Windows Vista - Which version of Vista best suited

for my needs

Windows Vista has been designed for the use of people ranging from the student or housewife who need an Operating system that enables them to just browse the Internet and send and receive mails to people who are in highly technical professions. There are four different versions of Windows Vista to choose from. This does bring with it as dilemma of which version one should invest in. Each of the six versions has different functionality and this raises the risk of buying the wrong version of Windows Vista. Buy too low a version and you will not have the functionality you might require a while down the line.

Even though Vista has been hard pushed to the shelves by Microsoft there seems to be a lot of apprehension in the market among people when it comes to upgrading to Windows Vista. Vista is still in it’s infant stages and might take a while, like XP, to catch on. However, if you are deciding on which of the four versions to buy then you will do good to go for the Premium version for home use. This version has a lot of multimedia features that are present in XP but are revamped to the limit. The four versions available are:

• Home Basic

• Home Premium

• Business

• Ultimate

Now it is anybody’s guess that the first three versions of Vista will lack some of the features that the ultimate version of Windows Vista will have. In fact, the ultimate version will have all the combined features of the first three versions and will naturally cost more. So if you just want an operating system that is fire walled and offers some protection from virus attacks over the net then go for the home basic version. If you want to make DVD’ and movies then get the premium version. The business version ironically leaves out the features such as DVD maker, Data protection and photos and entertainment. However, these features are easily available in third party packs. So if you are hell bent on upgrading to Vista if for nothing else but a change of looks, then go for the Ultimate version - Just to be safe.

.About the Author:

Anmol Taneja is a Gadget enthusiast and critique. He has written several articles on various aspects of gadgets and the role they play in our day to day lives. Anmol is involved with several organizations involved in the evaluation and review of gadgets including http://gadgets.in thegadgetcast.com and gadgetenclave.in

Vista, the new operating system from Microsoft, is being marketed as a revolution for the personal computer. All the enticing benefits the new system

offers have spurred lots of people to download Vista Windows. If you’re contemplating upgrading your XP-running PC, here are some factors you need to address first.

1. Check your PC.

Before you download Vista Windows, check your computer if it’s ready for upgrades. To do this, you need to download and run the Windows Upgrade Advisor tool. This will assess your computer and give you a list of the Vista versions that are compatible with your unit. To be able to download Vista Windows, your computer must have at least 800MHz. Premium-ready PCs need at least 1GHz.

2. Make sure you have enough memory and hard drive space.

Another thing to note before you download Vista Windows your PC must have at least 512 MB of RAM. The minimum requirement for a premium-ready PC is 1 GB of system RAM. Plus, to be able to download Vista Windows, your hard drive size and free space must be no less than 40 GB and 15 GB, respectively.

3. Determine graphics adapter capability.

To enable you to download Vista Windows, your graphics adapter must be DirectX 9 capable. Premium-ready machines need at least 128 MB of video RAM to be able to download Vista Windows. Cards that are Vista-capable should have a minimum 64 MB of video RAM. These requirements need to be met if you plan to exploit the Aero Glass graphics. Otherwise, if your existing video adapter is Vista-capable, there is no need to upgrade it. It should be noted that a notebook computer with graphics card that is not compatible has a lesser chance of a successful upgrade to the new system.

4. Your computer must have a DVD drive.

So you can download Vista Windows, your PC should have a DVD drive in which you could install Vista.

5. Determine the version of Vista your computer is capable of running.

Before you download Vista Windows, determine first the version most appropriate for your computer. The five different editions are:

· Windows Vista Home Basic – provides basic operating system usability; suitable for average home users; will sell for $200 for new PCs, and $100 as an upgrade for those with existing Windows license

· Windows Vista Home Premium – offers more functionality than previous Vista Home Basic version; best choice for most PC users; features Aero and Media Center interface, DVD Maker, Movie Maker HD, backup scheduler, SideShow that allows use of auxiliary displays, comes with a Sync Center to synchronize files with other PCs over a home network, and parental controls; premium costs $240 for new computers and P160 as an upgrade if you have an existing Windows XP Home license

· Windows Vista Business - useful for standard business needs; comparable to Windows XP Professional; will be a staple on the corporate desktop.

