Thursday, December 4, 2008

Mac attack

If you're ready for an even bigger switch, the simple, clean lines of MacBook laptops and Mac Pro desktops hint that using a computer could be straightforward – easy, even. Mac OS X offers the same promise.

Apple's Mac OS X and Windows let you do similar things: surf the web, send emails, play music, organise and print your photos, make home movies and so on. Both can run Microsoft Office, and PC and Mac files can be shared on both systems. But the Mac interface seems to have fewer layers, levels and cryptic settings.

Like Microsoft, Apple ships software a-plenty with its OS X system, most notably the iLife suite. iPhoto handles photographs, iMovie edits video and iTunes manages your music. The latter is available for both Mac OS and Windows so if you've tried iTunes, you'll have a clue how straightforward but powerful Apple programs can be.

Because Apple creates both the hardware and the OS, everything tends to work without glitches. Installing software is certainly easier. Apple proudly boasts that there are no known Mac viruses or spyware loose in the wild. This could be because OS X is a more secure system, or simply because there are so few Macs in relation to Windows PCs that malicious programmers don't bother targeting the Mac OS. It's probably a bit of both, but the result is the same. Mac users don't install virus software and live a more carefree computing life.

It's nearly enough to make a 20-year Windows user jump ship. But that's not necessary, of course. Apple's Boot Camp software allows Intel-based Macs to bypass OS X and boot directly into Windows or other x86 OSes, such as Linux. Now, both übergeeks and regular folks who enjoy OS X's simplicity but still need to run applications in XP, Vista or Linux can run all of these operating systems on one PC.

And with the addition of inexpensive or free virtualisation software from Parallels and VMware, Macs can run those OSes simultaneously. Parallels' software provides a unique Coherence feature, that runs virtualised Windows apps inside OS X – giving you the best of both worlds. Parallels got a jump on VMware, whose product – code-named Fusion – is due this summer.

Both of these programs take a serious performance hit when running, and you'll need twice as much memory to run two OSes at once. And you can forget running Windows games through virtualisation software – although they run well using Boot Camp. As for running games on Mac OS X, well you might as well forget it completely.

Both Parallels and VMware are working to add 3D acceleration to their products, which could finally make serious gaming on a virtualised OS a reality. In the meantime, running games on Macs is a no-no.

But the big Mac OS news is just arriving as Apple is set to launch a new version, OS X 10.5, otherwise known as Leopard, although its release has been delayed until October while Apple works on its iPhone. Leopard promises a modest but desirable collection of features including Time Machine, an automatic backup system that lets let you flip back and forth through previous versions of your files.

Plus Leopard adds support for stationery and an integrated to-do list in Mail, an expansion of the Spotlight search tool to locate files on other Macs on your network, an Exposé-style virtual desktop feature called Spaces, as well as some as-yet-unannounced (killer, we hope) features.
However, Apple still won't allow OS X to be run on non-Mac systems, making buying Apple hardware the only way to run Windows and Mac OSes on one system. All this comes at a cost and Macs are expensive. They are comparable in price to high-end machines such as Sony Vaios, but there are no bargain-brand Macs to rival Dell. Add the cost of a new copy of Windows Vista to the price, and you'll suddenly realise why Macs don't sell as well as PCs.

Another down side is that because fewer people own Macs, you may find yourself stuck for fellow Mac owners that can help you out. So when problems do arise, you'll have to sort them out yourself or rely on internet forums for advice.

Lots to like in Linux

Linux is an open-source operating system, meaning that it's freely available for installation, perusal and adaptation by anyone with the inclination and the know-how to do so. It was developed and distributed by Linus Torvalds, after whom it is named. It was then completed by enthusiasts worldwide, who continue to write applications for Linux.

Windows, by contrast, attempts to keep its design hidden from view. We certainly couldn't envisage Microsoft making its underlying code available to all and sundry to pick apart at will.

Linux was always seen as an also-ran OS, at least for less tech-savvy PC users. It didn't offer the same ease of use as either the Mac OS or Windows. Nor did it come preinstalled on a PC – something that the likes of Dell and HP have dabbled in and, in the former's case, are looking to push ahead with later this year, albeit in a limited way.

Another issue with Linux is that versions of it varied depending on the build or distribution you bought or downloaded. Red Hat and Suse are among the best known, but Ubuntu has been making great strides and it can be run from a bootable CD.

Such distributions are going a long way to change Linux's reputation for being difficult and complex to install and use. Ubuntu's bootable Desktop CD lets you find out whether or not you'll like Linux – and whether Linux will like your PC – without installing anything to the hard disk.

A few clicks more make room for Ubuntu and set it up on your hard drive, alongside Windows or the Mac OS (See Enough Ubuntu already, below). Once the Linux system is in place, a couple of simple applications let you choose from and install hundreds of free programs, including productivity, multimedia and development tools.

