Showing posts with label Operating-systems. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Operating-systems. Show all posts
Linux Is An Alternative Operating System
Autor: hunter
"Linux" is an alternative, "open source" operating system. It is "alternative" because it runs on the same hardware that the market share leader (Microsoft Windows) runs on, "open source" because it is not only freely obtained (via various channels such as online downloads, free CDs that come with magazines and books, etc...), but also because it's source code (the actual computer instructions that make the software work) is also freely accessible and modifiable.
The fact that Linux is freely available for anyone to obtain and tinker with has been a boon for the adoption and use of Linux with computer enthusiasts, geeks, nerds and the like. These enthusiasts like the fact that the code is right there in front of them for them to change to their needs. A competent programmer, even a hobbyist, can customize Linux to their needs to a much more refined level than they could with MS Windows, Apple's Mac OS, and even other more proprietary flavors of UNIX.
There is a very active and thriving developer community surrounding Linux. There are literally thousands of websites out there devoted to the subject matter. All sorts of knowledge bases, forums, chat rooms and message boards are dedicated to the goings on in the Linux and open source community.
Another excellent facet of the Linux community is the fact that the majority of the software applications written for the operating system is also made available with the same "open source" license, which means that an enthusiast (or a professional for that matter) can build and customize a Linux system that is perfectly tailored to their needs with little to no investment beyond the initial purchase of the hardware.
A sound studio engineer, for example, could build a Linux machine that has been custom tailored to run the effects on a sound board or to function as a recording device for digital audio, while a graphic artist may build a machine that has been built from the ground up to be an efficient design machine.
The fact that Linux is freely available for anyone to obtain and tinker with has been a boon for the adoption and use of Linux with computer enthusiasts, geeks, nerds and the like. These enthusiasts like the fact that the code is right there in front of them for them to change to their needs. A competent programmer, even a hobbyist, can customize Linux to their needs to a much more refined level than they could with MS Windows, Apple's Mac OS, and even other more proprietary flavors of UNIX.
There is a very active and thriving developer community surrounding Linux. There are literally thousands of websites out there devoted to the subject matter. All sorts of knowledge bases, forums, chat rooms and message boards are dedicated to the goings on in the Linux and open source community.
Another excellent facet of the Linux community is the fact that the majority of the software applications written for the operating system is also made available with the same "open source" license, which means that an enthusiast (or a professional for that matter) can build and customize a Linux system that is perfectly tailored to their needs with little to no investment beyond the initial purchase of the hardware.
A sound studio engineer, for example, could build a Linux machine that has been custom tailored to run the effects on a sound board or to function as a recording device for digital audio, while a graphic artist may build a machine that has been built from the ground up to be an efficient design machine.
Source: Free Articles
Windows Vista - a Welcome Change!
Autor: nisp0530
The Windows Vista User Experience represents a new design philosophy that delivers a compelling user experience from the moment that you start interacting with the computer to the moment that you leave it. It introduces breakthroughs in user experience, security and reliability, enabling you to build applications that bring clarity to the user's complex world of information.
In the past, Windows focused heavily on discoverability, time to task, and task completion. The Windows Vista User Experience continues to deliver on discoverability, time to task, and task completion. From folders to animations, thumbnail views to the glass look of interface elements, Windows Vista is nothing short of stunning.
Working with Windows Vista is all about seeing, finding, organizing, and confidently controlling your information and your computer. It enables a new level of confidence in your computer. Desktop.Windows Vista provides a solid visual experience, free of flicker, redrawing, hesitation, latency, and visual artifacts.
New productivity tools bring clarity to information on your computer-you can see what your files contain without opening them, find applications and files instantly, navigate efficiently among open windows, and traverse wizards and dialog boxes more confidently and surely.
In computers that can use the new Windows Vista Display Driver Model (WVDDM), windows are translucent, meaning that it's easier to focus on the content of a window rather than the window itself.Windows Vista provides two entirely new features to manage windows codenamed "Flip" and "Flip 3D".
Flip allows you to flip through open windows (by using Alt+Tab) providing a live thumbnail of each window rather than just a generic icon and filename. With Flip 3D,you can use the scroll wheel on your mouse to flip through open windows in a stack, and quickly locate and select the one you want to work with.Windows Vista introduces a new level of confidence to the experience of using your computer.
Beyond the design aesthetic of Windows Vista, the fundamentals of the operating system free you from worrying about security, reliability, and managing your computer. You are in total control.
Security is fundamental to the Windows Vista architecture. Windows Vista security features protect against the latest generation of threats, such as worms, viruses, and spyware. In the unlikely event of a successful attack, Windows Vista ensures that the effects are minimal. With Windows Vista, you can connect to whomever you want and do the things that you want to do, confident that Windows Vista is keeping your information and your computer safer.
Overall, the Windows Vista experience is more polished, smooth, and refined on all computers. Even details such as how windows move when they are minimized have been improved-when minimized, a window now clearly minimizes to a thumbnail on the taskbar where it resides, making it easier to locate later.
Some interesting Features :
1.Parental Controls: Windows Vista introduces a rich set of parental control features, providing powerful tools to help parents monitor, manage, and administer their children's computer usage to keep them safe.
2.Fast On and Off: A Windows Vista computer starts and shuts down as quickly and reliably as a television, typically within 2 to 3 seconds. Windows Vista processes login scripts and startup programs and services in the background so you can start working right away.
3.Diagnostics: Built in diagnostics will help you detect, analyze, and fix problems such as failing hard drives, networking and performance issues more quickly and easily and help keep your computer running smoothly.
4.User Account Protection: Windows Vista User Account Protection bridges the gap between user and administrative privileges by running programs with limited permissions. When you need to perform an administrative task, such as installing software or drivers, Windows Vista prompts you to confirm your intentions or to provide the proper administrator credentials.
5.New look and feel: When you start using Windows Vista, you will recognize familiar elements such as the Start menu and task bar. Beyond the familiar, however, the overall Windows experience is redesigned and streamlined so that it is more intuitive, more attractive, and easier for you to use so you can accomplish tasks more efficiently.
6.Familiarity: Because Windows Vista is built on technology that you are already familiar with, you can get up to speed quickly with minimal training and support.
7.Media Center: Enjoy all your favorite entertainment - including live and recorded TV, movies, music, and pictures - in one place through an easy-to-use Media Center menu system and remote control.
In the past, Windows focused heavily on discoverability, time to task, and task completion. The Windows Vista User Experience continues to deliver on discoverability, time to task, and task completion. From folders to animations, thumbnail views to the glass look of interface elements, Windows Vista is nothing short of stunning.
Working with Windows Vista is all about seeing, finding, organizing, and confidently controlling your information and your computer. It enables a new level of confidence in your computer. Desktop.Windows Vista provides a solid visual experience, free of flicker, redrawing, hesitation, latency, and visual artifacts.
New productivity tools bring clarity to information on your computer-you can see what your files contain without opening them, find applications and files instantly, navigate efficiently among open windows, and traverse wizards and dialog boxes more confidently and surely.
