Recently on the Tech-no-media network

As you probably now the Tech-no-media network is not only the main blog but also includes "From Windows to Linux for the average Joe", a blog about Linux for the absolute beginner, and "Online Video Producer", a blog focused on creating and publishing videos and podcasts for the web. Occasionally (like now) I publish a summary of the articles published there on the main blog.

On From Windows to Linux for the average Joe:

9 reasons to switch from Windows to Linux: this is a article reviewing some of the possible reasons for switching to Linux from the point of view of a non technical user or beginner. You don't want to spend the time and effort learning about Linux just to realize that changing your operating system to Linux does not solve the problem you have or does not deliver the benefits you expected.

What is a Linux distribution: The first thing that puzzles someone new to Linux is the concept of Linux distribution. To help you understand what is a Linux distribution I will take the Windows world as an example. Again the article is targeted at absolute Linux beginners and non technical users.

As a note, I would like to clarify that the Linux articles targeting a technical audience will be posted on the main Tech-no-media site and not on "From Windows to Linux for the average Joe", as that site is really for beginners. I had quite a lot of feedback from seasoned Linux users about making a lot of oversimplifications on the tutorial site: this is on purpose!

On Online Video Producer:

7 YouTube alternatives to upload video: a long article presenting the pros and cons of several good alternatives to Youtube. This is from the point of view of the video uploader and not of the video consumer.

Comments on your YouTube videos can bite!: A post on the recent outbreak of malicious links on Youtube video comments, as well as a discussion of the importance of Youtube comments to connect with your audience.

Is Free Software Daily dead? UPDATE: they are back!

I am a regular user of the social news site Free Software Daily, and unfortunately the site seems to be off the net for more than a day now. For those who don't know it, Free Software Daily is the equivalent of Digg, but only for topics related to open source.

The site seems to have disappeared Wednesday, and as of today Free Software Daily was not back up. I first hoped that it was just a local connection problem but downforeveryoneorjustme.com squashed that hope: Free Software Daily is off the net. Now this could very well be a minor technical issue, however following my experience in IT I can tell you this: if you can't bring your system back after one day, then it smells very bad! I don't know what happened but it is very rare to see an active site just vanish of the web. Usually hosting providers have redundant infrastructures, so I would be more inclined to believe in some sort of database corruption. I just hope that they have a backup of the site and that they will be able to be back online soon.

In any case I do hope that this is not the end of Free Software Daily. It is not that the site sent a lot of traffic my way (although any targeted traffic is good no matter how small) but rater that the site was rather slick, and aesthetically pleasing. The community was obviously much smaller than on sites like slashdot or lxer, but the more limited amount of information was easily digestible for newcomers to open source. The site also featured a beginner section that was a precious addition to the Linux blogosphere. It was an ideal place to promote articles of my beginner blog "from Windows to Linux for the average Joe".

If someone notices that the site is back online or knows what actually happened please post a comment so that we can all know what is Free Software Daily 's fate.

UPDATE: Yay, this friday Free Software daily is back up! Here is the explanation for the shutdown: The cause of our absence was to do with our previous hosting company, 3FN , being shut down by the FTC.

You can get more details Here

Why Android smartbooks will eventually be free

We have seen a lot of action at Computex around the Snapdragon based android eeepc and all the shenanigans around it. I think however that this is an operation by netbook manufacturers to make Microsoft realize what we already know: that they should give Windows 7 starter away for free. Given the number of manufacturers preparing Android and Snapdragon Based devices Asus can't afford to miss the boat. I also think that the new Android smartbooks will not only be cheap, but that eventually they will be free and I'll explain why below.

Even if the first snapdragon powered Android smartbooks will be sold directly to consumers, I bet this won't be the way that most of the machines will be acquired by consumers. I am pretty sure that eventually the large majority of the smartbooks will be sold as 3G browsing devices and they will be heavily subsidized by mobile network operators. That is also why unlike netbooks they will stay cheap, be ARM based and probably run Android or Google ChromeOS.

Why? Let me explain.

Mobile operators have invested large amounts of money in 3G licenses and 3G networks, but until the arrival of the iPhone these networks were severely underutilized: there are not enough private customers. This meant that it was not possible for the networks to reduce their prices and to pay for the networks roll-out. Come the iPhone and now it is almost as if there is not enough mobile bandwidth, an almost ideal situation for the network operators. The iPhone however has lot of issues too: it is too expensive and the screen is too cramped for long surfing session. This means that the iPhone market is still too limited to fulfill the network operator's objective: everyone with a 3G plan.

