It has been a while since my last update. It is not because I am lazy but because I have transitioned my computer operating system from Windows XP to the Linux Ubuntu distribution. It has taken some trials to get it functioning but now that I am up, the overall assessment is positive.

I got the open-source bug a while back because the I like the concept of anybody who wants to learn and contribute can write or modify software. I also like that it is free. I can argue both sides of the debate (as I have with a network admin friend of mine) but quite honestly I'm that passionate about the “cause” and I am not anti-Microsoft the company. But I am a consumer and find that on “what you get for the price,” Linux is so much better,

First, the cons... I do have reoccurring issues with Firefox web-browser crashing. I find that the browser profile easily get corrupt. I have learned how to delete the profile using the command line (I'll get to in a minute) but to keep all of the personalized settings, there is a whole other set of steps that I just haven't cared to bother with. The other thing is the command line. This is where the majority of the learning curve comes into play. In Ubuntu, there is a lot of GUI admin functionality but you still can't avoid the command line. I don't know Linux (or Unix) commands so I've been slowing learning as needed. Truth is, it is not that bad if you have a few onces of technical aptitude. The Ubuntu forums are outstanding and have had a fix for every issue I've had. But, if you are completely computer illiterate and don't know anybody to help you out, this may not be the system for you. Then again, Microsoft may not be either.

The pros... everything you get in MS including email and Office tools are there, function great, and are free. There are thousands and thousands of programs I can install and play with ranging from financial packages to games. I can customize the look and navigation to fit what I like – in fact, I have a good friend that setup his test Linux box to look and navigate exactly like a Mac. This OS is more stable and faster than XP. It picked up every piece of hardware and drivers (I could never get XP to pick up my LAN card) and it is lighter, around 2GB instead of XP's 5GB. I have not used MS Vista yet but I know it takes a monster machine to run it. The same friend that got his looking like a Mac, put it on an old HP laptop with 256MB Ram and 1.5Ghz processor that XP stalled on and now it just hums.

So far, I am very pleased with Linux and look forward to expanding my knowledge and capabilities. But, I am back online and have a list of writings to complete. Cheers!