In computers that can use the new Windows Vista Display Driver Model (WVDDM), windows are translucent, meaning that it's easier to focus on the content of a window rather than the window itself.Windows Vista provides two entirely new features to manage windows codenamed "Flip" and "Flip 3D".
Flip allows you to flip through open windows (by using Alt+Tab) providing a live thumbnail of each window rather than just a generic icon and filename. With Flip 3D,you can use the scroll wheel on your mouse to flip through open windows in a stack, and quickly locate and select the one you want to work with.Windows Vista introduces a new level of confidence to the experience of using your computer.
Beyond the design aesthetic of Windows Vista, the fundamentals of the operating system free you from worrying about security, reliability, and managing your computer. You are in total control.
Security is fundamental to the Windows Vista architecture. Windows Vista security features protect against the latest generation of threats, such as worms, viruses, and spyware. In the unlikely event of a successful attack, Windows Vista ensures that the effects are minimal. With Windows Vista, you can connect to whomever you want and do the things that you want to do, confident that Windows Vista is keeping your information and your computer safer.
Overall, the Windows Vista experience is more polished, smooth, and refined on all computers. Even details such as how windows move when they are minimized have been improved-when minimized, a window now clearly minimizes to a thumbnail on the taskbar where it resides, making it easier to locate later.
Some interesting Features :
1.Parental Controls: Windows Vista introduces a rich set of parental control features, providing powerful tools to help parents monitor, manage, and administer their children's computer usage to keep them safe.
2.Fast On and Off: A Windows Vista computer starts and shuts down as quickly and reliably as a television, typically within 2 to 3 seconds. Windows Vista processes login scripts and startup programs and services in the background so you can start working right away.
3.Diagnostics: Built in diagnostics will help you detect, analyze, and fix problems such as failing hard drives, networking and performance issues more quickly and easily and help keep your computer running smoothly.
4.User Account Protection: Windows Vista User Account Protection bridges the gap between user and administrative privileges by running programs with limited permissions. When you need to perform an administrative task, such as installing software or drivers, Windows Vista prompts you to confirm your intentions or to provide the proper administrator credentials.
5.New look and feel: When you start using Windows Vista, you will recognize familiar elements such as the Start menu and task bar. Beyond the familiar, however, the overall Windows experience is redesigned and streamlined so that it is more intuitive, more attractive, and easier for you to use so you can accomplish tasks more efficiently.
6.Familiarity: Because Windows Vista is built on technology that you are already familiar with, you can get up to speed quickly with minimal training and support.
7.Media Center: Enjoy all your favorite entertainment - including live and recorded TV, movies, music, and pictures - in one place through an easy-to-use Media Center menu system and remote control.
Source: Free Articles
Fix Windows Registry Errors
Autor: kenthn
The most important reason your should fix Windows Registry errors as they occur is that this the one single preventative measure can greatly increase the life-expectancy of your Windows system by stabilizing the growth of its Registry.
Prevention is Key!
It is a fact of Windows that trying to fix Registry problems after they occur is much more difficult than preventing their occurrence in the first place. So when it comes to the Windows Registry, the motto should always be "prevention is key!" This is because it is often the most common and abundant types of errors that wind up killing Registries, especially those caused by a system's registered applications, users, and even Windows itself. As new applications are installed and old applications are removed, and as registered applications continue accessing and changing Registry data, they often leave small bits of themselves behind as orphaned registry entries.
By themselves, these errors will probably not reveal themselves in any degradation of speed or normal Windows functions, especially if your system is new. But if these errors are allowed to accumulate for a very long time, they can greatly increase a Registry's size and wreak havoc on the overall structure and stability of its database. And for a fast-growing Registry, even small error accumulations can quickly send your Registry's database structure out of control. If you don't fix these Windows Registry errors often, your system can very easily fall victim to sudden crashes, system stalls, or a severe decrease in operating speed. It is particularly at risk if you frequently install or uninstall applications and hardware, since these actions increase the Registry's rate of growth further by adding more registered components, orphaned Registry entries, and undeleted drivers to your system.
Registry Repair Utilities
Once you have made the decision to fix Windows Registry errors on your system, you will need to know something about how to go about it. Although some versions of Windows provide built-in background system utilities designed to maintain Registry structure and stability, these utilities only address the most basic Registry problems in the most primitive ways, making them insufficient when a Registry becomes very large and complicated. However, there are many third-party Windows Registry repair utilities available on the Internet that are inexpensive and easy to use. For general maintenance and prevention purposes, Combination Repair/Cleaning utilities are perfect. They are effective in finding and removing errors caused by invalid references, viruses, and spyware/tracking programs, and usually have other features, like Registry defragmenting and backup/restore utilities and scanning schedules, that make it very easy to maintain your computer's health and optimize its performance.
Prevention is Key!
It is a fact of Windows that trying to fix Registry problems after they occur is much more difficult than preventing their occurrence in the first place. So when it comes to the Windows Registry, the motto should always be "prevention is key!" This is because it is often the most common and abundant types of errors that wind up killing Registries, especially those caused by a system's registered applications, users, and even Windows itself. As new applications are installed and old applications are removed, and as registered applications continue accessing and changing Registry data, they often leave small bits of themselves behind as orphaned registry entries.
By themselves, these errors will probably not reveal themselves in any degradation of speed or normal Windows functions, especially if your system is new. But if these errors are allowed to accumulate for a very long time, they can greatly increase a Registry's size and wreak havoc on the overall structure and stability of its database. And for a fast-growing Registry, even small error accumulations can quickly send your Registry's database structure out of control. If you don't fix these Windows Registry errors often, your system can very easily fall victim to sudden crashes, system stalls, or a severe decrease in operating speed. It is particularly at risk if you frequently install or uninstall applications and hardware, since these actions increase the Registry's rate of growth further by adding more registered components, orphaned Registry entries, and undeleted drivers to your system.
Registry Repair Utilities
Once you have made the decision to fix Windows Registry errors on your system, you will need to know something about how to go about it. Although some versions of Windows provide built-in background system utilities designed to maintain Registry structure and stability, these utilities only address the most basic Registry problems in the most primitive ways, making them insufficient when a Registry becomes very large and complicated. However, there are many third-party Windows Registry repair utilities available on the Internet that are inexpensive and easy to use. For general maintenance and prevention purposes, Combination Repair/Cleaning utilities are perfect. They are effective in finding and removing errors caused by invalid references, viruses, and spyware/tracking programs, and usually have other features, like Registry defragmenting and backup/restore utilities and scanning schedules, that make it very easy to maintain your computer's health and optimize its performance.
Source: Free Articles
Windows Vista - What To Look Foward To
Autor: rcallaby
Perhaps you have heard about the next new version of Microsoft Windows, called Vista? The Vista operating system has many promises to one great, stable and dynamic operating system. Not only will this operating system have the .Net framework built into the core of the operating system it will also feature some other key communications, user interface and security breakthroughs.
For instance Vista will utilize the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) which will greatly increase the aesthetic value of each application. Perhaps you may be familiar with a website developed with Flash animation software. Now picture the same type of functionality and aesthetics however instead of being restricted to a website format having the freedom to develop the interface so it is a true Windows application. Further, this WPF will allow for much easier and faster deployments of these applications through the use of "one click deployment" technology. If you are familiar with the updater application block and the BITS service then you are already familiar with innovation. However, instead of being some cumbersome application block you will be able to easily deploy these applications with just a few clicks from your development environment.
