I have been writing posts reflecting my journey with linux Ubuntu and have come to a final conclusion for anyone who is thinking about using or switching. Ubuntu is easy to install IF everything goes smoothly. On my first try it installed but would not start up. On my second try it installed but locked me out asking for a password and username that I did not have. On my final try it installed just fine. The install can be easy but its aggravating. Once installed, its ready to go….well wait..browsing the internet is equally aggravating. Most of the plugins that come with Firefox on linux do not work and websites won’t load. If you try to install a plugin it won’t install. (and yes i had the linux version). Bottom line: with all of the bugs of doing something as simple as printing or trying to install needed software its not worth it. No matter how aggravating Windows can be its much more efficient and practical. I don’t want to spend all night trying to make a video play on Ubuntu or installing AVG and then in the end having then not work.

As an update to a previous post, I have finally got around to installing Ubuntu 9.04 on the desktop computer. I have a virus that has disabled Windows anti-virus software so I will be trying a workaround with Linux Ubuntu. So far the Windows installation of Ubuntu has not worked. That could be due to the virus and I will probably end up setting it up with its own partition on the hard drive. At the moment I am running it live from the CD (which is perfect for getting the feel for Linux) and it works just fine.

Amazon has had some bad press lately regarding the Kindle 2 and a protective case accessory that is supposed to protect this $300 electronic book reader. Instead, it crack the Kindle and ruined it. Amazon would not replace the product until they were hit with a lawsuit. I don’t always believe a lawsuit serves its purpose, but I’m on board with this one. Amazon should take responsibility for the products they sell and when an item is defective beyond the customer’s control it is the company’s problem.

My desktop computer finally succumbed to a virus attack and crashed today. Most of the features are unusable and an alert pops up in the background warning of spyware. System restore I useless at it states there are no restore points. I think it has come down to deleting the hard drive and installing a new copy of Windows.

While I’m at it, I might try Linux again. I experimented with it once before and it ended up locking itself with a bug. I’m assuming the build is much better now. (Linux Ubuntu) Anyone else recomend another version?

Google has announced overnight that it will be entering the PC operating system market with their own operating system directly taking on Microsoft Windows. Its about time Microsoft gets some competition from a company with deep pockets such as Google. I think this will forever change the computer industry for the better. There are two scenarios that could happen. (1) Microsoft finally gets their act together and creates simple, easy, and effective software. (2) Google creates a revolutionary new operating system that will level the playing field. Hopefully, the cost of some of these systems can be kicked down a notch as well. Windows Vista was a huge vacuum sucker of memory along with the latest new Microsoft Office products that are redone every 3 years to make customers pay another $200. A Google operating system could bring the memory load down to size along with their free online office apps. It will be interesting to see what plays out.

Feed readers take some practice to get used to but they can help you manage loads of information all from one spot. (1) The first thing to do is to pick your online reader:

This one is more personal opinion, but I use Google Reader. There is also Netvibes, Bloglines, and NewsGator. With Google, you can use your existing screen name to sign in and use.

(2) Adding feeds to your reader. Usually a feed reader will allow you to type in your favorite website and it will automatically fetch your feed. So to get started, type in any site that produces information you would like to read and add it to your reader. For example, you can fetch feeds from the NY Times, Digg, Twitter, or any blog. To go further, you can select which category of the feed to follow such as NY Times Technology or Technology in Digg. Add as many as you want to your collection.

(3) Managing and organizing/reading feeds. Google allows you (and most other readers) to organize the site you follow into folders to help you stay organized. For example, you can have a folder with your technology sites, another with your political sites, and another with humor sites. Reading your what your sites produce is what makes a feed reader so useful. You have everything in one area and you can quickly browse through titles, a brief paragraph, or the whole post. As you read, your posts are automatically marked read so its easy to see what is new and what sites have been updated.

Those are the basics. Depending on what online reader you choose, playing around with the features they offer is the best way to learn. It takes some practice, but eventually your reader will become the most useful way to browse your favorite sites quickly and efficiently.

It seems to be getting more difficult to figure out what comments are spam and what aren’t. My spam catcher is usually very good about filtering the legit comments from spam, but every once in a while I run across one that looks like it should be real. If a comment you post doesn’t show up, I apologize. Getting 40+ spam comments a day its impractical to filter manually. Today I de-marked one comment and am still unsure about it. This got me thinking: I wonder how common it is for legit comments to get marked as spam for other bloggers. A reader poll is born.

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For the last few months the spam collecting on in the delete folder of this blog is on the rise. In many cases the spam has gone from gibberish to a seemingly legit comment. Or is it? A closer look reveals that the same comment appears by another user. Big coincidence? The name of the commenter always happens to be a business or sales pitch. Red flag.

By: How to Make Thousands of Dollars Posting Links on Google
[oh what a name, nice to meet you]

Thanks for posting, I’ll definitely be subscribing to your blog.

By: Buy Cheap Nanny Camera [I sure will once you get out of my spam box]

Cool website, like what I have read. Will definitely be back to read again.

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This slithery little spy serpent is a pretty cool gadget unveiled by Israel that could be used on the battle field. It really does appear to be a giant snake from a distance. I wonder how many enemies have a snake phobia?

Along the topic of cool battle field toys, the F-22 Raptor is far from child’s play. I believe its the very essence that defines American Air Force power. As the pilot mentions, superiority over any other aircraft an enemy can launch is a pretty darn awesome feeling. Too bad Obama capped production to cut costs while spending more on wasteful areas of government. In any case, North Korea doesn’t stand a chance against this machine if they intend to take action.