I like to play around with different Linux distros, whichever is the latest and has a positive review, find its way to my computers. The recent release of Ubuntu (7.04 Feisty Fawn) works great on my laptop, except for one problem, the internal speakers doesn’t work, but the external speakers or headset works great. Everything works fine, Intel wireless, media card reader, internal mic, wide screen resolution, touch pad…. except for internal speakers. Previous Ubuntu version (6.10), and SimplyMepis 6.5 works fine though, but I already have Ubuntu 7.04 installed, and haven’t got the time yet to fix the problem myself. It doesn’t bother me though, but of course I want everything to work. After a month of waiting, a kernel update today was waiting to be installed, so I did install it, and after a reboot, the sound problem was fixed. This is one of the great things in open source community, report a bug, wait for a while, and you’ll get your fix.

Current Laptop Specs:

• Intel Core Duo T2300
• Intel 945GM Express Chipset
• Intel 3945 a/b/g ProWireless
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
• WXGA TFT Glare Type Display (1280×800 max)

The release of Windows Vista have made a burden to those loyal to Microsoft Windows. Most people would really like to have the “latest” and doesn’t care if they need the features or not. As long as it is the latest release, then it must be good. This burden includes buying the latest full featured operating system from Microsoft, the Windows Vista Ultimate, and of course you couldn’t run Vista Ultimate smoothly if you don’t have 1GB of RAM, and at least a 256MB video card. If paying for the hardware upgrade is burden enough, then paying for the OS is a lot heavier. Because of the expensiveness of Windows, most people would resort to pirating a copy, if not make a switch to Linux and Open Source.

Because of the increasing rate of piracy, Microsoft has formulated anti-piracy steps to prevent loss in sales. But this anti-piracy steps has become annoying to Windows users to the point that it is more convenient to use a pirated copy rather than waste your time trying to activate or reactivate your copy of Windows.

Although I have learned to love Linux and Open Source (using it for 5 years now) and currently using K/Ubuntu for my productivity needs, I would still consider buying a legal copy of Windows Vista Ultimate if it was priced at 40 US dollars or less. By making Vista more affordable for the general public, then more people will perhaps buy it, or think twice before switching to the FREE Linux and Open Source systems.

Yes, I will perhaps buy a copy of Vista if it was priced 40 US dollars and below, but buying it doesn’t guarantee that I will use it often.

I just got my FREE Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Edubuntu CDs from Canonical’s Shipit last Friday, only two weeks after I placed an order. The K/Ubuntu version is 7.04 Feisty Fawn and is a matured distro in my opinion. It has come a long way since Ubuntu’s first release in 2004. I have tried Ubuntu and Kubuntu in my laptop, and I guess Kubuntu will stay for a while in my laptop. I have no special preference when it comes to Linux distros, for me, what works well stays as my productivity system. If a new distro will come out and has positive reviews, then I might as well try it, if it works well, then it will stay… for a while.. until a new one will come out.