· Windows Vista Enterprise – has advanced features like BitLocker Drive Encryption for laptops, application compatibility tools, and multi-language support

· Windows Vista Ultimate – has all the features of Vista Home Premium; features support for dual CPUs (multi-core are supported in lower versions), remote desktop host, file encryption (with full-drive BitLocker capability), faxing, domain-based networking for office networks, and web hosting; will sell for $400 for new PCs and $260 as an upgrade if you have an existing Windows XP Home or Pro license.

6. Existing applications must be capable of running under Vista.

To ensure that you can download Vista Windows and install it successfully, run the Application Compatibility Toolkit to help you distinguish the applications that may not be operate under Vista.

7. Back up your data.

Before you download Vista Windows, do not forget to back up your data. Prior to installation of the new operating system, be sure to check that you have all the installation media from your existing software and the proper licensing information.

The steps above are all essential requirements that you need to consider before you download Vista Windows. Also, notebook computers and desktop PCs should be able to meet all the hardware specifications.

.About the Author:

Get free tips and information on how to download Vista Windows at http://www.Vista-Windows.info.

Most users who use Linux use it because they hate Microsoft; people who use BSD use it because they love Unix

Juraj Sipos
/>

I have been a BSD user since the late 1990’s. I started with FreeBSD 3.0 and I also made my own FreeBSD distro - a tiny floppy disk entitled 1fcdbsd, which boots in any x86 computer and plays MP3 files from a hard disk or CD’s (One Floppy CD Audio and MP3 Player - http://www.freebsd.nfo.sk/). I gained some experience with the BSD world, which rather thrives on the side without people’s knowledge that it is almost the best.

History

To say it metaphorically, the Internet sprung out of BSD. It is not because these systems can handle the biggest traffic as servers, but because the concept of IP addresses and the TCP/IP stack is a BSD invention. If you right click on the file “winsock.dll” in Windows 98 (C:Windowswinsock.dll), you will see “BSD Socket API for Windows” in the Properties > Version window; however, the “BSD” is not seen in newer Windows systems in the “version information” window of winsock.dll. But there is a lot of writing on the Internet about this if you Google both terms: “winsock.dll” AND “bsd”. BSD systems have a different licensing policy and anybody can take their code. BSD license gives more freedom to programmers.

From the above it is clear that Microsoft, too, used or “stole” this code, not only Linux.

BSD grew up in the 1970’s with a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) support. Version 4.3 BSD (1986), 4.3 BSD Tahoe (1988), BSD Net 1 (1989), and so on followed. The history is well described also on BSD sites, such as www.freebsd.org. FreeBSD, for example, started as a project in 1993 shortly after NetBSD; and OpenBSD is a fork of NetBSD, but these all are derived from 386/BSD.

Linux versus BSD

BSD: BSD systems are based upon an actual Unix variant called Berkeley Software Distribution, which has a long history.

Linux: Linux is based upon a clone of Unix (Minix), which was far away in functionality in comparison to the above Unix at its time. Terminologically speaking, Linux is only the kernel.

The “Linux-versus-BSD” discussion is very sensitive for some people – they may get very angry about any direction, either in favor of BSD or Linux. It is not a good idea to compare these systems as the whole, but it’s not a bad idea to compare their “usability” in various aspects, for example, as an “office solution”, “desktop solution”, “multimedia solution”, “server solution”, “firewall solution”, etc.

The widespread use of Linux helped some users switch to BSD for good, as various opinions made the issue of “Linux-versus-BSD” visible to public eyes, which made the BSD world appear more attractive.

If we talk in general, we can say that “BSD is much more stable, as it is a REAL Unix” and that “Linux is a very good desktop toy more adapted to users’ needs, as it has more drivers and apps”.

