Interestingly, what’s missing in the video is Windows ME. It’s fine, it will not be missed anyway. Windows 7 is a great operating system offering from Microsoft. I’ve been using it since its prerelease. It’s worth the upgrade and the money.

Snow Leopard bug can delete account data

A bug has been reported in Apple’s new Snow Leopard version of OS X that can result in the loss of an entire user account’s data. The glitch seems to be triggered by using a Guest account and then trying to log back into a regular account.

According to multiple topics on the Apple Support discussion boards, the problem can occur when a user logs into their Mac’s Guest account — whether by accident or on purpose — and then tries to log back into their regular account.

In some cases, users have reported finding their regular account empty of data, as though it were a brand new account.

Speculation is that something makes Snow Leopard treat the regular account like a Guest account, from which by default all data is deleted upon logout. Further speculation is that the problem occurs when the Guest account was already enabled in Leopard before being upgraded to Snow Leopard. (Source: IT Wire)

This is really bad if it’s true. Apple has yet to confirm this.

Ubuntu aims for ten-second boot time with 10.04

The growing adoption of the Linux operating system on netbook devices has compelled Linux distributors to focus on improving startup performance. Ubuntu 9.04, which was released last month, is one distribution where these improvements are particularly noticeable.

The developers behind the Ubuntu Linux distribution aim to significantly improve boot performance. Their ambitious goal for 2010 is to reduce total boot time to 10 seconds. (Source: Ars)

On a side note, I just ordered a MacBook Pro.

Intel strikes back at ARM, buys embedded OS maker Wind River

Intel has massively stepped up its plans to conquer the embedded space by buying the company behind the hugely popular VxWorks real-time embedded OS. This is a blow to ARM, and it signals just how serious Intel is about embedded.

Yesterday evening, after writing the previous two articles on the battle between Intel and ARM + NVIDIA for the ultramobile space, I was telling our Linux editor why I think Intel pours so many resources into Moblin and other parts of the Linux ecosystem: they want to keep x86-based Linux well ahead of ARM, because the software stack is critical to making inroads in low-power mobile and embedded applications. But while Moblin might be fine for web tablets and the like, real embedded customers of the sort that Intel would ultimately like to poach from ARM run the VxWorks real-time OS by Wind River. So this morning, Intel has announced that it is going to do with VxWorks what it cannot do with Linux—it’s just buying the whole thing.

Intel plans to buy Wind River for a cool $884 million in cash, and it seems likely that it plans to extend their Linux strategy to this new OS. Intel’s announcement on the deal emphasizes that Wind River will be run as a subsidiary of Intel, and that “Wind River will continue to develop innovative, commercial-grade software platforms that support multiple hardware architectures that are optimized for the needs of its many embedded and mobile customers.” But Intel isn’t shy about trumpeting the fact that Wind River will now turn considerable attention to the x86 port of VxWorks. (Source: Ars)

Bug #1 in Ubuntu: “Microsoft has a majority market share”

Microsoft has a majority market share in the new desktop PC marketplace.

This is a bug, which Ubuntu is designed to fix.

Non-free software is holding back innovation in the IT industry, restricting access to IT to a small part of the world’s population and limiting the ability of software developers to reach their full potential, globally. This bug is widely evident in the PC industry.

Steps to repeat:

1. Visit a local PC store.

What happens:

1. Observe that a majority of PCs for sale have non-free software pre-installed.
2. Observe very few PCs with Ubuntu and free software pre-installed.

What should happen:

1. A majority of the PCs for sale should include only free software like Ubuntu.
2. Ubuntu should be marketed in a way such that its amazing features and benefits would be apparent and known by all.
3. The system shall become more and more user friendly as time passes.

(Source: Launchpad)

I have an Acer Aspire One. Here’s the level of support:

Acer Aspire One

Works well for most things, sound, webcam, ports all reported to work correctly. Minor problems include pulseaudio interfering with sound recording, and media card reader issues unless it is booted with a card in the slot.

Known issues:

335843 – media card reader not hotpluggable on acer aspire one

354620 – Recording from microphone stutters when pulseaudio is running

I hope they fix the wireless indicator.

Go here to download Ubuntu 9.04.

And when congratulated by Microsoft, the 8 year old Casalan’s reaction was gold “The Microsoft officials gave me computer games and DVDs with cartoons when I passed the exams because I am a child. That was nice, but I’m not really interested in those things.” I somehow think the Microsoft officials did what’s most appropriate.

Marko Casalan, 8, is officially world’s youngest IT whizz

At the age of 8, Marko has become the world’s youngest certified computer system administrator and was deemed the Mozart of Computers by the press after passing exams for IT professionals with the computer giant Microsoft.

“The Microsoft officials gave me computer games and DVDs with cartoons when I passed the exams because I am a child. That was nice, but I’m not really interested in those things,” young Marko told The Times.

“I’d like to be a computer scientist when I grow up and create a new operational system.”

His parents, who are IT experts and run a computer school for children, are considering sending Marko abroad to a specialised institute of learning for gifted children, as none exists in Macedonia.

“Marko displayed exceptional learning abilities at a very early age. He was able to replicate a computer operation after only reading about it on the internet. Now we ask him for help when we have some IT related problem at work,” Marko’s mother, Radica Calasan, 38, told The Times. (Source: TimesOnline)

I generally don’t agree with putting kids through these gifted programs. They’re hardly that beneficial. I feel a kid who enjoys his or her childhood with other friends of similar age gain a hundred times more experience than a kid with an Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA). Well, just saying.

Player support on 64-bit operating systems

Issue

Adobe Flash Player is not supported for playback in a 64-bit browser. However, you can run Flash Player in a 32-bit browser running on a 64-bit operating system.

Reason

Adobe is working on Flash Player support for 64-bit platforms as part of our ongoing commitment to the cross-platform compatibility of Flash Player. We expect to provide native support for 64-bit platforms in an upcoming release of Flash Player following Flash Player 10.

Solution

To use Flash Player to view Flash content on a 64-bit operating system, you must run a 32-bit browser. (Source: Adobe)

To install Flash, you can always revert to a 32 bit browser. I just somehow like the number 64 that’s all.

UPDATE: Thousands of viewer comments, phone calls about Ubuntu computer story

Ubuntu fans read our story and linked to it on Linux fan message boards and other technology blogs. By Thursday morning, several major technology websites featured WKOW’s article on their front pages.

That’s also when the comments – many of them angry, rude, and hateful – started pouring in.

Many Ubuntu users also wrote very personal attacks about the young lady who was having trouble using the operating system. They called her “lazy,” “a dumb girl,” and “not worthy of a college degree.”

The young woman also contacted 27 News to report she’s being harassed on her Facebook account by Ubuntu users.

This story has gotten so much attention, computer experts are calling us.

“They’re mad because it puts Ubuntu in a bad light,” said Adam Wiesenfarth, a technology consultant at UW-Madison.

“If you’re not a computer tinkerer, and you’re not willing to do research and digging, it may not be for you.”

Meanwhile, Dell contacted 27 News to say its representatives would contact the young woman to help her deal with her computer situation. (Source: WKOW)

I mainly use Windows Vista for my daily work because of Office 2007. I log on to Ubuntu sometimes to work on web development. And recently I installed Windows 7 for kicks. It’s prettier and I like the fact that now there is a shortcut key for maximize – Win+UpKey.