Even experienced computer users can have a "bad day." Two weeks ago I managed to mangle my desktop OS when something hiccuped while downloading several updates to the networking software. Kernel panic. CPU went to 100 percent. System wouldn't shut down. To condense the next several minutes of troubleshooting into a single sentence, it looked like the easiest way to resolve the issue quickly was to spend 15 or 20 minutes and reload the OS. That's not as drastic as it sounds. First off, I had a fresh backup of the home directory from the day before. Even better, since the home directory and all the current files were on a separate partition, so I could reformat and reload just the partition with the OS without harming the other working files. I might not even need the backups. Once the decision to reload was behind us, the next question was what version of the OS should I install? The desktop was originally running Ubuntu 9.04 when the confusion started, which was about a year old. I could have reloaded with Ubuntu 9.10, released in October 2009, which is running very smoothly on my laptop. I had already been hearing good reports about the next release of Ubuntu, 10.04, nicknamed Lucid Lynx. Ubuntu 10.04 is still only available as a Beta version for testing, and not recommended for a production computer in daily use. Having had good experiences with previous Ubuntu Beta's, I decided to take the plunge and move forward - not backwards. Downloading the 10.04 Beta, I burned a copy of the OS to a CD and within 30 minutes was looking at the test version of Ubuntu's "latest and greatest" operating system. It booted right up and seems to have given my aging desktop a vitamin shot. The new version 10.04 boots noticeably faste... ... middle of paper ... ...ntu, can be a very rewarding experience. If you're willing to invest in yourself, then the learning process can be as much fun as the feeling of accomplishment as you master any new skill or any new OS. From my own experience, this new version of Ubuntu, 10.04 - Lucid Lynx - may be the Ubuntu version that makes me change my mind about the minimum skill level needed for most people to use Linux. The Ubuntu system of regular improvements, delivered on schedule, has provided great advances in usability. This LTS version was built for stability. Throughout the process, the Lucid Lynx version of Ubuntu has been easy to use and shows great potential for wider acceptance by hardware manufacturers and by consumers. I may be a little behind on updating the three websites that I help maintain, but I've got a new, stable computing platform that I can use to catch up.
I was very interested in computers and technology as a child, both playing games and building fake parts for them. Still in elementary school, I was fascinated by these computing machines, spending hours on end working with DOS to satisfy my curiosity. Around my middle school years, Windows became graphical, and I found interest in even more computer games with even greater experiences and capabilities. Windows was the dominant operating system at the time, but I was soon to find there was a whole different world out there of operating systems. While out on vacation in Washington, DC, my Dad and I were able to meet with the local Tech Fanatics group, HackDC. It was here where I discovered Linux. Linux, an alternative to Windows, immediately grabbed my attention when I saw it in use. It appeared to me as something that only the extreme computer users even heard of. Upon my return home,
I was handed a set of keys and I was in charge of the entire front end. This was a job I had never done or been trained to do, It started out fine no one had any problems Three hours passed, and I ran into my first problem.
because he has full control of the park from his desk. He being a computer expert can cause any computer system problem he wants.
Apple was definitely “thinking different” when it created the new addition to the Macintosh family, the iMac. It’s creative design and refreshing departure from the computer industry standard of boring beige boxes is gaining this marvel many optimistic reviews. This new personal computer, which is pronounced eye-Mac –the “i” stands for Internet, combines the computer and the monitor in one unit making it, in effect, an updated version of the original one-piece Macintosh. That makes the iMac ideal for people who want to conserve desk space.
At a Glance: In PC Labs tests, the G3-based 400-MHz Power Mac beat a 500-MHz Pentium III on several business and graphics tests.
The debate between whether to buy Macintosh or buy a PC has been ongoing since Microsoft first introduced Microsoft Windows in November 1984. Apple Macintosh had developed its first personal computer, mouse and graphical user interface (GUI) in January of 1984. The debate has grown and has been the subject of many articles and even is the main high light of various websites. This frequently heated debate has even been compared to the Pepsi vs. Coke debate (Derene, 2009). While the rhetoric has continued the differences between these products has actually lessened, making it possible for some applications to be shared. Even the mechanics of the machines has become similar. Both use Intel processors, and both obtain many of their parts from the same supply companies. The operating systems of Windows Vista and Mac OSX Leopard are very similar when comparing multimedia, Internet and applications (Derene, 2009).
Well, Before anything else, here is a few names of components that need to be known to not be completely lost. The CPU(Central Processing Unit) (It processes everything from basic instructions to complex functions.) (Techterms.com). The Hard drive (the location of all the computer’s folders, files, and information, saved magnetically so even if turned off it’ll all stay saved). The RAM (Random Access Memory) (The more RAM your computer has, the more data can be loaded from the hard drive into the RAM, which can effectively speed up your computer.)(Techterms.com), The OS (Operating System) (just what it sounds like, this is the system that works the computer, as in Windows, Linux, and Apple OS.) The Graphics card (helps the CPU by processing the graphics portion of what the CPU has to process). The Disk Drive( this is the CD,DVD, or Blu-Ray driver that is installed to use CD’s DVD’s and or Blu-Ray disks.) The last major term to know is the Motherboard ...
It all began in 1991, during the time of monumental computing development. DOS had been bought from a Seattle hacker by Bill Gates, for a sum of $50,000 – a small price for an operating system that had managed sneak its way across the globe due to a clever marketing strategy. Apple’s OS and UNIX were both available, though the cost of running either was far greater than that of running DOS. Enter MINIX, an operating system developed from the ground up by Andrew S. Tanenbaum, a college professor. MINIX was part of a lesson plan used to teach students the inner-workings of an operating system. Tanenbaum had written a book on MINIX called “Operating System” and anyone who had picked up a copy would find the 12,000 lines of code that comprised MINIX itself. This was a big issue; due to the fact that all know (well published) operating systems to that point had been well guarded by software developers, thus making it difficult for people to truly expand on operating system mechanics.
Recent data shows that 78% of computer users use Microsoft Windows as their primary operating system. Microsoft has also just released a new operating system known as Vista that competes primarily with Apple’s Mac OSX.
The first Macintosh was the 128 K released first in 1984. Macintosh was first affordable computer to include a GUI (Graphical User Interface). It was built around the Motorola 6800 chip which was significantly faster than previous processors. It came in a small case with a black and white monitor built- in. It even came with a mouse and keyboard. Big progress from the Apple I which came out in 1976 which included only the circuit board, but here's the real kicker you had to build your own case. Wow!
been around computers for many years now and enjoy them. I began to learn the
The operating system organizes the computer’s memory and storage. It makes sure that every program
Realizing an expensive computer could not make me a computer genius did not take a long time. Whenever my computer was on, I started to have a headache because I did not know what I was doing. When I tried new things on my computer, it always st opped me with warning signs. I could not understand what my computer wanted me to do.
Ever since computers first came into production, they have been evolving. The Commodore 64 and Apple computers have dominated the very first computer market. Today, there are many companies in the computer industry fighting for technology supremacy. And since the beginning, every new generation of computers has dominatedover the old ones. When they first came out, each jump in technology took awhile, but nowadays, the technology changes daily. Fifth generation computers are overall much better than the previous generation.
These days being computer literate is more important than it ever has been in the last few years that computers have been around. Almost everything is becoming computer reliant and there are several businesses that have embraced technology. Computer literacy isn’t something that you can easily escape, and honestly you shouldn’t try to. Humans are all about adapting and computers are just one more thing we all have to learn to adapt to. Unfortunately, everyone doesn’t understand that so it’s vital to understand the importance of being computer literate.