Another popular distribution, Novell's OpenSuse, provides configuration utilities and libraries of applications that are nearly as easy to navigate as Ubuntu's. Both Linux distributions deliver frequent bug fixes and automatic updates.

And visually-minded Linux fans can choose from dozens of user interfaces, chief among them KDE and Gnome. Both interfaces are evolving steadily, borrowing good ideas from each other as well as from Apple and Microsoft.
Despite its reputation, with its minimal hardware requirements and solid security Linux is more than capable of serving as a bullet-proof primary operating system. And with painless dual-booting and virtualisation options, including several free and open-source applications and the kernel-based Xen software, you can easily try out the latest in Linux without having to abandon your current operating system.

www.pcadvisor.co

Mac, PC or Linux? Your next operating system

Choosing the perfect PC platform has never been easier. There have been significant advances in the Windows XP, Windows Vista, Mac and Linux operating systems, so let PC Advisor show you how to enjoy the benefits of all four.

Once, you were either a Windows user, a Mac devotee or a Unix geek. Whatever your poison, you had one OS (operating system) and little or no intention of changing allegiance to another.

Those days are over, however, thanks to the ubiquity of the Intel processor and the hard work of legions of software developers. Now, Apple's systems can run Windows XP and Vista as well as the Mac OS. Meanwhile, Vista is available on new PCs, but you can boot the same system with a Ubuntu Linux disc you downloaded and burned for free. And if you like Ubuntu, you can install it alongside Windows in just a few clicks.

Drastic improvements in virtualisation software, along with hardware advances and standardisation on x86 CPUs, allow any OS to play host to virtual versions of others. Every computer needs a primary OS, but mixing-and-matching them is now far easier.

It's not uncommon for a hobbyist to own a mix of Apple Macs running OS X, PCs running XP and Vista and a couple of computers with Linux distributions. But mainstream users are getting in on the multi-OS act too.

Here, we'll look at whether you should stick with Windows XP, make the move to Vista or perhaps try something entirely different. Whatever you regard as the most important aspect of your day-to-day computing experience – security, usability, software support or appearance – we've got the right system for your needs.

Over the next five pages we outline the key benefits of each OS to take the hassle out of deciding whether XP, Vista, Mac OS or Linux is most suitable for you. And the prescient facts are presented here, in this feature comparison table:

iconDownload: OS comparison table

www.pcadvisor.co

AVG update cripples some Windows XP systems

On Tuesday an update for AVG 8 suggested that a Windows system file is a Trojan horse, and users who delete the file form the system could leave their Windows XP systems endlessly rebooting or unable to reboot at all. The problem only affects users of AVG 8 products running the Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish language versions of Windows XP. AVG immediately sent out a corrected update to its customers, including those using the free editions of AVG.

A representative for AVG said, "AVG is actively working to remedy the problem some users are experiencing related to the most recent update to commercial and free versions of AVG 7.5 and AVG 8.0 in some languages. A number of users who installed the update mistakenly received a warning that the Windows system file user32.dll product version 5.1.2600.3099 was infected with a Trojan virus and were prompted to delete a file essential to the operation of Windows XP."

For users unable to use their Windows XP machines, AVG says they "should contact their AVG reseller or ask a friend to download the information and fix tool for them."

AVG has suffered some embarrassing glitches of late. Last month, an AVG update declared some ZoneAlarm firewall files to be part of a Trojan horse. In July AVG had to reconfigure its Linkscanner tool after various Web sites complained about the increased traffic as a result of the tool's proactive scanning for malware.

Microsoft Officially Names Cloud-base Operating System "Windows Azure"

Microsoft’s cloud-based operating system, originally referred to as ‘Windows Cloud’ has finally gotten is official name – Azure. The Azure Services Platform is an internet-scale cloud services platform hosted in Microsoft data centers, to provide an operating system and developer services that can be used individually or together.

Cloud computing, also referred to as ‘On Demand Computing’, is a system in which tasks and functions are assigned to a combination of connections, software and services, accessed over a network. The network is referred to as ‘the cloud’. Cloud computing allows users to access supercomputer level power – using a browser, thin client or other access points like an iPhone, BlackBerry, or other mobile computing device. Users can virtually ‘reach’ into the cloud for resources when they require them – hence the ‘On Demand’ reference.

The amount of processing power is made available to users through distributed cluster computing, often in conjunction with server virtualization software like Xen, and other parallel processing systems. So what exactly is ‘Cloud Computing’ used for?

Cloud Computing is generally used to sort or process through extremely large amounts of data. For example, Google essentially ‘clouds’ due to its need to produce accurate results from literally millions of incoming search inquiries at any given time of the day. Google’s approach has been to manufacture hundreds of thousands of its own servers / datacenters from commodity components, connecting relatively inexpensive processors in parallel to create a very powerful and scalable system. Things that general consumers use quite frequently such as, Google Apps, Google Maps, and Google Mail are all ‘cloud’ based applications – they are accessed via the client and handled by a cloud system in the background. Get the idea?