Secondly the Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) will provide a secure and reliable messaging platform which will allow for a new era in the creativity of application developers. This WCF will bring in a new time when true service oriented applications will become commonplace. This will make it much easier to connect businesses to each other and their customers.
The in built security mechanisms will make for a much more secure platform as well. Since this operating system is built around the .Net framework Code Access Security will be much easier to enforce and maintain. Code access security is when the author of the program can specify exactly what the program is allowed to do based upon the role of the user who is accessing the software. This will allow for a much finer grained security mechanism which will make software much more trustworthy by the end user.
Another feature of Vista is called SuperFetch. SuperFetch seems to be a caching mechanism for frequently used files so that the end user experiences fast response times and is not hindered by the background tasks that the operating system is performing. This will greatly speed up and perhaps cause less system crashes thereby making the OS much more stable.
One other great feature of Vista is its use of the sidebar and gadgets. Gadgets are small programs that either you or someone else has created that performs some frequently used task such as viewing the latest weather or traffic information from your desktop. Now this might seem to be a small feature but I am sure the general public will eat this feature up and it is one place where some new innovative software inventions might take place. It might even make managing your life that
much easier.
Perhaps the best feature of Vista is its new ability to easily search through and organize your files for later retrieval. I cannot tell you how many times I have had to search my own hard drive for a file that I knew I created but could not remember where I stored it.
Let's face it Windows XP and Windows 2000 are by now old fashioned. The public needs a new operating system simply because the other's are beginning to show their age. It is time for an upgrade.
For instance Vista will utilize the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) which will greatly increase the aesthetic value of each application. Perhaps you may be familiar with a website developed with Flash animation software. Now picture the same type of functionality and aesthetics however instead of being restricted to a website format having the freedom to develop the interface so it is a true Windows application. Further, this WPF will allow for much easier and faster deployments of these applications through the use of "one click deployment" technology. If you are familiar with the updater application block and the BITS service then you are already familiar with innovation. However, instead of being some cumbersome application block you will be able to easily deploy these applications with just a few clicks from your development environment.
Secondly the Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) will provide a secure and reliable messaging platform which will allow for a new era in the creativity of application developers. This WCF will bring in a new time when true service oriented applications will become commonplace. This will make it much easier to connect businesses to each other and their customers.
The in built security mechanisms will make for a much more secure platform as well. Since this operating system is built around the .Net framework Code Access Security will be much easier to enforce and maintain. Code access security is when the author of the program can specify exactly what the program is allowed to do based upon the role of the user who is accessing the software. This will allow for a much finer grained security mechanism which will make software much more trustworthy by the end user.
Another feature of Vista is called SuperFetch. SuperFetch seems to be a caching mechanism for frequently used files so that the end user experiences fast response times and is not hindered by the background tasks that the operating system is performing. This will greatly speed up and perhaps cause less system crashes thereby making the OS much more stable.
One other great feature of Vista is its use of the sidebar and gadgets. Gadgets are small programs that either you or someone else has created that performs some frequently used task such as viewing the latest weather or traffic information from your desktop. Now this might seem to be a small feature but I am sure the general public will eat this feature up and it is one place where some new innovative software inventions might take place. It might even make managing your life that
much easier.
Perhaps the best feature of Vista is its new ability to easily search through and organize your files for later retrieval. I cannot tell you how many times I have had to search my own hard drive for a file that I knew I created but could not remember where I stored it.
Let's face it Windows XP and Windows 2000 are by now old fashioned. The public needs a new operating system simply because the other's are beginning to show their age. It is time for an upgrade.
Source: Free Articles
Computer Do's and Don'ts
Autor: delinda
Here are a few helpful pointers for your computer experience.
DON'T
Store personal information on your computer or PDA. Stored data is always open to hackers. Consider storing passwords on CD's or disks that you keep locked in a box or closet.
Shop on-line without being sure of two safety features. Check the order page for the lock icon at the bottom. This way you know the system is encrypted and your personal data if transfered safely. The URL on the address bar should say "https", the "s" stands for secure.
Store credit card information on a website. It may be more convenient, but it's not safe.
Open or answer any unfamiliar e-mails. Just opening an email with an attachment, can add a worm to your computer. If you really think it might be from someone you know, hit reply and ask them to identify themselves. If that doesn't work, you know it's junk.
Fall for phishers. Phishing is a new scam. There are cyber crooks looking for information. They ask for your credit card numbers and social security information, phone numbers or even email addresses. Never respond to these emails.
Use obvious passwords. Don't use anything connected to your social security number. Don't use combinations of numbers and letters. Don't use anything with your mother's maiden name or your birth date.
DO
Use virus and spyware protection.
Without virus and spyware protection your computer is an open door to hackers and virus spreaders. Norton and McAfee use the most up-to-date anti-virus protection available. Always get their security updates every 2 weeks.
Completely erase your hard drive, if you throw away or give away your old computer. There are free downloadable programs to scrub the system before you give or throw it away. Try Sure Delete by (www.wizard-industries.com) and CodeTek's Safeshred Free for Macs.
Use only one credit card on the internet
This way if your information falls into the wrong hands you can cancel it. Always use a different credit card out in the "real world."
And to be sure you are not a victim of identity theft, get a copy (every year) of your credit report from all 3 major credit bureaus.
Equifax (800-685-1111) www.equifax.com
Experian (888-397-3742) www.experian.com
Trans-Union (800-916-8800 www.transunion.com
DON'T
Store personal information on your computer or PDA. Stored data is always open to hackers. Consider storing passwords on CD's or disks that you keep locked in a box or closet.
Shop on-line without being sure of two safety features. Check the order page for the lock icon at the bottom. This way you know the system is encrypted and your personal data if transfered safely. The URL on the address bar should say "https", the "s" stands for secure.
Store credit card information on a website. It may be more convenient, but it's not safe.
Open or answer any unfamiliar e-mails. Just opening an email with an attachment, can add a worm to your computer. If you really think it might be from someone you know, hit reply and ask them to identify themselves. If that doesn't work, you know it's junk.
Fall for phishers. Phishing is a new scam. There are cyber crooks looking for information. They ask for your credit card numbers and social security information, phone numbers or even email addresses. Never respond to these emails.
Use obvious passwords. Don't use anything connected to your social security number. Don't use combinations of numbers and letters. Don't use anything with your mother's maiden name or your birth date.
DO
Use virus and spyware protection.
Without virus and spyware protection your computer is an open door to hackers and virus spreaders. Norton and McAfee use the most up-to-date anti-virus protection available. Always get their security updates every 2 weeks.
Completely erase your hard drive, if you throw away or give away your old computer. There are free downloadable programs to scrub the system before you give or throw it away. Try Sure Delete by (www.wizard-industries.com) and CodeTek's Safeshred Free for Macs.
Use only one credit card on the internet
This way if your information falls into the wrong hands you can cancel it. Always use a different credit card out in the "real world."
