Trying Something New

I'm now an ubuntu user. My old laptop was on its last legs; it was overheating and slow and ready to quit forever. I wanted a new machine and I decided to take a step in a new direction.

Ubuntu is an open-source, community developed, linux-based operating system. It is an outgrowth of the Open Source movement which suggests that the community as a whole can build itself some of the tools that we have had to buy from others in the past.

I bought a modest little compaq laptop that came with windows vista. I dutifully, and patiently, made back-up discs for that operating system. Then I downloaded ubuntu and replaced vista with ubuntu. It felt liberating.

I owe thanks, by the way, to my friend and colleague Charles Wilmire who has shared advice and experience and some hands-on tinker-time to help me take this step.

Now I am working through configuration and settings based on my preferences and my needs. I don't want anything on here that I am not going to need to do what it is that I want to do.

This should be fun.

Testing: 1, 2, 3...

I'm typing this, rather gingerly, on our new One Laptop per Child laptop. It has a tiny little keyboard and a hinky sort of mousepad that will take some getting used to.

One Laptop per Child is a project to deploy inexpensive, durable laptops to kids around the world. I bought this as part of a promotion that allowed me to buy one of these for some child somewhere and also one for my family.

I'll admit that I wanted one around to satisfy my curiosity and test one out. I hope this will make a good travel laptop.