Ubuntu is the most popular distribution of Linux, boasting amazing support, around 8 million users and a mostly GUI interface. I installed it on a discarded and dying windows 2000 laptop and absolutely loved it. It ran fast on old hardware, had a lot of customizability (Which was a must considering that default theme), and was easily the best way for me to learn how to use Linux.
Despite its positives, there were a few negative sides to it. First of all, boot time was very slow. That combined with my slow-moving laptop made boot time almost painfully slow. It made up for this in actual running speed, but it was annoying nonetheless. Also, Wireless divices with windows drivers need to be set up with NDISwrapper, which is a huge pain, especially if you don’t have the original driver CD.
![ndiswrapper-[1]](http://uberbuntu.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/ndiswrapper-1.jpg?w=600 "ndiswrapper-[1]")
Overall, Ubuntu is a very strong Linux distribution thats great for beginners and veterans alike. I wholeheartedly reccommend it. 9/10.
Megaupload is a filesharing website that allows you to upload and download files from their server. Its hugely popular, despite huge limitations if you don’t buy a premium account. One thing I particularly dislike about it is that it limits you to a few hundred megabytes per day. There is, however, a very easy way to get around it.
The site finds something called your IP address and when you pass the limit it bars that IP address from downloading any more. The easiest solution is to just get a different IP address.
1st you’ll want to go to start -> run -> CMD
2nd you type “Ipconfig /all” (without quotes). Take note of your IP address
3rd you type “ipconfig /flushdns”
4th you type “ipconfig /renew”
5th you need to delete your cookies and clear you cache. In firefox this can be done via Ctrl + Shift + Del
6th you should type “ipconfig /all” again and confirm that you have another IP address
You should then be able to download without hassle until the new IP reaches max. Repeat this until you finish downloading.
Jolicloud is an operating system aimed at netbooks and computers built for using the internet, based off of Ubuntu Netbook Remix. I was fortunate enough to get an invitation to the Alpha, so I took a shot and installed it on my brand new netbook.
The idea behind Jolicloud is that it runs almost entirely inside the cloud, running webapps inside prisms so they are essentially just applications. The idea itself is absolutely brilliant, and Jolicloud’s execution runs almost seamlessly, albeit a few things here and there, hopefully to be phased out after Alpha.
Another thing is that this OS is seriously nice looking. Its very streamlined, to say the least. Both the Jolicloud home and the Home screen are both very nice and intuitive.
I have mixed feelings about the Jolicloud Home, which is essentially a webapp store. Its intuitive, beautiful and has a wide selection of apps, however it seems off for some reason. Loading times seem unnecessary, and the possibility of it crashing just seems too great. Not sure if I’m just being paranoid though. Its not too big yet, but Its great to just browse and look for interesting things. I for one discovered Pandora and the actual usefulness of last.fm.
However, as nice as the webapp-store is, it needs a LOT of work. Honestly its a bit small. As nice it is, there are a good number of sites that I’d really like to see make an appearance. I’m assuming it’s going to grow and grow, considering the near-useless search bar and it’s Alpha state, but honestly that seems to be the only major flaw.
Also, my router didn’t cooperate with the OS. Originally I thought it was an OS error, but after going on vacation, I realized it was, in fact, my router. Just a heads up, since it may have been a rare senario.
Honestly, this is a very, very nice operating system. It saves me a lot of time and makes it very easy to use. It turns a netbook into a seriously productive mobile tool. If you manage to get a USB 3G key, than this thing will essentially become more useful than an iphone. 9.5/10
