Open Source » Reviews »

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    Ubuntu Netbook Remix

    Although it's based on the popular Linux distro, Ubuntu Netbook Remix (UNR) is not a pruned down version of Ubuntu. Instead, its developers discarded old, legacy code not relevant to netbook systems.

    Written by Howard Wen • 01 Dec. 09 15:20
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    Hands on with the Dell Mini 3i smartphone

    The first Dell Mini 3i smartphone to go on sale anywhere in the world will be available in China this December for 4800 Chinese yuan (US$704) without a mobile phone contract, China Mobile representatives said Thursday.

    Written by Dan Nystedt • 20 Nov. 09 08:05

  • Review: Firefox 3.5 makes browsing faster, easier and more fun

    The just-released version 3.5 of Firefox is a winner, offering significantly faster Web browsing, better tab handling, a host of interface tweaks and, like just about every other browser on the planet, a "porn mode." If you already use Firefox you'll want to upgrade right away. If you're not a Firefox user, this version represents a very good opportunity to give the browser a test run.

    Written by Preston Gralla • 02 July 09 07:55

  • Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope

    Having rocketed to prominence in just a few years as probably the most popular desktop Linux distributions, Ubuntu has earned a reputation for stability and ease-of-use. The latest edition - Ubuntu 9.04, aka, "Jaunty Jackalope" - continues that tradition and is mostly a maintenance release, but it brings a number of updates that should enhance its appeal.

    Written by Neil McAllister • 14 May 09 12:00

  • Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11

    If you're looking for a practical business desktop replacement for Windows, your best choice is Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11: a true Windows replacement.

    Written by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols • 06 April 09 11:52
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    KeePassX: a free password manager for Linux, Mac and Windows

    If you're finding it impossible to keep up with the multitude of passwords required to use computers and the Internet then why not try a password manager like KeePassX. It works with Windows, Mac OS X and Linux and keeps login data and other sensitive information in an encrypted database.

    Written by Rodney Gedda • 10 March 09 15:52
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    Recording the Linux desktop -- the hard way

    I can do many things with the greatest of ease on the Linux desktop. But, as I discovered while doing my community Linux overview, recording a Linux desktop video isn't one of them. Oh, boy, is it ever not one of them.

    Written by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols • 31 Dec. 08 08:53
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    Hands-on Linux: New versions of Ubuntu, Fedora and openSUSE

    When you're talking Linux, three big names always pop up: Canonical's Ubuntu, Novell's openSUSE and Red Hat's Fedora. Ubuntu has ridden a groundswell of both consumer and commercial support to its current ranking as the most popular Linux distribution. OpenSUSE, with its business underpinnings, has always been popular in Europe and has been making inroads in the U.S. And it is largely thanks to Fedora that Red Hat has become the biggest Linux company with a major role in community Linux.

    Written by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols • 30 Dec. 08 07:22

  • Open-source data aces

    If any software market deserved to be shaken up by open source alternatives, it's enterprise data integration. Commercial, enterprise-grade integration tools -- typically cobbled together from M&A and legacy patchworks -- are notoriously unwieldy and impose an arduous learning curve. Complexity frequently stalls deployments by months, and aftermarket consulting can add hundreds of thousands of dollars to the TCO.

    Written by James R. Borck • 03 Dec. 08 10:14

  • The Asus Eee 1000 -- more power, still portable

    It often takes high-tech vendors three tries to get a product right. Microsoft is the best example of this rule of three. (Think of how buggy and insecure Windows XP was until 1Service Pack 2 came out. Upstart mini-laptop maker Asustek Computer, it turns out, is another.

    Written by Eric Lai • 04 Aug. 08 09:00

  • Revving up once:radix for RAD Web apps

    Need to do forms development sans Access or Filemaker? Want rapid Web apps without Ruby on Rails? Want a rich Internet interface and abhor Ajax? Need PostgreSQL development, but don't do PHP? Just want a Java application without the, well, Java? Why not check out the once:radix Web-based RAD environment from once:technologies. And, by the way, did I mention it's open source?

