the formatting is completely and totally screwed here :p Or I can't read it for some reason ? It's one long column here
On 2 March 2010 11:59, Raphael Borg Ellul Vincenti <[email protected]>wrote: > I came across this feature article in the technology suppliment in the > Malta Sunday Times. > I have posted the test as I could not find a link to it on the online > version > > The Sunday Times TECHNOLOGY SUNDAY 11 > February 28, 2010 > Feature > A smooth operator > Owen Cutajar charts the rise of Ubuntu and calculates the true cost of a > free OS. > om > I > mounted my installation > source code that makes up a > media on my new Sunbox > particular Linux distribution > a.c > image and waited for my > and change it freely. Compare > brand new operating > this to the cost of mainstream > system to install. Within > operating systems. In the US, > minutes, the installation > for instance, both Windows 7 > process was complete and I > Ultimate and Mac OS X will set > alt > could explore what this new > you back around $300. You can > virtual machine could do. > get cheaper versions of course, > It’s not what you might expect > and you get a much cheaper > m > though. This new OS wasn’t > price when you buy a new PC. > Windows 7, nor was it Snow > But it’s still a lot of money when > Leopard, the new Mac OS. > compared to free. > of > Instead I was giving the new > Performance is another great > version of Ubuntu a spin. > feature of Linux. Ubuntu’s > Ubuntu is a popular version of > minimum requirements are > es > Linux based on Debian. Aimed > 256Mb of RAM and will run on > specifically at average users, it > any Pentium machine. If you > is designed to get you up and > have an old PC lying in a corner, > tim > running with minimal > you can install Ubuntu on it and > headaches. In fact, I went from > get a perfectly usable machine > a blank disk to using a word > out of it. As more applications > processor in under five > move to the internet, these > minutes, thanks to the fact that > machines become a perfect > m > Ubuntu ships with Open Office > portal to access your online > as part of the installation. > services. > Ubuntu was conceived in > So, if it’s really cheaper and > fro > 2004 and is currently managed, > performs better than Windows, > supported and funded by > why don’t more people use > Canonical Ltd., an Isle of Man > Linux? > company with headquarters in > There are two answers to this > London. Canonical contributes > question, depending on > se > extensively to the Open Source > whether you’re looking at the > community and raises revenue > home or business marketplace. > by providing a support model > With home computers, most > en > for its products, an aspect > people will use whatever OS > which is important for > comes with their computer. For > companies running their > most people, a computer is an > lic > business on Ubuntu. The man > appliance – you purchase it, > behind Canonical is South > plug it in and use it. Most > African entrepreneur Mark > people don’t care what OS is > Shuttleworth, famous for being > being used in much the same > the second ever self-funded > way that they don’t care what > er > space tourist. > brand of carburettor their car > Ubuntu’s popularity owes a > uses. > d > lot to its usability. Installation is > I’m sure you can get a > extremely straightforward and > conversion kit for your car, but > un > comes complete with a set of > most people aren’t even aware > applications including Open > the technology exists, let alone > Office, a free office application > bother with it. Microsoft knows > suite, Firefox for web browsing, > this, which is why it has special > GIMP for image editing, an e- > Original Equipment > C > mail client, instant messenger, > Manufacturer (OEM) deals with > media player and a selection of > hardware suppliers, providing > BP > games. > them with copies of Windows > It also includes an aptly > for next to nothing. > named Software Centre that lets > What about the more tech- > you browse and install > savvy and price-conscious > thousands of free packages. The > business market? Using an > by > default desktop is a software > Open Source OS has a number > application called GNOME, > of associated costs. There is the > which provides a graphic user > cost of training to make sure > interface that looks familiar to > staff becomes proficient with > ed > anyone who has used Windows > the system. > or an Apple computer. > Not all applications are > When it comes to Linux, I > available for Linux, limiting > can’t say I’ve ever really used it > ut > your choice of options. Finding > in anger. However, I have > drivers for your hardware can > noticed it creeping into my life > also be tricky. Sure, it’s an Open > rib > recently. My phone runs on > system and you write your own > Android (Linux kernel) and my > drivers, yet how many have the > satellite decoder is a Dreambox, > required level of expertise? And > also powered by Linux. > you still need an IT supplier to > st > However, I’m very much a > help you build and manage your > consumer of the technology > infrastructure. > rather than a builder or > So, while Windows dominates > Di > implementer. And Ubuntu is > the home market, the business > aimed very squarely at the > market will follow and pay the > consumer market, particularly > corresponding costs. But in the > at owners of netbooks and > meantime, if you want to have a > people with obsolete laptops, > look at Ubuntu, you can visit > which may struggle to run a > www.ubuntu.com, > modern OS. And here’s where > www.virtualbox.org, and > the killer features of Linux make > www.linux.com to get you > themselves felt – price and > started. > performance. > The cost of Linux: zilch. It’s > Mr Cutajar is a UK-based IT > free to download, install and > and services consultant and > run. You can even download the > runs www.mba-geek.com. > > > _______________________________________________ > MLUG-list mailing list > [email protected] > http://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list > >
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