Other global aspect that makes Linux and BSD systems look different is that BSD OS’s have everything under one hood and control. Linux is murky waters because it is not united. For example, you have a DEB (Debian Linux) package – you will not always install it if you use Mandrake or SuSE. A long list of problems ensuing from discrepancies among Linux distros may be written. Linux users surely remember the effort of UnitedLinux, but now it is devoid of life. In the chaos where one Linux system installs with various services and the other one does not, we see that the Linux community is broken as the whole.

Linux is more developed in terms of its accessibility to various types of hardware like, for example, inkjet printers or WiFi USB solutions. But this is because, as I already said, various companies support it. Linux is good for desktop users who want to forget about Microsoft and BSD systems are best as server/router/firewall solutions. Many good administrators say that Linux behaves much worse as server than BSD systems. Something like Red Hat or SuSE Enterprise Server is rather a joke – these systems cost a lot of money. Every good administrator would only bet on BSD or other Internet solutions today. Slackware Linux is exception – it is one of the best.

There are many reasons why BSD systems are less noticeable. The availability of Live CD’s and their easy-to-use presentation is something in which BSD systems lagged behind. You may download Linux ISO images at the drop of a hat. With BSD systems, this is a bit different. You could hardly find a desired BSD Live CD in the 1990’s. Only a few of them do appear now.

OpenBSD

I tackled the problem of building such a CD myself. I toiled with FreeBSD. I succeeded. Later I focused on OpenBSD, as it has a good reputation concerning its solid security structure. I succeeded too. But this would require additional writing and this article is not about making an OpenBSD Live CD; I only want to introduce this system a little and give advice how to make a simple OpenBSD bootable installation CD/DVD, which is also hard to get.

Usability

BSD systems work well with all kinds of standard hardware; however, some users say they are “less user-friendly”. On the other hand, others consider the so-called “user-friendliness” to be a hindrance in making needed configurations. In other systems, where many services run automatically, it is a bit irritating when administrators, with their own security policies in mind, must turn them off on a regular basis after every installation.

OpenBSD could be, from a Linux user’s point of view, a can of worms. Some may disagree with me, but in the world where all mainstream operating systems bet on easiness-to-use and the graphical interactivity, this is surely the case. This means you must forget about graphical installers - your first touch with the system is the text mode. But the text is the best format some people like.

OpenBSD can run Linux binaries on an emulation layer; DOS (and other systems) programs within the Qemu emulator, as well as FreeBSD and other BSD and Unix binaries. Albeit OpenOffice.org has not been ported yet (do you really need such a big bulk of software when there are more handy solutions?), you can easily write or open your MS Word documents in TextMaker for Linux, or in native OpenBSD AbiWord port.

The system and packages

The BSD family of operating systems consists of the base system and packages. The OpenBSD core - its kernel and the base system (system/network utilities, man pages, etc.) get cautiously, if not paranoically audited for security holes.

The OS has a different packaging philosophy in comparison to Linux. It uses ports and prebuilt packages. Ports are fingerprints of applications on your disk. They contain the basic information where they can be downloaded from. You just “cd” somewhere to the hierarchy of the /usr/share/ports directory, where applications are divided by categories; then type “make install” and wait for sources to be downloaded, compiled, and installed.

Prebuilt packages, too, can be installed with a breeze. Unlike RPM archives, which you must install in the consecutive dependency order, here you have everything on tap. And with the “pkg_add –v ftp://ftp.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/4.0/packages/i386/package.tgz” command you download everything from the Internet even without specifying a package’s version. This is something most Linux packagers cannot do, only APT (Debian) and its clones.