And to be sure you are not a victim of identity theft, get a copy (every year) of your credit report from all 3 major credit bureaus.
Equifax (800-685-1111) www.equifax.com
Experian (888-397-3742) www.experian.com
Trans-Union (800-916-8800 www.transunion.com
Source: Free Articles
The World of Software
Autor: sanazz
??is the programs and procedure required to enable a computer to perform a specific task??. The software industry is huge and an ever changing one. Software has been with us since the first computers. Without it, computers cannot operate. Various kinds of software exist in the market today. They can be classified into:
Operating Systems
The lowest level form of software which has direct contact with the computer hardware. It manages resources as well as other software programs sitting on top. The operating system takes care of all the low level functions a computer performs and is probably the most complex piece of software in circulation.
Applications Software
Software which can normally be bought from stores is called application software. These packages serve infinite purposes and can vary from office applications, like word processors, spreadsheets, payroll systems, account systems, anti-virus applications and database driven software, to games, communication and multimedia applications.
Tailor-Made Software
Same as application software, tailor made software is written specifically to perform a particular task and to meet the user?s specific requirements. This software fills the gap that application suites leave in the software industry. Certain performances needed by particular businesses and organizations cannot be performed by the standard application suite found on stores? shelves. As a result, several software companies specialize in this area and create software applications designed to perform a specific task for specific sectors in our society.
The Process
Software is normally written by professional programmers working with small to medium companies as well as large corporations. They create standard packages that are then marketed and distributed worldwide. The purpose can vary from general use, like operating systems and office applications to specific use, like software written for hospitals and government departments. The process of writing tailor-made software can be totally different though. Before the programmers put their hands on the keyboard and start coding, a whole process is carried out by systems analyst, normally called feasibility study. This study serves to understand the business requirements of the specific organization to which the software is going to be written. A full documented systems design is then written explaining all these requirements, which will also server as the basis on which programmers write their code in order to produce the end product.
The Works
Software applications need to be loaded through a disk or through a network link from an office server or internet. It loads into the computer memory and normally gets installed on the local computer?s internal drive. Once resident there, every time the package is called from the user, it loads into the computer?s memory and execution starts. Some applications remain resident in the computer?s memory for as long as the computer is functioning. These are normally functions forming part of the operating system and other applications like network applications, anti-virus software and device drivers.
Everything one sees on a computer screen is made up of software. Without it, a computer cannot operate and is useless. Software applications have gone a long way and today many software applications can perform millions of tasks every second, supported by the evolution of computer hardware and the huge leaps forward of technology.
Operating Systems
The lowest level form of software which has direct contact with the computer hardware. It manages resources as well as other software programs sitting on top. The operating system takes care of all the low level functions a computer performs and is probably the most complex piece of software in circulation.
Applications Software
Software which can normally be bought from stores is called application software. These packages serve infinite purposes and can vary from office applications, like word processors, spreadsheets, payroll systems, account systems, anti-virus applications and database driven software, to games, communication and multimedia applications.
Tailor-Made Software
Same as application software, tailor made software is written specifically to perform a particular task and to meet the user?s specific requirements. This software fills the gap that application suites leave in the software industry. Certain performances needed by particular businesses and organizations cannot be performed by the standard application suite found on stores? shelves. As a result, several software companies specialize in this area and create software applications designed to perform a specific task for specific sectors in our society.
The Process
Software is normally written by professional programmers working with small to medium companies as well as large corporations. They create standard packages that are then marketed and distributed worldwide. The purpose can vary from general use, like operating systems and office applications to specific use, like software written for hospitals and government departments. The process of writing tailor-made software can be totally different though. Before the programmers put their hands on the keyboard and start coding, a whole process is carried out by systems analyst, normally called feasibility study. This study serves to understand the business requirements of the specific organization to which the software is going to be written. A full documented systems design is then written explaining all these requirements, which will also server as the basis on which programmers write their code in order to produce the end product.
The Works
Software applications need to be loaded through a disk or through a network link from an office server or internet. It loads into the computer memory and normally gets installed on the local computer?s internal drive. Once resident there, every time the package is called from the user, it loads into the computer?s memory and execution starts. Some applications remain resident in the computer?s memory for as long as the computer is functioning. These are normally functions forming part of the operating system and other applications like network applications, anti-virus software and device drivers.
Everything one sees on a computer screen is made up of software. Without it, a computer cannot operate and is useless. Software applications have gone a long way and today many software applications can perform millions of tasks every second, supported by the evolution of computer hardware and the huge leaps forward of technology.
Source: Free Articles
Windows Registry Repair & Maintenance
Autor: kenthn
In general, the occurrence of errors in a system's Registry increases over time and with the Registry's continued growth.
This is because the most common and abundant errors are orphaned Registry entries created during the installation or incomplete removal of registered applications and hardware drivers, making them largely responsible for the overall degradation of database stability as the Registry is forced to grow around them.
These errors usually have a minimal affect on overall system performance, but can become debilitating if they are left in the registry for a very long time or if the Registry grows very rapidly. In a sense, your system is doomed from the start.
If you add to these odds your Registry's chances of escaping all other sources and types of errors completely, it will probably become apparent that something needs to be done.
What's to be done?
It is almost universally decided that incorporating a regular Windows Registry Repair and Maintenance Program into your Registry's diet will not only prevent system crashes by repairing major registry issues, but will also maintain a more stable database structure by periodically removing the multitude of minor errors that are responsible for its gradual degradation over time as it grows around them.
Registry Repair Utilities
Although some versions of Windows provide built-in background system utilities designed to maintain Registry structure and stability, these utilities only address the most basic Registry problems in the most primitive ways, making them insufficient when a Registry becomes really huge and complicated.
Fortunately, there are currently an infinite number of third-party Windows Registry repair utilities available on the Internet, spanning the full spectrum in cost user control that are effective in removing a large number of common Registry errors.
Combination Repair and Cleaning utilities fix errors caused by invalid references, viruses, and spyware and tracking programs, as well as defragment hives and backup/restore registry data.
The most common errors addressed by these utilities are
* Orphaned, missing, obsolete and damaged Registry keys, These are usually caused by applications that are incompletely or incorrectly uninstalled.
* Orphaned DLLs (Dynamic Link Libraries). These are invalid registry entries in the SharedDDLs section that are created when a DLL shared by multiple applications is deleted or moved.
* Missing or corrupt GUIDs (Globally-unique Identifiers), The registered components that are identified by the Registry by GUIDs rather than their paths and filenames can no longer function..
* File Not Found errors
* Old or corrupted hardware drivers
* Registry fragmentation, Fragmentation of registry hives occurs when applications repeatedly modify the same values in small increments.
* Virus and spyware that enter the registry by creating or modifying keys.
How often you should use these utilities depends on your Registry's size and your system's activity and can be best determined by starting off with a very frequent repair schedule, slowly increasing the time between successive repairs, and comparing the total errors found by the utility for each duration.
This is because the most common and abundant errors are orphaned Registry entries created during the installation or incomplete removal of registered applications and hardware drivers, making them largely responsible for the overall degradation of database stability as the Registry is forced to grow around them.
