and into the twilight zone.

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