I installed Ubuntu Linux a short time ago and I love it. It’s fast and responsive, the GNOME interface makes so much more sense than Windows, it’s feature packed, it’s all around better.

I can’t give up Windows though. As much as I’d like to, I’m too reliant on two programs - Photoshop and Sony Vegas. I need them for web design work and filmmaking stuff. Oh well, I can deal.

Today though was an unordinarily bad Microsoft day.

First my computer crashed trying to play an MP3 in Windows Media Player. I opened the file, decided I didn’t want to play it, pressed stop and closed the application. The app appeared to close, but the process was still open in the Task Manager. It wouldn’t close either.

So I restart my computer (from the button). I made sure to save all my work in Microsoft Word first. I get my computer back on, go to finish up my report, and guess what?

The report is gone.

I saved that report, at least 3 times (even before I had Windows Media Player open). Absolutely ridiculous. An hour’s worth of work, wasted, because Media Player couldn’t handle an MP3.

So consider this a semi-official announcement: unless I need to check out a Flash video (and it won’t be long until Flash 9 for Linux is out), edit a movie in Vegas, or work in Photoshop (I’m a GIMP hater), I’m done with Microsoft. I’m sick of buggy apps. I’m sick of losing my information. I’m sick of being locked in to proprietary formats.

Ubuntu is relatively bug-free. Even when there are bugs, I can directly report them and get feedback! Sure, you can report Microsoft’s bugs, but you don’t get feedback on your bugs, suggestions on how to fix the problem or tips on avoiding it in the future. With Linux, you do!

Ubuntu is fast. My Windows partition takes about 4 minutes to start up - button pressed to Firefox opened. By the time all the crap is initialized at startup, I’m in another room getting food to eat (and we wonder about the obesity epidemic… ).

Ubuntu is easy. I know people argue this point, but really. It is. I’m not a coder, I don’t pretend to be. The extent of my knowledge is XHTML, and seriously - any MySpacer knows the basics. I am able to use Ubuntu with relatively few Terminal clicks. And even when I need Terminal, I don’t worry about it. It’s relatively easy once you understand the basic concepts (SUDO aka admin, navigation in folders, and building programs - a simple three-step process “Make, ./configure, install!). If I don’t get something, I google it. Ubuntuforums or a similar site (or Jacob!) will get me an answer in seconds.

Is there a learning curve? Yeah, but it’s overpronounced. If you’re the email-checking, web-surfing type, don’t worry, you’ll get Linux with no trouble. Need some more complex stuff? Take a half hour or so and learn! It’s easy, and if you let it, it can actually be interesting.

Adieu, Microsoft. Get your act together and I might be back.

Episode 3 of the PodDev podcast features an interview with Josh Jones of Dreamhost. Topics include Files Forever, overselling, downtime, and upgrades to Dreamhost’s network. Also in the podcast: a discussion on PayPerPost, a look at the Google/YouTube rumour, and more.

PodDev this week was pretty cool, and Josh Jones was a great guest. I’m gonna send this Scoble’s way now, since he’s been commenting on Dreamhost.

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Zoho have launched a unified sign on feature for their online office suite, allowing users to log in to Zoho Writer, Sheet, Show, Planner, Creator, and Chat - all with one email and password. They’re planning on bringing more Zoho services to the single sign on in the future.

I also blogged about this over at YouMakeMedia… check it out fo sho.

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Hey folks,

I’m trying to get back into the swing of posting on YouMakeMedia so I’m trying a new service called “Writetomyblog” that’ll let me more easily post when I don’t have access to my blog itself. (It’s banned at my school, I’m trying to figure out why)

I don’t like their implementation of TinyMCE, imho they should rip WordPress’s straight-up, but heck– it does what it’s designed to do.

I’m posting this here cuz (obviously) I won’t know if it’s posted to YMM since that’s blocked, and the FeedBurner feed takes time to update…

Chris

http://searchmash.com/

Google have launched searchmash, a new search site (using their results from what I can tell) that they’ll test new user interfaces on. They aren’t using Google Labs because they want more objective user data.

hmmm intriguing.

What started on deviantART 2 years ago has turned into a monolith of data. This is the federal discretionary budget. Your federal income taxes at work. You paid for part of everything in this graph whether you like it or not. Here you will find the graph itself, supporting information, forums, and lots more to help you get your head around it all.

Digg er up to the frontpage! I’m a bit afraid that this’ll become a “sleeper hit” (it gets as many diggs as you need for a frontpage but because it’s spread out you don’t actually hit the fp). If all the hits are together in one burst perhaps we can get it to FP!

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Celtx is a free/open source program for screenwriting and general pre-production organization based on Mozilla’s XUL framework. The Celtx team recently gave YouMakeMedia a preview of their new release, version 0.9.8, which features major changes to the “Project Central” script collaboration server.

digg it foo

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