These errors usually have a minimal affect on overall system performance, but can become debilitating if they are left in the registry for a very long time or if the Registry grows very rapidly. In a sense, your system is doomed from the start.
If you add to these odds your Registry's chances of escaping all other sources and types of errors completely, it will probably become apparent that something needs to be done.
What's to be done?
It is almost universally decided that incorporating a regular Windows Registry Repair and Maintenance Program into your Registry's diet will not only prevent system crashes by repairing major registry issues, but will also maintain a more stable database structure by periodically removing the multitude of minor errors that are responsible for its gradual degradation over time as it grows around them.
Registry Repair Utilities
Although some versions of Windows provide built-in background system utilities designed to maintain Registry structure and stability, these utilities only address the most basic Registry problems in the most primitive ways, making them insufficient when a Registry becomes really huge and complicated.
Fortunately, there are currently an infinite number of third-party Windows Registry repair utilities available on the Internet, spanning the full spectrum in cost user control that are effective in removing a large number of common Registry errors.
Combination Repair and Cleaning utilities fix errors caused by invalid references, viruses, and spyware and tracking programs, as well as defragment hives and backup/restore registry data.
The most common errors addressed by these utilities are
* Orphaned, missing, obsolete and damaged Registry keys, These are usually caused by applications that are incompletely or incorrectly uninstalled.
* Orphaned DLLs (Dynamic Link Libraries). These are invalid registry entries in the SharedDDLs section that are created when a DLL shared by multiple applications is deleted or moved.
* Missing or corrupt GUIDs (Globally-unique Identifiers), The registered components that are identified by the Registry by GUIDs rather than their paths and filenames can no longer function..
* File Not Found errors
* Old or corrupted hardware drivers
* Registry fragmentation, Fragmentation of registry hives occurs when applications repeatedly modify the same values in small increments.
* Virus and spyware that enter the registry by creating or modifying keys.
How often you should use these utilities depends on your Registry's size and your system's activity and can be best determined by starting off with a very frequent repair schedule, slowly increasing the time between successive repairs, and comparing the total errors found by the utility for each duration.
Source: Free Articles
3 Steps for Proper Windows Registry Maintenance
Autor: weishengwu
Since I'm going to talk about the Windows registry, it's better to give you a big picture of what it is before delving into the details. Let me put it this way, the registry is a hierarchical database in the Windows operating system, where configuration settings related to hardware, user preferences, memory setup, and applications are stored. You probably won't notice a need to fix any registry problems when your system is new, but as you use Windows for a period of time, your registry will become larger and larger, clustered with unnecessary and obsolete registry entries after software and drivers are removed from your computer.
To most PC users, the Windows registry is a mysterious and dark part of the operating system. Only experienced users would try to tweak it for enhanced system performance. It is widely agreed that invalid registry keys or entries are often the culprit of the majority of weird system errors and application installation/uninstallation problems. For instance, when a software package is removed, it is very likely that its remnants are still lurking in the registry. Without cleaning invalid registry entries, your system will be left with seeds for imminent trouble. In view of this, I'll cover the basic steps that average users can use to keep the registry clean and healthy with a few mouse clicks.
1. Back up the registry:
Be sure to back up your registry first before editing it. Making an incorrect registry modification could destroy any applications running on your system, even rendering Windows unable to boot in the worst scenario.
For Windows XP users: The best way to back up the registry is to use the System Restore tool. Click 'Start', point to 'All Programs', 'Accessories', 'System Tools', and then select 'System Restore'. Choose 'Create a Restore Point'. Click 'Next' and follow the directions.
For Windows 2000 users: The best option is to use the export capability in Windows' Registry Editor to create a full backup of the registry. Click 'Start', point to 'Run', type 'regedit', and press 'Enter'. Select 'My Computer' in the folder tree, select 'File', 'Export', and identify a file name and destination. Save the file on a CD disc or other removable media.
2. Clean the registry:
As I mentioned earlier, the longer you use Windows, the more cluttered the registry can grow because some applications don't remove all traces of themselves when they are uninstalled. Orphaned registry entries may cause such problems as slower performance, system lockups, and strange installation error messages. The more common result is a bloated registry that takes longer to be loaded.
Windows 95 comes with a built-in registry cleaning utility called RegClean, but Microsoft does not include it in their operating systems after Windows 95. You'll have to use third-party utilities. For the most comprehensive Registry scanning and cleaning, you may want to buy a utility like Error Doctor or Registry Fix. These utility suites provide advanced features that fully scan, optimize, and maintain the registry, and they all work with all versions of Windows from 95 through XP.
3. Fix a damaged registry:
For Windows XP users: Restore to a past restore point by clicking 'Start', pointing to 'All Programs', 'Accessories', 'System Tools', and then selecting 'System Restore'. Choose 'Restore my computer to an earlier time'. Click 'Next' and select a restore point from the calendar by clicking a bold date and then selecting a restore point. Click 'Next' and confirm the restore date by clicking 'Next' again.
For Windows 2000 users: There are two options available. The first one is to import a registry backup into the registry by using the 'Import' command on the Registry Editor's 'File' menu. The second one is to use 'Last known good configuration'. Here are the steps to do it - Restart the computer. Hold down the 'F8v key while your system is booting up. Select 'Last known good configuration' from the Startup menu with the arrow keys on your keyboard. Press 'Enter' on the keyboard to confirm your selection.
Conclusion
Knowing how to back up, maintain, and restore the registry is an important part of keeping your computer running smoothly. I want to stress that modifying the registry should be done with care in that incorrect registry entries made could destroy the Windows operating system.
To most PC users, the Windows registry is a mysterious and dark part of the operating system. Only experienced users would try to tweak it for enhanced system performance. It is widely agreed that invalid registry keys or entries are often the culprit of the majority of weird system errors and application installation/uninstallation problems. For instance, when a software package is removed, it is very likely that its remnants are still lurking in the registry. Without cleaning invalid registry entries, your system will be left with seeds for imminent trouble. In view of this, I'll cover the basic steps that average users can use to keep the registry clean and healthy with a few mouse clicks.
1. Back up the registry:
Be sure to back up your registry first before editing it. Making an incorrect registry modification could destroy any applications running on your system, even rendering Windows unable to boot in the worst scenario.
For Windows XP users: The best way to back up the registry is to use the System Restore tool. Click 'Start', point to 'All Programs', 'Accessories', 'System Tools', and then select 'System Restore'. Choose 'Create a Restore Point'. Click 'Next' and follow the directions.
For Windows 2000 users: The best option is to use the export capability in Windows' Registry Editor to create a full backup of the registry. Click 'Start', point to 'Run', type 'regedit', and press 'Enter'. Select 'My Computer' in the folder tree, select 'File', 'Export', and identify a file name and destination. Save the file on a CD disc or other removable media.
2. Clean the registry:
As I mentioned earlier, the longer you use Windows, the more cluttered the registry can grow because some applications don't remove all traces of themselves when they are uninstalled. Orphaned registry entries may cause such problems as slower performance, system lockups, and strange installation error messages. The more common result is a bloated registry that takes longer to be loaded.
