As a computer consultant helping small businesses, one of the first things I do is install Firefox on the Windows computers. While there are still a handful of sites that only work with Internet Explorer, universally I find new users like the Fox… Seth Godin has quick instructions, if you need a hand, or another reason to choose Firefox: Seth’s Blog: Fix your computer.
A couple of interesting stories here. First of all, it takes about 4 minutes for an unpatched Windows machine connected to the Internet without a firewall to be compromised. The typical Linux machine takes more like 3 months, according to this VNU Net story: Linux fights off hackers.
A Linux Journal article by Tom Adelstein argues that studies that show 6% of desktops to be run on Linux in the next three years doesn’t take into account all the viruses, worms, and vulnerabilities of Windows. He predicts more like 25% market penetration in this space. Linux in Government: Planning for Open-Source Application Deployments
If you would like a good detailed overview for trying out Linux on a desktop, check out this story: Flexbeta - Fedora vs Mandrake vs Suse: Linux Distros Compared. It covers the three most popular Linux distributions, introducing you to desktop issues, office applications, and multimedia in Linux.
Robin Miller has written an interesting essay about providing network and desktop services based on open source software in NewsForge | Where is the ‘plug-and-play’ Linux office system? We find this story especially interesting, because it’s very close to what we’re trying to do at Freelock Computing. Sign up for our newsletter if you’d like to keep posted on our progress…
Buster Ellis has written a review of Simply Mepis, a bootable Linux CD that easily installs on your computer if you like it. See why at Ten Reasons For Trying SimplyMepis by Buster Ellis.
Desktop Linux has a good article about Mepis Linux, a distribution that can run from a CD-ROM and be easily installed (while running) on your hard drive. Great introduction to the variety of applications freely available in the open source world! Check it out: The Best Free Desktop Linux . . . and how to make it better.
From the New Zealand Herald, a story that needs no further introduction: Trickle of interest in Linux starts to become a corporate flood
Two articles on eWeek about Open Office: Office 2003 vs. Openoffice.Org compares Office 2003 to OpenOffice.org, and Open Source a Better Fit in Small Shops finds the sweet spot for OpenOffice deployments.
Dave Fancella’s Stupid Website has an anecdote about the ease of installation of Mandrake LInux 9.2, compared to Windows 2000. He had his wife install both, observing her choices, reactions, and how well she did without assistance.
Linux Today - LinuxPR: Nexedi and Mandrakesoft Announce rentalinux
Have a lot of old PCs you can’t install current software on? Need to deploy many computers, but don’t have the budget? This may be a solution. A thin client basically allows older underpowered computers to run the latest applications, by running them on a server. The Rentalinux server can host hundreds of client sessions simultaneously on one bigger server, and all your older hardware can be repurposed.
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