PCLinuxOS Magazine for November 2009!

The latest issue of PCLinuxOs Magazine has hit the internet stands!  Get your copy today!

This month's issue  has lots of great stuff!  There's a terrific article on Google Wave and an introduction to Kooka, a KDE software app for scanning with your scanner.  Also included is a Double Take cartoon and Gimp Tip from yours truly!

Here's the official announcement:

The NEW PCLinuxOS Magazine staff is pleased to announce the release of the November 2009 issue of the PCLinuxOS Magazine.

In the November 2009 issue:
Scanner Saga: Part 2
Command Line Interface Intro: Part 2
Catch The (Google) Wave
Manually Create A Live USB Flash Stick
Double Take & Mark’s Quick Gimp Tip
Absolute Beginner’s Guide To LaTeX on PCLinuxOS
Flashback: Simple Backups With Grsync
Gadgets & Gear: Silvercrest OM1008 Wireless Mouse
Behind The Scenes: Joble, In His Own Words
Favorite Wallpaper Sites
Ms_meme’s Nook & Forum Foibles
Linux Ads Hit The Airwaves
Ohio Linux Fest 2009: 40 Years Of Unix
Dual Boot Windows 7 & PCLinuxOS
Multimedia Mean Machine: Mencoder
and much, much more!
This month’s cover celebrates the American holiday of Thanksgiving, and was created by Timeth, a member of the PCLinuxOS Beautification Team.
http://pclosmag.com/

Get Linux.

Linux: Secure. Windows 7: Not So Much.

 A recent news article from The Register details how Windows 7 is still vulnerable to virus attacks.

"Out-of-the-box Windows 7 machines are still vulnerable to eight out of ten viruses, according to a test by security firm Sophos.

"The experiment proves that the improved User Account Control (UAC) features built into Windows 7 are not enough and that additional anti-virus protection is still required."

So, when you purchase that new Windows 7 system or buy a new boxed version, you had better make sure you install a third party anti-virus program.

But, if you would simply get Linux and install it on your computer instead of Windows, you'll have a safe and secure system right from the start!

Linux is immune to Windows viruses and malware.

A great way to test your system's security is at the Shield's Up! website.  The web site will probe your system and let you know if any ports a open or any other vulnerabilities are exposed.

The above graphic is an actual report from my Linux system. And as the report says, "Very nice."


Get Linux, get secure.

Avoid Social Network Pitfalls. Get Linux!

I got an email from an old college buddy the other day.  He was looking for me up on one of the popular social networking sites. 

I explained to him that I don't use these sites. In addition, I pointed out all the viruses that pop up on many of these social networking sites.  Viruses like this one, this one and this one.  Or how about this user's experience?

Because I use Linux, if I really wanted to open a social networking account,  I'd be immune to these viruses. Why?  Because these viruses target Windows systems and users.  Linux is immune to Windows viruses and malware.

I realize that social networking sites do their diligent best to rid their landscape of such malware, viruses, and phishing scams.   However, they can't catch everything.  All users need to be vigilant.

If you want to be safer and more secure on a social networking site, simply get Linux.  You'll have an easy to use desktop with thousands of free software apps.   And you'll be more secure.  With Linux, you'll be immune to any Windows virus tht may infect/exploit your favorite social networking site.

Get Linux.

Activation Frustration? Not With Linux!

Yesterday's blog post illicited this comment from an anonymous reader:

"And don't forget... No product activation!

"I was on my way from New York to Germany. When I arrived in my room, Vista informed me my PC needed activation and would only work for the next day (can't remember the exact message). I don't know what triggered this message, as everything worked fine, and Windows was activated months before. Because I was on a business trip for the next 2 weeks, I could not get my laptop working until I arrived back home. Luckily we were able to transfer my importation documents that evening. What a mess!

"Because of this, I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER MS PRODUCT! "

My nephew had a similar experience with his friend's desktop.  Although the laptop had Windows Genuine Advantage and was properly and legally activated, the system locked out the user.  He called Microsoft only to get an automated messaging system.  When he entered the activation code, he was told that the copy of Windows was not legitimate and the technical assistance recording hung up.

Ridiculous!

Sometimes, you need to be a wizard or magician in order to open Windows and get it to work!

If you want to avoid this kind of hassle, simply get Linux.

With Linux, you'll have a free, open source system that will never ask for an activation code or lock you out.  You'll have a wonderful desktop environment with thousands of programs and a welcoming and friendly community of users who will help you get up and running.

And none of those folks is a recording.

Get Linux.

Windows 7 Versus Linux.

In commenting on one of my previous posts, reader Zaine Ridling said:

"Completely agree with you here. Win7 is a golden opportunity to see that Windows isn't impressive when placed against a mature distro like Mint or openSUSE. I went to a Win7 party, but the host agreed to install copies of Win7, Fedora, openSUSE, and OSX, and then compare them.

"And yes, they were more impressed by how fast and how many programs that were ready to run after spending 15-22 minutes installing Mint and openSUSE. They even liked KDE better than Win7's UI. However, because it didn't run Photoshop -- which only one person used -- they were willing to pay the $320 to stick with Windows.

"Quite telling."

Thanks for the comment, Zaine.

I want to address the one person you mentioned who required Photoshop. Photoshop is certainly an amazing program. One reason (but not the only one) why some folks need PhotoShop is due to CMYK color separation when creating images for print (magazines, newspapers, etc.). Well, the majority of us don't need to use CMYK at the commercial level. Which is why most of us don't plop down $600.00 plus for the commercial version of Photoshop. Most Windows users will purchase Photoshop Elements (or similar) for about $100.00.

Now, I just wanted to make two points to first time readers of this blog and others exploring Linux.

1.) If you really want to run Photoshop, all you need do is purchase and install Crossover or install Wine for free. I've blogged about running Photoshop on Linux before. It works seamlessly and runs quite well.

2.) If you don't need CMYK, The Gimp does everything Photoshop Elements and other non-commercial graphics apps do. And Gimp is FREE! I use The Gimp when creating all my cartoon features with no problems whatsoever. Like the above drawing (taken with a digital camera), I draw my stuff with good old fashioned pen to paper, scan, and then do all my digital editing in Gimp. I don't need CMYK at the moment. If/when I do, I'll use the option as described above.

So, if you really need PhotoShop, you can use it in Linux. I you don't need Photoshop, you can run Gimp for free! It works just like Photoshop and is every bit as powerful.

Get Linux. (not Windows)