Installation

The policy of the OpenBSD team is to sell CD’s. Unless you are prepared for a difficult network install, you have two options: either you buy their CD’s, or build them yourself. If you choose the latter option, download the core system from these FTP mirrors: www.openbsd.org/ftp.html. Pick out your architecture like AMD64 or i386 and the version (like 4.0, 3.9, etc.). Place all downloaded files in any directory (for example, in /usr/opbsd) and issue the following command to make the ISO image of it:

mkisofs -b cdrom40.fs -c boot.cat -R -v -o /usr/my_openbsd.iso /usr/opbsd

The above command may be used both in Linux and in BSD systems and possibly in any system to which mkisofs is ported.

When ever in the future you are ready to download a newer version of OpenBSD with purpose to make a bootable CD/DVD of it, just change the “cdrom40.fs” in the above mkisofs command (4.0 is the current version of OpenBSD) to the version it agrees with, for example, “cdrom45.fs” (a future OpenBSD), which is a bootable image as the emulated big floppy. A CD or DVD burned with this ISO file will boot on any PC (not DVD in UDF format, but DVD in ISO format).

The following files contain the basic OpenBSD installation – networking, Unix commands, X Window, man pages; not packages like KDE, Aspell, etc.

OpenBSD 4.0 core system

Packages # you can create this directory and put packages in it

CKSUM, INSTALL.i386 , INSTALL.Linux, MD5, base40.tgz , bsd, bsd.mp, bsd.rd, cd40.iso, cdboot ,cdbr, cdemu40.iso, cdrom40.fs, comp40.tgz, etc40.tgz, floppy40.fs, floppyB40.fs, floppyC40.fs, game40.tgz, index.txt, man40.tgz, misc40.tgz, pxeboot, xbase40.tgz, xetc40.tgz, xfont40.tgz, xserv40.tgz, xshare40.tgz

It is important to say that the ISO file cannot be burned to a CD as an ordinary file like an MP3 file – it can be done this way, however, but you will not be able to boot from such a CD/DVD. If you use Windows, the proper way for burning ISO files is to use the “burn image” command in programs like Nero Burning ROM (or “burn ISO” in other programs). Under FreeBSD, you can burn the ISO image with the burncd command (if your CDROM is the master on the second IDE channel; “-s” is for speed):

burncd -f /dev/acd0 -s 4 data my_openbsd.iso fixate

It would be a good idea to make the bootable OpenBSD DVD with packages included in it – just download them and put them to a directory (for example, to a directory “Packages”) where you have your core OpenBSD installation files; then apply the above mkisofs command.

Installation is quite easy. For newbies it is recommended to use a mobile rack and use some older disk (about 3 GB). This is because installing OpenBSD to an already partitioned disk requires a lot of knowledge and if users do not want to bother about numbers of sectors/cylinders and other things they must type in the text wizard, this solution is very handy.

OpenBSD in action

The system boots fast (much faster than Linux). If you selected the X Window environment during the installation text wizard, you only need to run the “xorgcfg” command from the console to configure your X Window environment.

Did you lose yourself somewhere in the text-mode consoles? Use the F5 key (Ctrl+Alt+F5) to get back to the X Window. Are you a complete newbie? Type “man afterboot”. Are you accustomed to Linux and do you prefer a Linux terminal type? After every logon, OpenBSD asks you to type the terminal type you want to use, but the default one - vt220 - does not map keys like you got accustomed to in Linux if you use programs like Midnight Commander (for example, F7 behaves like F6, etc., but not in X). After typing “nxterm” everything should work OK.

A manual text-mode configuration is the absolute preference here. Almost all services are turned off - a first choice for every good administrator, as he will have ultimate control over the whole system. Users, too, may familiarize themselves with Unix and see what is going on under its hood. To run the X Window, just execute the “startx” command. If you want to edit or re-edit the configuration files, peep into the /etc directory with vi as your editor. Do you want to add more packages? Just download them and issue “pkg_add -i package.tgz” command and that’s it!

OpenBSD 4.0 is geared up for most of the network or desktop tasks. After I downloaded some fine MP3 players, I could instantly listen to music. The X Window’s look does not differ from any Unix-like box. VLC or MPlayer multimedia players will help you enjoy all your favorite music or film recordings.

