We now have a Linux box running downstairs. Linux is the operating system that real geeks use :biggrin: For anyone out there with a clue to how this stuff works, it’s a SUSE distro.
To be honest, I’m just poking around at this point.
My first thought on booting up the computer was: Hey, this reminds me a lot of a Mac. The desktop is nearly empty, there’s no taskbar at the bottom, and it’s all very clean-looking. Like the Macs I used to use in elementary school, there’s a bar along the top that screams “Mac” at me: it offers access to programs and a bunch of other things. There’s no dock, though, and I wonder if that might be something to look into installing.
My second thought was: Great, how do I do anything without a mouse? (I have only one PS/2 and/or USB compatible mouse.) It turns out it’s quite similar to coping with a mouseless Windows computer–the numpad can be converted into a crude sort of mouse. Besides, I’ve always been a keyboard shortcuts kind of person, anyway. Unfortunately, the Windows key on the keyboard does nothing.
My third thought was: It’s nice to see they have their priorities in order. By alphabetical luck, the first option under the “Applications” (that’s another Mac word, isn’t it?) is “Games.” Awesome.
My fourth thought was: The games on this thing are so much better than the ones on Windows. Yeah, yeah, XP ships with Solitaire (Spider and Klondike), Minesweeper, Hearts, Pinball, and a few others. This distro has clones of Bubble Bobble (with penguins! :D), Tetris, Super Mario (with penguins! :D), Yahtzee, and Snake. There are at least 15 games on that sucker.
Next: I wonder how it plays with my USB drive. Not too well, it seems. I don’t understand this concept of “mounting,” since I’m never given an option to mount the thing, and when I try to “un-mount” (ie, “remove safely”) I can’t, because I’m not signed in as the root user. Still, with some attention, I can transfer files back and forth.
What kind of files, you ask? It comes with OpenOffice!! AWESOME!! OpenOffice is an open source, freeware alternative to MS Office. I’ve only tried the equivalent to Word so far, but it seems the two programs can read each other okay. Fonts are a bit of a problem, but since I only have a printer hooked up to the Windows computer, I’m not too fussed about this: one can always change the font as necessary on that box, instead. I still need to install Asian font support, though–I hope it exists.
More exploring yields… The GIMP!! Super-awesome! The GIMP is a freeware alternative to Photoshop. Adobe Photoshop. We’re not talking Paint, with its complement of approximately three tools. Full-fledged Photoshop, my friends, with layer editing and a whole lot of other stuff. I have a portable version on my USB drive. 🙂
There are a few multimedia programs, but as I have no speakers, either, I didn’t get a chance to test those out.
Still, this is exciting 🙂