Windows 95 comes with a built-in registry cleaning utility called RegClean, but Microsoft does not include it in their operating systems after Windows 95. You'll have to use third-party utilities. For the most comprehensive Registry scanning and cleaning, you may want to buy a utility like Error Doctor or Registry Fix. These utility suites provide advanced features that fully scan, optimize, and maintain the registry, and they all work with all versions of Windows from 95 through XP.
3. Fix a damaged registry:
For Windows XP users: Restore to a past restore point by clicking 'Start', pointing to 'All Programs', 'Accessories', 'System Tools', and then selecting 'System Restore'. Choose 'Restore my computer to an earlier time'. Click 'Next' and select a restore point from the calendar by clicking a bold date and then selecting a restore point. Click 'Next' and confirm the restore date by clicking 'Next' again.
For Windows 2000 users: There are two options available. The first one is to import a registry backup into the registry by using the 'Import' command on the Registry Editor's 'File' menu. The second one is to use 'Last known good configuration'. Here are the steps to do it - Restart the computer. Hold down the 'F8v key while your system is booting up. Select 'Last known good configuration' from the Startup menu with the arrow keys on your keyboard. Press 'Enter' on the keyboard to confirm your selection.
Conclusion
Knowing how to back up, maintain, and restore the registry is an important part of keeping your computer running smoothly. I want to stress that modifying the registry should be done with care in that incorrect registry entries made could destroy the Windows operating system.
Source: Free Articles
Fix Computer Problems through Remote Technical Support
by: Morganben
Computer and Internet technology is a real blessing which has given direction and support to the modern world. It has so much intermingled with the profession and personal lives of people that it’s difficult to imagine a day without it. It has touched every corner of life and people from all walks of lives are using this. One should be highly grateful to the enterprising efforts of scientists and developers who are consistently involved in the business for a better tomorrow. However, problems and obstacles have never remained an exception. But certainly these are challenges which provoke towards development and invention.
In early days computer support was catered through direct on-site visit of technicians or by repair shops. Gradually, this method was substituted by remote technical support. In fact, this is a dynamic concept and is of great help. The Internet feasibility and the advent of quality remote software have given wings to the concept. This online support has crossed all barriers and hurdles and one can expect the support anywhere anytime. Whether one has a need of PC repair at home or office, in day or night, facing small or big problems he can get instant help through the Internet or phone.
Computer Support is used in a broad sense and it encompasses support for every computer related issues which one might face in his life. Operating system, application software, router, printer and other program or devices are widely used with computer. A problem with any of these is inevitable. Again, there are brands and their respective models or software versions as well, so the term computer support gets segregated again accordingly. Microsoft Windows NT, Apple Mac, Linux, UNIX are the commonly known operating systems. Likewise, application software and security software are too available from various brands. This software are regularly updated or revised by the developers to induce better technologies and features.
Though, brands are offering Remote Technical Support but they restrict to their own products. As one can’t limit himself to one particular brand of software or hardware so this specific tech support would not be enough to deal with computer problems in long run, hence, there is a constant surge for independent technical support provider, who can provide all-round support. Companies indulge in the business offer support for all brands, and one just needs to call the Tech Support Phone Number and permit technicians to have the remote access of his machine. Responsible technician diagnoses the system in front of owner’s eyes and troubleshoots it to fix the related issues. Hence, this has also mitigated the chance of data theft. They can also help the consumer to clad the system with the desired software and set-up and configure important peripherals with it. In case of system crash one doesn’t need to worry too much, by making a right contact at right time he can restore his system and get back his valuable assets. Besides, they can provide driver support, antivirus support, e-mail support and more.
Moreover, these tech support services are catered by subject matter experts, at competitive prices, and with warranty periods so the consumer is always in safer side, and he can keep his fingers crossed and enjoy next-generation computing.
In early days computer support was catered through direct on-site visit of technicians or by repair shops. Gradually, this method was substituted by remote technical support. In fact, this is a dynamic concept and is of great help. The Internet feasibility and the advent of quality remote software have given wings to the concept. This online support has crossed all barriers and hurdles and one can expect the support anywhere anytime. Whether one has a need of PC repair at home or office, in day or night, facing small or big problems he can get instant help through the Internet or phone.
Computer Support is used in a broad sense and it encompasses support for every computer related issues which one might face in his life. Operating system, application software, router, printer and other program or devices are widely used with computer. A problem with any of these is inevitable. Again, there are brands and their respective models or software versions as well, so the term computer support gets segregated again accordingly. Microsoft Windows NT, Apple Mac, Linux, UNIX are the commonly known operating systems. Likewise, application software and security software are too available from various brands. This software are regularly updated or revised by the developers to induce better technologies and features.
Though, brands are offering Remote Technical Support but they restrict to their own products. As one can’t limit himself to one particular brand of software or hardware so this specific tech support would not be enough to deal with computer problems in long run, hence, there is a constant surge for independent technical support provider, who can provide all-round support. Companies indulge in the business offer support for all brands, and one just needs to call the Tech Support Phone Number and permit technicians to have the remote access of his machine. Responsible technician diagnoses the system in front of owner’s eyes and troubleshoots it to fix the related issues. Hence, this has also mitigated the chance of data theft. They can also help the consumer to clad the system with the desired software and set-up and configure important peripherals with it. In case of system crash one doesn’t need to worry too much, by making a right contact at right time he can restore his system and get back his valuable assets. Besides, they can provide driver support, antivirus support, e-mail support and more.
Moreover, these tech support services are catered by subject matter experts, at competitive prices, and with warranty periods so the consumer is always in safer side, and he can keep his fingers crossed and enjoy next-generation computing.
Rely on a Free Registry Cleaner with All the Powerful Features for Your PC
by: Sean Jones
For more information visit us at -: http://www.thebestfreeregistrycleaner.com/
If you are among those countless individuals still looking for a free registry cleaner to boost your computer performance and ensure a prolonged lifetime of your whole database, then a straightforward online search and browse through websites will certainly bring out more possibilities of finding the most excellent one.
As you are targeting a registry cleaner free of cost, you need to take into consideration that not all free programs are superb options and not all are really effective. If you would like to know some of the features that will constitute superior registry repair software, then following are certain features to consider:
From technical point of view, your tool requires to have an easy to understand interface guidelines. A large number of PC users are not geeks and computer wizards; they are simply common people desiring to possess super fast processing system to fulfill their different requirements. Hence, the need of an understandable instruction is one of the most vital things to look at.
As free registry cleaner is complimentary, it is unnecessary to state that any types of payment are not acceptable. All those individuals who regularly purchase software programs might crave to switch to such free software because this can be effortlessly discovered and downloaded over the internet without additional endeavor of buying one.
One more tremendous benefit of a registry cleaner free of charge is its performance which is on par with that of the paid cleaners. Even if payments are largely retained and handled by computer experts, the free cleaning programs can still significantly coincide in terms of functioning with the paid ones. In the end, it all depends on you whether you opt for a free or a paid tool.