If you have euphoria from seeing the KDE or Gnome Desktop and other apps running smoothly, you may soon become disappointed - OpenBSD has fewer packages than FreeBSD or Linux. For example, running VMware on FreeBSD has been possible for quite a long time; OpenBSD (but not OpenBSD in the VMware environment) requires some smart tweaks to achieve this.

New technologies and automation can also impose a risk

Numerous companies want to earn the highest profit and they introduce various technologies that serve as a marketing competition strategy for most of the time and are often useless. A bluetooth or WiFi technology in your mobile phone brings a security risk when any good hacker can get to your most sensitive data within seconds right from your neighborhood. Most users do not have time to study various security datasheets and they often live happy without knowing they are unprotected. I do not want to say that newer technologies are always nonsensical; however, they deserve pertinent praise only if used on the right place.

If a reader understands this, the mainstream world’s policy is to create the Matrix or a big web of dependencies – if hardware can run in Linux, users use Linux (and possibly buy Red Hat or Xandros).

Numerous “terrific” companies that sell their “amazing security products” forget that using carrier pigeons for communication is by far a more secure solution than any computer communication – an encrypted e-mail, if you are already under suspicion, will always get intercepted, and governments have always enough resources and money to do their job well.

Why BSD or OpenBSD?

Today, when too many companies bring out various distros, it is hard to tell which of them best suits our needs and you may become mixed-up in such a huge list. If companies invest money to a software solution, they may become disappointed if its licensing policy changes. OpenBSD has one sturdy feature above everything – the system and packages are perfectly audited for security holes.

The power of a good policy will make you feel somewhat sheltered from the bad behavior of the world, because you do not have to worry that network services, for example, contain security holes. Something like this often happens with Linux - its websites urge users to download important patches soon after distros are released. With this particular security point OpenBSD as a BSD system stands aside from the usual crowd.

Source: http://www.freebsd.nfo.sk/

.About the Author:

I published some books of poetry and I live in Europe, Slovakia; I write and sell computer articles

Ubuntu Post installation Introductionz

So,

you are reading this because probably you have installed ubuntu right and now you need to know about the system and how it works and how can you optimize the system for better efficiency, for better look and how can you customize it like you can do it in windows! Well, look no further, you can get all those tips right here! Here is a “Beginners guide to ubuntu tips and optimization”.

So, lets learn a few things about ubuntu, that you might want to know as a first time user.

First boot:

When you for the first time boot the ubuntu system, what you see is a boot flash screen which is called a USplash and it covers up what is going on in the background when linux is booting. This screen is introduced so that the users who arent interested in what actually happens in the background, dont really see it.

First Login Screen:

On the right side of the login screen, you will notice the name of the computer, the date and the current time. On the left side there are some very useful options, like reboot, shutdown, suspend, hibernate, change session etc. Ok, it’s time for you to type in your username and password (hit enter after each one). Immediately after you’ve typed your username and password, you’ll notice a splash screen that shows what programs are loading and in a few seconds the splash screen disappears and the Ubuntu desktop appears. That’s the Ubuntu desktop!

Gnome Desktop:

The desktop environment that ubuntu uses is the GNome desktop! If you have a DHCP based network connection (automatic IP address) then you are connected to the Internet as Ubuntu configures DHCP connections automatically and you will notice a notification message in the right-upper part of the screen that says “Software updates available”. Click on the new orange icon (from where the notification message appeared) and a window will appear on the left side of the screen. This window will start to search for updates. Click the Install Updates button, when the search is complete, to install the available updates on your system. Ohh, what’s this? It asks for a password, because this is an administrative task and it’s safer this way; just type your password and hit enter. This program is called Update Manager and you can always find it under System -> Administration menu, but it will always appear when there are new updates. Also, you will notice another notification message that will ask if you want to install proprietary drivers for your graphics card. Just click the Enable option and it will start to download and install the necessary drivers.

