I know some people swear that Beryl makes them more productive on Ubuntu than Metacity does, but I can’t see that happening for me, personally. Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn) makes the process of installing Beryl and Emerald dead simple. So I gave it another try (my previous attempt left me a bit frustrated with the… Continue reading I’ve spun the cube. Now what?
Month: June 2007
My time has no value?
Have you ever read the phrase Linux is free only if your time has no value? It’s the mantra of the frustrated migrant—the Windows user who’s sick of Windows, thinks desktop Linux is a drop-in replacement, and then has no idea what problems she’ll run into installing and configuring a new operating system from scratch.… Continue reading My time has no value?
Selling Keyboard Shortcuts
I taught an Excel class yesterday to some of my co-workers. Usually they think all my memorized keyboard shortcuts are just too crazy, but I managed to convince them during the class of the benefit of keyboard shortcuts. Here are a few things that helped: When I told them the keyboard shortcuts, I explained them… Continue reading Selling Keyboard Shortcuts
Does “belief in” public schools matter?
Maybe this is symptomatic of the kinds of social circles I run in, but I often hear friends and acquaintances saying that they are sending their kids (current or future) to public school because they “believe in public schools.” I’m not sure what this means exactly. All the people I know who say this, well-intentioned… Continue reading Does “belief in” public schools matter?
Google has a Linux repository? Cool.
I don’t know if people already know this, but Google has a Linux repository, and it also has Ubuntu-specific instructions (with screenshots) on how to set up the repositories. As far as I can tell, it’s Google Desktop Search, Google Earth, and Picasa. I’ll see what else it has, though…
Macs are computers, not magic (part 2)
Last night my wife had a meeting with a bunch of other designers for a small volunteer publication. All had Macs, of course. Two had Macbook Pros (my wife is still on a G4 Powerbook) and were commiserating about the overheating and noise issues (some weird whirring every now and then). They weren’t unhappy. They… Continue reading Macs are computers, not magic (part 2)
Does browser speed matter?
At work, I have a high-speed internet connection. At home, I also have a high-speed internet connection. If ever I was to be on dial-up, I think I’d just browse with images turned off (or use a text-only browser, like Dillo). No matter what browser I’m trying or using, I always use tabs. So, when… Continue reading Does browser speed matter?
Evolution trumps Outlook for Exchange?
I just took a new job, and my new school uses Microsoft Exchange for email, so Thunderbird is out as an option (yes, I’ve tried to read about how to use Thunderbird for Microsoft Exchange—all the instructions are too complicated or incomplete). The computer I got for work was supposedly configured to check Exchange using… Continue reading Evolution trumps Outlook for Exchange?
The price of apples
Recently, both my brother and I had occasion to visit our parents’ home briefly for a family event. He decided he needed to have some apples while there, so he bought a box of fifteen fuji apples from Costco because “it was the best value.” Well, it may have been the best value per apple,… Continue reading The price of apples
Types of desktop Linux adoption barriers
I don’t want to get in another argument about what the “biggest” barrier to desktop Linux adoption is. What’s the point? Even if “big” could be quantified, who cares if one is the “biggest”? There are a lot of barriers, and they all work in tandem. These barriers to adoption rarely operate alone. Awareness I… Continue reading Types of desktop Linux adoption barriers