Considering things carefully, it would still be a realistic option to choose a registry cleaner free of cost. Such registry cleaners generally consist of simple user interface and can be carried on and implemented even by those individuals with fundamental knowledge of computer workings. Once you come into the possession of this software, you can make use of it as a lifelong associate in scanning your Windows registries. Performing the scanning and cleaning up the useless files on a regular basis will assist you in mitigating other risks your computer might go through if not paid appropriate and instant attention.
Users who have not opted for cleanup and usually overlook warning signals pointing system malfunction will have to face the consequences of a sluggish PC. If this problem continues for long time period and you never take further measures in repairing system troubles, then more and more errors and malfunctions in your system will be expected to exist. Looking for a free registry cleaner is certainly the most excellent means to repair all your registry issues. Nowadays, such free tools also enhance internet connections and recover the deleted files, in addition to offering the best-quality cleaning mechanism.
As you are targeting a registry cleaner free of cost, you need to take into consideration that not all free programs are superb options and not all are really effective. If you would like to know some of the features that will constitute superior registry repair software, then following are certain features to consider:
From technical point of view, your tool requires to have an easy to understand interface guidelines. A large number of PC users are not geeks and computer wizards; they are simply common people desiring to possess super fast processing system to fulfill their different requirements. Hence, the need of an understandable instruction is one of the most vital things to look at.
As free registry cleaner is complimentary, it is unnecessary to state that any types of payment are not acceptable. All those individuals who regularly purchase software programs might crave to switch to such free software because this can be effortlessly discovered and downloaded over the internet without additional endeavor of buying one.
One more tremendous benefit of a registry cleaner free of charge is its performance which is on par with that of the paid cleaners. Even if payments are largely retained and handled by computer experts, the free cleaning programs can still significantly coincide in terms of functioning with the paid ones. In the end, it all depends on you whether you opt for a free or a paid tool.
Considering things carefully, it would still be a realistic option to choose a registry cleaner free of cost. Such registry cleaners generally consist of simple user interface and can be carried on and implemented even by those individuals with fundamental knowledge of computer workings. Once you come into the possession of this software, you can make use of it as a lifelong associate in scanning your Windows registries. Performing the scanning and cleaning up the useless files on a regular basis will assist you in mitigating other risks your computer might go through if not paid appropriate and instant attention.
Users who have not opted for cleanup and usually overlook warning signals pointing system malfunction will have to face the consequences of a sluggish PC. If this problem continues for long time period and you never take further measures in repairing system troubles, then more and more errors and malfunctions in your system will be expected to exist. Looking for a free registry cleaner is certainly the most excellent means to repair all your registry issues. Nowadays, such free tools also enhance internet connections and recover the deleted files, in addition to offering the best-quality cleaning mechanism.
Microsoft Is Releasing A New Operating System
Autor: johnmccollim
Microsoft is is the process of releasing a new operating system called Vista. Windows Vista is suposedly available for businesses and schools to purchase on Nov 30th 2006, but not yet ready for home use. The home version of Vista will be released in January 2007, which makes perfect sense if you think about it.
There are two levels of computer recommendations for Windows Vista, those dubbed Vista-Capable and those dubbed Premium-Ready. Microsoft has now revealed the specifics in each category, and here they are.
Minimum Requirements of Vista-Capable PCs.
800 MHz Intel-compatible processor
512MB of RAM
DirectX 9.0-Capable Graphics Processor
20GB HD
Recommended Requirements for Premium-Ready PCs
1 GHz Intel-compatible processor
1GB RAM
DirectX 9.0-Capable Graphics Processor, with 128MB graphics memory. 64MB of graphics memory to support a single monitor less than 1,310,720 pixels - no more than 1440x900
128MB of graphics memory to support a single monitor at resolutions from 1,310,720 to 2,304,000 pixels no more than 1920x1200; 256MB of graphics memory to support a single monitor at resolutions higher than 2,304,000 pixels more than 1920x1200
40GB HD with at least 15GB of free space.
I am guessing what Microsoft wants to do is get everyone to buy these nice, expensive, new, top of the line computers for their families for Christmas that have the ability to upgrade to Windows Vista. Then in January, the very few days after Christmas, Vista will hit the shelves and computer companies will introduce their new best models, rending all the best computers everyone just got for Christmas pretty much average computers.
This way, both computer companies and Microsoft make more money.
A few possible solutions around this
1. Buy a computer without an operating system and install a FREE version of linux untill Vista comes out. Then look for the OEM version, its just the cd without any booklets.
Go to softpedia.com click on operating systems then click linux.
You can find numorous versions that run off a cd disk, without an actual install. That is you boot up your computer with the cd in and Linux loads into the Ram to run. Also as with any Linux download you will need to burn the cd as an iso image. Either Nero or a free burner, Burn4free(available at download.com) can do the iso burning for you.
2. Install an older version of windows then later on buy the vista upgrade.
3. Buy a low cost hi-quality computer online and with the savings upgrade to vista.
There are two levels of computer recommendations for Windows Vista, those dubbed Vista-Capable and those dubbed Premium-Ready. Microsoft has now revealed the specifics in each category, and here they are.
Minimum Requirements of Vista-Capable PCs.
800 MHz Intel-compatible processor
512MB of RAM
DirectX 9.0-Capable Graphics Processor
20GB HD
Recommended Requirements for Premium-Ready PCs
1 GHz Intel-compatible processor
1GB RAM
DirectX 9.0-Capable Graphics Processor, with 128MB graphics memory. 64MB of graphics memory to support a single monitor less than 1,310,720 pixels - no more than 1440x900
128MB of graphics memory to support a single monitor at resolutions from 1,310,720 to 2,304,000 pixels no more than 1920x1200; 256MB of graphics memory to support a single monitor at resolutions higher than 2,304,000 pixels more than 1920x1200
40GB HD with at least 15GB of free space.
I am guessing what Microsoft wants to do is get everyone to buy these nice, expensive, new, top of the line computers for their families for Christmas that have the ability to upgrade to Windows Vista. Then in January, the very few days after Christmas, Vista will hit the shelves and computer companies will introduce their new best models, rending all the best computers everyone just got for Christmas pretty much average computers.
This way, both computer companies and Microsoft make more money.
A few possible solutions around this
1. Buy a computer without an operating system and install a FREE version of linux untill Vista comes out. Then look for the OEM version, its just the cd without any booklets.
Go to softpedia.com click on operating systems then click linux.
You can find numorous versions that run off a cd disk, without an actual install. That is you boot up your computer with the cd in and Linux loads into the Ram to run. Also as with any Linux download you will need to burn the cd as an iso image. Either Nero or a free burner, Burn4free(available at download.com) can do the iso burning for you.
2. Install an older version of windows then later on buy the vista upgrade.
3. Buy a low cost hi-quality computer online and with the savings upgrade to vista.
It's Linux, Mom! Not Lennox.
Autor: Guest
It's Linux, Mom! Not Lennox.
Lennox is a global corporation specializing in air conditioning, heating, and commercial refrigeration. Dave Lennox helped to develop what has been described as the first riveted-steel furnace in 1895.
His "machine" having come a long way is amazing in it's own right, but it is not necessarily suited for business productivity. While it is surely compatible with outsourced services, Old Dave's Lennox may not readily lend itself to remote helpdesk or repair over the internet.