    Written by Rodney Gedda • 23 July 08 12:21

  • Test Center review: Firefox 3 comes out sizzling

    As the window to the Internet, the Web browser is arguably the most important application ever developed, and it will only become more important in the coming years, as applications continue their retreat from the local system and into Web frameworks built on Apache, IIS, Python, PHP, Perl, Ruby, and countless other languages and tools. Against this backdrop, today's official introduction of Firefox 3 may in fact be a watershed event in the history of computing.

    Written by Paul Venezia • 18 June 08 17:22

  • OpenOffice 3.0

    OpenOffice 3.0 shows that you don't have to pay a bundle for a great office suite -- in fact, you don't even have to pay a penny.

    Written by Preston Gralla • 11 June 08 13:50

  • First look: OpenOffice.org 3.0 developer build for Windows

    Open source observers can argue until the end of time over the validity of developing and enhancing free software for Windows, but the fact remains OpenOffice.org is thoroughly committed to the platform and continues to produce a top-notch, cross-platform office productivity suite that work perfectly well on Windows. In this article, we take a look at getting the latest OpenOffice.org 3.0 developer build up-and-running for Windows XP.

    Written by Rodney Gedda • 29 May 08 16:03

  • IP PBXs built on open-source show promise

    In this Clear Choice test of four open source-based IP PBX systems, we found products that are well suited for the low end -- defined in this testing as supporting as many as 250 concurrent users. By providing simple installation processes, automatic endpoint configuration and straightforward Web-based management interfaces, these products could go a long way in easing IT fears about dealing with open source VOIP products.

    Written by Robert Tarpley, Michael B. Hommer, Sr., and Robert Smithers • 10 April 07 12:06

  • Living (and dying) with Linux in the workplace

    Are you looking for a Windows alternative for serious office work? Many people are starting to wonder about their non-Microsoft operating system options, especially given Windows Vista's hefty hardware demands, upgrade costs and license restrictions. We've already examined using Mac OS X in the workplace; now, I take a hard look at Linux by using an enterprise distribution exclusively at work. I'm not simply playing with a test machine; I've been using Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10+ day in, day out to do my job as Computerworld's online managing editor in the U.S.

    Written by Sharon Machlis • 22 March 07 14:20

  • Is that code really yours?

    As open source software pushes its way further into the enterprise, a new set of risks has arisen regarding IP (intellectual property). The problem is that developers happily borrow code from various projects to save themselves from having to reinvent it. This help is all well and good as long as the resulting software complies with the licenses of the donor projects. The problem managers have is that they cannot know what parts of their code base comes from open source projects. A code snippet reused from a newsgroup posting could actually have come from a copyrighted open source project. And its use could legally require the company to open source its entire product. If the company is an ISV, it might even be faced with being required to offer its product at no cost.

    Written by Andrew Binstock • 09 March 07 13:38

  • Open source rule management

    Considering that a high-end BRMS (Business Rule Management System) costs about US$50,000 just to get started, and that annual maintenance, runtime fees, and professional services can drive the total toward a hefty half-million or more, organizations on a tight budget have incentive to seek alternatives. Thankfully, good options exist. Two of the better low-or-no-cost tools are Jess from Sandia National Laboratories, and JBoss Rules from JBoss, a division of Red Hat.

    Written by James Owen • 14 Nov. 06 13:51

  • A closer look at OpenSUSE 10.1

    OpenSUSE 10.1, Novell's attempt to keep a general-purpose version of its Linux freely available to the open source community - is both aided by and suffers from the lack of attention from Novell.

    Written by Tom Henderson, Laszlo Szenes and Rodney Thayer • 04 Sept. 06 10:30

  • Novell hits a home run with SLED 10

    For the forthcoming SLED (Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop) 10, Novell went back to the drawing board to rethink what makes a good desktop. The result is extremely impressive.

    Written by Neil McAllister • 16 June 06 11:02
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