Windows Is Free

Tokyo Linux Users Group ^ | 15 August 2007 | Dave Gutteridge

[ShadowAce]

[sionnsar]

So long as the product I was picking up for free did not fail so poorly in its task as to cause harm or be completely useless, I would pick it up.

I have here a free Toshiba e740 (Windows) PocketPC, one that was given away. It is not completely useless, but is unreliable enough I won't use it (probably why it was given away). Yes, I picked it up, though I've regretted it. (If there were only a Linux port for it...)

[ShadowAce]

But the free aspect was what led you to try it out, right? There are plenty of free Linux distros that I’ve tried but don’t use. I found one I like and I use it exclusively.

[TruthSetsUFree]

What is the one you settled on?

[sionnsar]

Yup. It was free and it was Toshiba; many years ago I was very happy with their Tecra laptops. This was a major disappointment, following on my minor disappointment with the Toshiba Gigabeat "MP3" player (although the only disappointments in it were their adoption of DRM, and the wretched "Gigabeat Room" software), which was solved by installing (OSS) Rockbox on it.

But it just sits there now, until it either goes in the trash or I give it away to somebody else.

[ShadowAce]

I use Fedora. I’m currently on Fedora 8, having gone through all the versions back to Red Hat 0.9 in 1994. That is the main reason I stay with it—I know it pretty well.

[TruthSetsUFree]

Is there a site that shows the different Linux versions and what their different features are?

Ubuntu seems to be a popular one, but was is its advantage over Fedora, for instance, or vice versa?

[rockrr]

I’ve played with a couple of Linux distros and would happily dump Windoze but for two reasons - driver support and interoperability.

Ubunto immediately loaded drivers for my Cisco WiFi card and I was able to connect to my router, but I have yet to find any Linux support for my Sierra HSDPA broadband card. Without it, (for my needs) my laptop is as useful as a car without wheels.

My company, a committed Windoze adopter, has gone out of its way to make using Linux impossible in the workplace. Beyond simply prohibiting it and an alternative, they employ methods to even deny it IP addresses.

I’ve enjoyed using Ubunto and would migrate to it at home if I could resolve the lack of broadband support.

[rdb3]

Interesting piece, ShadowAce.

[papasmurf]

I wished I still had my e740 information folder. I had one, and found several hacks that made it become one of the best I’ve ever owned. They are still on the net if you want to search for them. It was the first wireless device I ever had, and caused me to buy my first wireless router. Loved the power and speed of that one.

Good luck.

P.S. If you want to give it away, I’ll em you my P.O. Box number. :)

[papasmurf]

Sierra have a published several Linux guides here: http://www.sierrawireless.com/faq/Default.aspx

Don’t give up, and good luck!

[ShadowAce]

Try DistroWatch. It lists distros and recent news about each one. As far as features go, they're pretty similar. For a Windows user, I'd recommend going with a KDE-oriented one at first, as it is most like Windows.

[ShadowAce]

If the link in post #12 doesn’t help, try ,a href=”http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/joomla/";>ndiswrapper</a> to load up your windows drivers under Linux.

[ShadowAce]

I thought it was an interesting take on how the average person views the availability of Windows.

[org.whodat]

What system is used in most universities to teach computers? It’s not brain surgery folks!

[ShadowAce]

Do you mean applications or programming? In my programming classes (a while ago), I used Unix, Windows, and Macs. Most of it was done on Unix, though.

[goldstategop]

A more painless way to use Windows drivers under Linux is to upload your Windows driver to Linuxant. You can try it out for free and if it works you pay a $20 lifetime fee. The driver runs under PCLinux2007. Its much easier than compiling the driver with Ndiswrapper. Native driver support for wireless and broadband is a problem under Linux but virtually all other hardware is now detected and supported unlike the old days. And both Linux and Mac will connect to broadband without the need of a generic hardware dial up modem.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[sionnsar]

There was something seriously wrong with this one, though so many months later we’ve forgotten what.

[papasmurf]

I think the main issue was in the Toshiba modified OS itself. I do remember flashing it with a “cooked” rom just after I got it.

After I made that post, I called the guy I sold mine to and left a message asking if he still had the cd I burned for him. If he does, and will send it or make it available to me, I’ll get it to you, if you like.