Then enters the netbookwith it's fairly large screen and it's comfortable keyboard. This is a form factor that almost everyone is familiar with and that could be the perfect interface to a 3G networks except for a few things: the battery life is too short, there are security risks linked to the usage of Windows, they require a 3G modem add-on and finally they are too expensive to be given away for free with a contract. This did not stop AT&T from trying the model and selling subsidized netbooks, but the consumer still has to pay $200 for the machine, this is too much for the average user. (Update: Virgin Media will soon offer free netbooks with some plans)

The solution: smartbooks

The Android smartbooks based on Qualcomm ARM based snapdragon processors and the Android OS are the network operator's dream come true: the perfect 3G access device: the machine has a comfortable netbook form factor combined with a virus free operating system and day long battery life to ensure that the consumer actually uses those 3G bytes. Most important, these machines are cheaper than the current crop of netbooks: some underpowered mips based netbooks are already available for as low as $150. This means that it will eventually be possible for networks to give smartbooks away with 3G contracts.

Of course these don't run Windows, but is that a major problem for network operators? No, they have been selling smartphonesbased on Android for some time. Actually not running Windows is an advantage for the network operators: they are very afraid of viruses running on their networks and Windows has a spotty security record.

Is The lack of Windows on smartbooks a problem for the consumer? Maybe! Part of the success of netbooks is due to the fact that since they ran Windows some consumers have purchased them as replacement for a full size laptop. The smartbooks would probably fail to fill in that role, so it is very important that they are perceived as companion devices, enlarged PDAs or improved smartphones but NOT as a computer. As long as the consumers won't expect the devices to perform like laptops they will do fine. That is probably why Qualcomm is very insistent on the smartbook name: it's not a netbook, it's not at smartphone, it is a smartphone in a netbook form factor.

Could Microsoft derail the smartbooks plan?

I don't think so! The problem is that Microsoft does not have leverage on mobile network operators like it has leverage on computer manufacturers. The operators on the other hand have huge leverage on the device manufacturers: They are in reality their customers since they purchase the machines that will be sold or given away away to the final consumer. They can decide what they want to buy or not, and if they decide that they do not want to pay for Windows, they won't. Since no manufacturer would refuse an order of half a million devices from AT&T or Verizon the manufacturers will do what they are told.

To conclude I would say that in my opinion the smartbooks will be very successful, initially as ultra portable devices sold to enthusiast, but more importantly as a way for network operators to open their 3G networks to many more consumers than the iPhone or the netbooks could.

image cc by nDevilTV

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How to buy a good keyboard: 5 things to check

The keyboard is often one of the most overlooked components in a computer. For a desktop most people tend to buy the cheapest model and be done with it, for a laptop the keyboard is usually not an important factor in buying decisions. I think that this is a grave mistake however as he keyboard is a very important interface to the computer and plays a critical part in ensuring a comfortable and safe computing experience. If possible, purchase your keyboard or laptop from a shop that has demo models available for you to "test type". When choosing your keyboard there are several things to pay attention to:

1: Key resistance

When trying to type, pay attention to the keys resistance: is the key resistance increasing as the key gets down or do you get a big impact at the end of the key's course? A good keyboard's key should have some resistance, as otherwise the impacts caused by typing could damage your finger's joints after years of typing.

2: Silence

Is the keyboard silent when you type on it? This is quite important if you work in a shared office, as the typing noise can annoy the people around you. This is also a good way to judge a keyboard overall quality, as higher end keyboard are usually quieter than cheap ones.

3: Keyboard size

some netbooks feature a reduced size keyboard. This means that the keys are physically smaller, making them harder to hit. Often the keys are not well separated, meaning that it is very easy to type on the wrong key by accident. If the keyboard is connect to a computer or that the netbook is switched on, start a text editor (notepad will do nicely) and try to type a few sentences at your normal speed. look if you often happened to hit two keys instead of one.

4: Wrist rests

Beside the keyboard itself, the place where your wrist will rest is also important. Do the keyboard have an integrated wrist rest? Is it possible to add one? Wrist rest are important for typing comfort and can help avoid RSI. In the case of a laptop also check that it is easy to keep your wrists clear of the touchpad when typing.