For those of you that do not keep up on this type of stuff, ‘Cloud Computing’ is just another way of saying ‘Grid Computing’ – Grid Computing has been around for a very long time, so there is really nothing new here. ‘Cloud Computing’ or ‘Azure’ is just a new way of marketing the whole idea and making it more readily available to everyone – this is the really good part about it.

According to Microsoft’s description of the ‘Azure’ service:

Azure reduces the need for up-front technology purchases, and it enables developers to quickly and easily create applications running in the cloud by using their existing skills with the Microsoft Visual Studio development environment and the Microsoft .NET Framework. In addition to managed code languages supported by .NET, Azure will support more programming languages and development environments in the near future. Azure simplifies maintaining and operating applications by providing on-demand compute and storage to host, scale, and manage web and connected applications. Infrastructure management is automated with a platform that is designed for high availability and dynamic scaling to match usage needs with the option of a pay-as-you-go pricing model. Azure provides an open, standards-based and interoperable environment with support for multiple internet protocols, including HTTP, REST, SOAP, and XML.

Microsoft also offers cloud applications ready for consumption by customers such as Windows Live, Microsoft Dynamics, and other Microsoft Online Services for business such as Microsoft Exchange Online and SharePoint Online. The Azure Services Platform lets developers provide their own unique customer offerings by offering the foundational components of compute, storage, and building block services to author and compose applications in the cloud.

Feel free to browse around Microsoft’s Azure pages to get yourself familiarized more with what it is all about – located here.

Microsoft unveils latest operating system Windows 7


Software giant Microsoft on Tuesday unveiled Windows 7, saying its latest operating system won't be as annoying.

At the company' Professional Developers Conference here, Microsoft said the new version will not have the rampant notifications that have irked many users of Windows Vista.

People can choose to see fewer alerts and warnings from their computers in the new Windows 7, said the company, adding that people will be able to test out the next version of Windows early next year.

The design of Windows 7 will make it easier for people to switch between open windows, files and applications. It also is supposed to give PC users faster access to recently used files, making home networking more automatic, according to the company.

And overall, the version is faster and can run on less-powerful computers, said the company.

Windows 7, the successor to Windows Vista, is scheduled to premiere in early 2010.

Microsoft expects that the new product would eliminate some of the problems that hampered Vista's premiere two years ago and continue to define the operating system's reputation.

Users have complained that the Vista system requires much more memory than its predecessor Windows XP and fails to run some applications. Many corporate users even reportedly asked to have their computers downgraded to XP.

Source:Xinhua

Open Source Featured Article December 01, 2008

Fedora is a Linux-based operating system, which is open source software that allows everyone to use, modify and distribute the software, thereby providing the basis for derivative open source distributions throughout the enterprise.
Fedora 10, the tenth release in five years, features various technologies along with significant virtualization enhancements for local and remote installation and as well as management of storage provisioning. These features make system administration of virtual machine hosts and guests easier. The new features as well enables automation, especially as they are integrated intoRed Hat ( News - Alert) Enterprise Linux, said the company.
Red Hat said that the latest version of Fedora also features NetworkManager connection sharing. This enables laptop users with an Ethernet or mobile broadband connection to provide Internet routing to others via the laptop wireless interface for instant collaboration anywhere, anytime.
According to Red Hat, the new Fedora 10 incorporates the premiere of a new graphical boot system called Plymouth. Designed by Fedora contributors, Plymouth was developed to speed up the system boot process by taking advantage of a new kernel mode setting feature. This Plymouth system is primarily targeted at ATI cards and will be expanded in the future to support a broader range of media cards.
The Fedora 10 also features SecTool, which is a new security audit and intrusion detection system. The new release also includes a key update, RPM 4.6, for better software management. The already present PulseAudio sound server has been rewritten for achieving glitch free audio and better performance, said Red Hat. Now, PulseAudio sound server will utilize timer-based audio scheduling.
Other key enhancements to the latest version of Fedora include: improved webcam support; enhanced support for infrared remote controls that supports and compatible with many applications; simplified command-line administration tasks; and an online account service that offers applications with credentials for online accounts stored in Gconf.
Paul Frields, Fedora project leader at Red Hat, said, "Fedora volunteer contributors and Red Hat engineers worked together to develop the cutting-edge features found in Fedora 10. Their widespread appeal, combined with Fedora's policy of collaborating with upstream free software communities, means that many of these features will be found in other Linux distributions in the future."
The Fedora Project is a community-supported open source collaboration project.
Don’t forget to check out TMCnet’s White Paper Library, which provides a selection of in-depth information on relevant topics affecting the IP Communications industry. The library offers white papers, case studies and other documents which are free to registered users. Today’s featured white paper is Fixed Service Strategies for Mobile Network Operators, brought to you by Comverse.

Jayashree Adkoli is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Jayashree's articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Michelle Robart