Linux, on the other hand, is a Unix-like computer operating system which not only fully lends itself to remote helpdesk, outsourced IT services, and computer repair over the internet, but can also be used to accomplish those tasks.
Unlike Lennox hardware, Linux is one of the most prominent examples of free software and open source development; its underlying source code can be freely modified, used, and redistributed by anyone (try that with Lennox).
Although it had already been around a few years, the Linux kernel was first released to the public 17 September 1991, for the Intel x86 PC architecture.
The kernel was augmented with system utilities and libraries from the GNU project to create a usable operating system, which later led to an alternate term, GNU/Linux.
Linux is now packaged for different uses in Linux distributions, which contain the sometimes modified kernel along with a variety of other software packages tailored to different requirements.
Predominantly known for its use in servers, Linux in gaining more and more popularity as a desktop operating system garnering the support of corporations such as IBM, Sun Microsystems, Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Novell.
It is used as an operating system for a wide variety of computer hardware, including desktop computers, supercomputers, video game systems (PlayStation 2 and 3 for example) and embedded devices such as mobile phones and routers most if not all of which lend themselves readily to repair over the internet, outsourced repair and even remote helpdesk services.
1960ish: A computer operating system known as UNIX was conceived.
1970: UNIX was released and widely used, modified and improved by business, academia, and the government .
1984; Richard Stallman quits his job at MIT and starts working on the GNU Project.
1985: Free Software Foundation, an organization for creating and promoting free software, is founded by Richard Stallman.
The GNU manifesto, a statement by Richard Stallman advocating the cause of free software movement, is published in the March 1985 issue of Dr. Dobb's Journal
1991: MINIX was written from scratch by Andrew S. Tanenbaum, a US-born Dutch professor who wanted to teach his students the inner workings of a real operating system. It was designed to run on the Intel 8086 microprocessors that had flooded the world market.
MINIX was by no stretch of the imagination a supberb operating system. But for the first time the source code was available. Anyone who happened to get the book 'Operating Systems: Design and Implementation' by Tanenbaum could get hold of the 12,000 lines of code, written in C and assembly language. For the first time, an aspiring programmer or hacker could read the source codes of the operating system, which to that time the software vendors had guarded vigorously.
Following in quick succession, Linux was first envisaged by a a second year student of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki and a self-taught hacker, Linus Torvalds. At the time it was just another hackers hobby. But from the humble Intel 386 machine of Linus that ran the first kernel, Linux has come a long way. Its most notable use now is in the field of massively parallel supercomputing clusters.
Version 0.01 is released on the Internet in September.
1992:
January: First Linux Newsgroup: alt.os.linux founded in the UseNet
April: Ari Lemmke starts the popular Linux newsgroup comp.os.linux in the UseNet
November: Adam Richter announces the release of the first Linux Distribution from his company: Yggdrasil
1993:
June: Slackware, the famous Linux distribution is released by Peter Volkerding
August: Matt Welsh releases Linux Installation and getting started: version 1
1994: Linux kernel version 1.0 is released in March.
While Lennox has several models, Linux has many more. And even though Lennox has been around a lot longer (you know Dave Lennox died in 1947), Linux has achieved between 50-80% market share of the web server, render farm, and supercomputer markets and is growing daily on desktops a feat even old Dave couldn't pull off.
So, Mom, now do you understand? Mom! Mom!
tmm
Lennox is a global corporation specializing in air conditioning, heating, and commercial refrigeration. Dave Lennox helped to develop what has been described as the first riveted-steel furnace in 1895.
His "machine" having come a long way is amazing in it's own right, but it is not necessarily suited for business productivity. While it is surely compatible with outsourced services, Old Dave's Lennox may not readily lend itself to remote helpdesk or repair over the internet.
Linux, on the other hand, is a Unix-like computer operating system which not only fully lends itself to remote helpdesk, outsourced IT services, and computer repair over the internet, but can also be used to accomplish those tasks.
Unlike Lennox hardware, Linux is one of the most prominent examples of free software and open source development; its underlying source code can be freely modified, used, and redistributed by anyone (try that with Lennox).
Although it had already been around a few years, the Linux kernel was first released to the public 17 September 1991, for the Intel x86 PC architecture.
The kernel was augmented with system utilities and libraries from the GNU project to create a usable operating system, which later led to an alternate term, GNU/Linux.
Linux is now packaged for different uses in Linux distributions, which contain the sometimes modified kernel along with a variety of other software packages tailored to different requirements.
Predominantly known for its use in servers, Linux in gaining more and more popularity as a desktop operating system garnering the support of corporations such as IBM, Sun Microsystems, Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Novell.
It is used as an operating system for a wide variety of computer hardware, including desktop computers, supercomputers, video game systems (PlayStation 2 and 3 for example) and embedded devices such as mobile phones and routers most if not all of which lend themselves readily to repair over the internet, outsourced repair and even remote helpdesk services.
1960ish: A computer operating system known as UNIX was conceived.
1970: UNIX was released and widely used, modified and improved by business, academia, and the government .
1984; Richard Stallman quits his job at MIT and starts working on the GNU Project.
1985: Free Software Foundation, an organization for creating and promoting free software, is founded by Richard Stallman.
The GNU manifesto, a statement by Richard Stallman advocating the cause of free software movement, is published in the March 1985 issue of Dr. Dobb's Journal
1991: MINIX was written from scratch by Andrew S. Tanenbaum, a US-born Dutch professor who wanted to teach his students the inner workings of a real operating system. It was designed to run on the Intel 8086 microprocessors that had flooded the world market.
MINIX was by no stretch of the imagination a supberb operating system. But for the first time the source code was available. Anyone who happened to get the book 'Operating Systems: Design and Implementation' by Tanenbaum could get hold of the 12,000 lines of code, written in C and assembly language. For the first time, an aspiring programmer or hacker could read the source codes of the operating system, which to that time the software vendors had guarded vigorously.
Following in quick succession, Linux was first envisaged by a a second year student of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki and a self-taught hacker, Linus Torvalds. At the time it was just another hackers hobby. But from the humble Intel 386 machine of Linus that ran the first kernel, Linux has come a long way. Its most notable use now is in the field of massively parallel supercomputing clusters.
Version 0.01 is released on the Internet in September.
1992:
January: First Linux Newsgroup: alt.os.linux founded in the UseNet
April: Ari Lemmke starts the popular Linux newsgroup comp.os.linux in the UseNet
November: Adam Richter announces the release of the first Linux Distribution from his company: Yggdrasil
1993:
June: Slackware, the famous Linux distribution is released by Peter Volkerding
August: Matt Welsh releases Linux Installation and getting started: version 1
1994: Linux kernel version 1.0 is released in March.
While Lennox has several models, Linux has many more. And even though Lennox has been around a lot longer (you know Dave Lennox died in 1947), Linux has achieved between 50-80% market share of the web server, render farm, and supercomputer markets and is growing daily on desktops a feat even old Dave couldn't pull off.
So, Mom, now do you understand? Mom! Mom!
tmm
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