Panels and Applets:

et’s learn a few things about the desktop. First things first, you should know that this desktop is called GNOME; as you can see, it’s a little different than Windows, as it has two Panels: one at the bottom and one at the top. But what’s cool about this desktop is that you can always configure it however you want, but we’ll talk about this a little bit later. Both panels have the same options and configurations.

The bottom panel has the Show Desktop button on the left side; in the middle you will see all the current opened windows and on the right you’ll see a trash icon and the Workspace Switcher. Now this is something you didn’t have in Windows (at least not as default), as the Workspace Switcher allows you to have multiple desktops. How does it work? Very simple: on the actual desktop, you have a window (or more) and if you click on the second square (default there are only two desktops, but you can set up to 36 desktops) the window(s) will disappear. Why? Because they are on the first desktop (you can even see them in the first square), and if you click the first square the window(s) will appear again. On the second (empty) desktop you can have other window(s). Come on, try it yourself to see how it works!

The upper panel is a little more complex. It contains on the left side the Main Menu from where you can access all the applications, different system locations (home folder, network places etc) and the system configuration tools. Right after the Main Menu you will see some software icons; these are shortcuts for different applications installed on your computer and you can add there as many as you want with a simple right click on the panel; then click on “Add to Panel” option and when the Add to Panel window appears hit the “Application Launcher” button on the left side and select your favorite applications from the list. On the right side of the upper panel you will see two icons (the network monitor and the sound volume), the date, the clock and a shutdown button from where you can reboot, hibernate, suspend, log out, switch user, lock screen or shutdown the computer.

I think this is enough for today, with respect to the customization of the ubuntu desktop and the next part of this tutorial will include topics like how to install new software on ubuntu linux as well as how to make your desktop cool and funky!

So, please check back later or subscribe to the RSS feeds so that you know when is the next update to this ubuntu tips,tricks and hacks published!

.About the Author:

Article originally posted and written at Ubuntu Tips and tricks and post installation guide

for more such articles please visit http://comparelinux.com

What is the Windows registry, and why might you need to use a registry cleaner? The Windows registry is a collection of files which store all the computer’s

settings for hardware, settings for the operating system, the control panel, application software, user preferences and user profiles, and file associations.

How is Windows XP registry cleaning done, and why does the Windows registry ever need to be cleaned? At the bottom of this article, there is a link to a resource page which gives access to software tools you can use to clean the registry. You should be aware that it can also be done manually, by using the program regedit.exe which comes with Windows XP, or by typing reg.exe on the command line. Manual editing of the Windows registry is not recommended though, because the registry files are essential for the operating system to function. What does Microsoft Support say about it? ‘Although you can use Registry Editor to inspect and modify the registry, doing so is not recommended, as making incorrect changes can damage your system.’

If you do damage the Registry during manual cleaning, and any backup does not work either, the only other solution is a complete re-installation of Windows XP. It goes without saying that you want to avoid this. The use of dedicated software for Windows XP registry cleaning is recommended (see below).

What about the reasons for using a Windows XP registry cleaner, and why would this be needed? Well, a damaged registry can make a Windows XP machine unreliable, or even not start up in the first place. As time passes, entries in the registry for old or uninstalled or deleted software will build up, making the system start up slowly, run more slowly, or make the computer unstable - ‘freezes’ can be one sign of this. As time goes on, the Windows XP registry grows in size, and becomes much bigger than necessary. You may also have many double entries in it, which affects your computer’s speed.

Fortunately, you can get many efficient software programs which will make cleaning of the registry an easy task. They all perform a free scan of your system, to see if there are any issues with the registry. These programs are called registry cleaners or registry repairers, and they are very easy to download and install. Using a registry cleaner may make a huge difference in your computer’s performance.

Now clean your Registry! It is possible to clean and repair your registry in the next few minutes - our windows registry cleaner page lists all the best software which you can download and use to quickly and painlessly check and clean your registry.

.About the Author:

Snowy Anderson writes about software and the Internet.