5: Wireless or Wired

Do you want a wireless keyboard? These are nice if used from the couch with a home theater PC but for desktop use they provide few advantages. Remember that wireless keyboards require that you keep batteries around, while wired keyboards don't. Using wireless keyboard with NiMH batteries is not a good idea because these batteries self discharge after 2 to 3 months, meaning that you need a freshly charged batteries when the ones in your keyboard run out. If you use a laptop pay attention to the size of the USB receiver: it must either be small enough to stay permanently in your laptop's USB port or it must be big enough to ensure you won't lose it. Some wireless keyboards provide a space to store the receiver, this is definitely a plus.

Keyboard recommendations

I would suggest that you stick with well known brands like Logitec or Microsoft. If you would like me to suggest a specific model, I would recommend the Microsoft Comfort Curve Keyboard 2000if you want a cheap wired keyboard. This is the model I am using myself and it costs under $20. If you prefer a wireless solution I would advise that you look at the Logitech S520 Cordless Desktop. The wrist rest give this wireless keyboard a definite advantage over the competition.

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Is Windows killing the Netbook?

I suspect that Windows is slowly killing the netbook concept. I realized this when I walked into a big computer shop and saw the following sign beside the Netbooksaisle: please note that these computer have reduced functionality and will not run games.

After investigation it seems that the sign was put there by the salesmen because a lot of consumer that had purchased netbooks were returning them when they realized that these small machines were not able to perform all the tasks of a full size computer, like playing games or editing video. Most of us would say: duh, of course such heavy applications would be killing a netbook processor, that is not what a netbook is for. The question is: what made these consumer believe that a netbook would be able to perform such heavy tasks.

The problem is Windows XP. The first netbooks were delivered with a customized version of Linux installed. Since the interface looked very different from Windows it was clear to most people that these were not full computers but companion devices. These devices sold well, even if they were not making a killing in the market like current netbooks are. The problem is that a lot of shops complained about Linux. Not on technical grounds, Linux is an excellent operating system and is ideally suited to netbooks, but more because it was unknown to most salesmen and consumer, and that it was difficult for an ignorant salesman to sell the OS to the ignorant consumer.

The netbooks manufacturers however had seen the potential of the small machines and decided to oblige the shops. They installed the machines with Windows XP. That's when things started to go wrong for the netbook concept. A lot of consumer made the equation: Windows equals full capacity laptop, so these netbooks are full laptops that are cheaper just because they are smaller. Of course the netbook manufacturers made a killing with these machines: who would not buy a $400 subnotebook! The problem is that these were not subnotebooks, and when they failed to play Far Cry 2or run software like PowerDirectoror Adobe Premiereproperly the returns started.

But by then the concept of the $400 mini laptopthat can replace your $700 laptophad become extremely popular, and killing it was not longer possible. What the netbooks manufacturers had condemned themselves to was selling mini laptops for $300 less than the laptops they used to sell. Also the real netbook concept of an ultra-portable companion machine to surf and perform simple tasks was getting lost in the rush to crank out better laptop replacement netbooks. These machines are better described as mini laptops and have little to do with the original netbook concept: they have larger 10 or 11 inch screen, large HDDs and more memory than required for netbook tasks.

Who can save the real netbook?

Some help is actually coming from Intel and Microsoft: Intel is now forbidding manufacturers to install Atom processors in machines with a screen bigger than 10 inches, meaning that tricking unsuspecting users into buying a netbook that looks like a full laptop won't be possible anymore. Microsoft also put severe limitations on the hardware of machines running Windows 7 starter edition, meaning that Windows mini laptop will become more expensive and will be better differentiated from real netbooks.

The biggest help for the true netbooks however will come from ARM and Linux. Manufacturers like Qualcomm are now releasing ARM based processors that are much better suited to true netbooks than the Atom processor. On the software side Linux distributions are gearing up to provide more netbook optimized interfaces and unlike Windows they will be compatible with the ARM architecture. Efforts like Ubuntu netbook remix, the HP MI interface,the Jolicloud operating system or even Google Android will soon result in a second generation of true netbooks than may end up killing the Windows based mini laptops, just like the mini laptops are now killing the first generation of netbooks.
image cc by nDevilTV

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