Ubuntu Screenlets

Ubuntu Screenlets are very similar to the Gadgets that Microsoft added to Vista or Apples dashboard widgets. I have added several to my desktop (on the right hand side of the screen). Just like Ubuntu itself, these are highly customizable "information portals" (my term) that really add a lot of useful information and tools that are always visible on your screen (if you choose them to be). You can think of these as mini applications that are running in mini windows on your screen. As you can see, the ones I have running are:

• Calendar
• ClearWeather
• Clock (always gotta have one of these ;^)
• Convert (F to C, cm to in, etc)
• NetMonitor (monitors my network activity, # of bytes sent and received)
• Places (shortcuts to folders such as Desktop, Pictures, Music, etc)
• Sensors (monitor you CPU, RAM, CPU temp, WiFi strength, etc)
• Slideshow (picture slideshow)
• Speech (speaks whatever you type, just a geeky thing or if you want to carry a conversation with your computer late at night. Don't tell my wife!)
• Stocks
• Trash (Ubuntu does not have a Trash icon on the screen by default)
• Volume Control (simply hover over top and slide the mouse wheel up and down)

Screenlets comes with about 50 screenlets pre-installed but you can add more from their website. Installation is easy but takes a few more steps than a normal install since it does not use the typical "Add/Remove Applications" program. I followed these steps for using Synaptic Package Manager (located in the menus at... System | Administration | Synaptic Package Manager) and it worked just fine. Just to clarify, these are not strictly for Ubuntu even though I referred to them as "Ubuntu Screenlets". These will work for other linux distros too.

After using this for a few days I've noticed that sometimes not all of the screenlets start when the PC restarts. I'm not sure what causes this yet but one way to correct it is to run the Screenlets Manager (Applications | Accessories | Screenlets Manager) then click the "Re-Start All" button.

Let me know what you think of Screenlets and which ones you choose to install.

Why Linux? Why Ubuntu?

There are several operating systems in use today (and in the past) but sometimes it seems like there are only 2, Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. Microsoft Windows is so prevalent that some people think that is the only one, except that Apple Corp is slowly changing that perception with the funny Mac vs. PC commercials.

So why Linux? Why Ubuntu? There are several key reasons to give Linux (and Ubuntu in particular) a try. This website, https://wiki.ubuntu.com/CriticismFAQ, lists several reasons to use Linux/Ubuntu and dispels many misconceptions about Linux/Ubuntu. It's worth reading in it's entirety but here is a summary of that website, in no particular order:

1. Support - There is plenty of support available through newsgroup forums, websites, ubuntu.com. You can also buy Ubuntu at Best Buy for $20. While Ubuntu is 100% free, what you are really buying is 60 days of support from Cononical (the maker of Ubuntu). There is a wealth of information available on the internet about Ubuntu including a free monthly magazine, Full Circle Magazine, dedicated to helping people use and learn Ubuntu.
2. Viruses - Viruses are a big concern...for Windows users that is. That's not to say that they are none existent for Linux but they are extremely rare and the built in security of Linux greatly limits the amount of damage a virus could do.
3. Software - The lack of software available for Linux was a big concern for me before I switched. I have found that this is not the case. In fact, there is an abundance of free software available and is very easily installed and updated through Ubuntu's "Add/Remove Programs" option. Ubuntu comes with a lot of software out-of-the-box include a Microsoft Office suite alternative called Open Office. If all else fails and you need to run your app in Windows you can install and run Windows within Ubuntu with a program called VirtualBox.
   
4. Games - There are a lot of games available for free with Ubuntu. Several are installed with Ubuntu (including the old time favorites like Solitare, Sudoku, Four-in-a-Row, FreeCell, Yahtzee) but hundreds are available for download through Ubuntu's Add/Remove Applications program. Check out this video review of 18 games (starts at the 21 minute mark) for just a few of them.
5. Try before you "buy" - If you are not sure if Linux/Ubuntu is right for you, can can give it a test run before you install anything at all with Ubuntu's LiveCD option. This allows you to test out the FULL operating system BEFORE you install it simply by booting your computer from a CD. It will run a little slower this way since it loads as much into memory as it can but needs to spend time waiting for the CD to turn (which is much slower than a hard drive). A word of caution, do not simply burn the downloaded file as-is. It won't work. It downloads as an image file, with a .iso file extension. It needs to be burned as an expanded file (i.e. multiple files). This article explains it well.
   

Have fun with Ubuntu and let me know how it goes.

Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a computer operating system, much like Microsoft Windows, except, in my opinion it's much better for many reasons:

• it's 100% free
• very secure since it's based on Linux which has security built in
• access to thousands of free software (office productivity, games, multimedia, graphics, etc.)
• you can try it on your own PC before you install it
• utilizes system resources (RAM, CPU) more efficiently than MS Windows
  
• far fewer viruses (can't say zero for any OS)
• it's cool...very cool! Check out the screen shots below.
  

I'll be adding many more posts on Ubuntu but here's some pictures of some screen shots taken from my 4 year old Dell Inspiron 6000 (2GB RAM, 1.6Ghz CPU, 60GB HD, 15.4 inch monitor). The first one shows Ubuntu and Windows XP running side-by-side in the same screen. I use VirtualBox for running a virtual instance of Windows XP inside of Ubuntu.

The second, third and fourth ones show some of the very cool "eye candy" (Compiz) that rivals and surpasses what a Mac can do (sorry John and Patrick!) and totally blows away what Windows Vista does (or tries to do). Ubuntu has a concept of workspaces (think of screens). I typically run with 4 workspaces. You can rotate these workspaces like a cube as shown in picture #2 (this really impresses the crowd, Macs can't do this). The 3rd one shows the desktop cube in "Expo mode" (i.e. all 4 at the same time). The 4th one shows the desktop cube again but with a different background picture for each. It also shows some transparency of the cube.



Check out this video of a MS Vista vs Ubuntu showdown. Be sure to watch it until the end for a little surprise (Microsoft demo gone awry, BSOD).