a lefty’s log

since it’s already known that i’m a lefty (ideologically, not dexterously), it is a short step to guess that i’m all about the open source. cheap is good; free is better. and with the explicit permission to tinker with and control the tools, what’s not to love? but according to the gnu, you’d better be prepared to show your work.

this explains my affinity for wordpress over blogger, gallery over flikr (although i think they do open source, too, i’m not sure who ultimately owns the content), and linux over windows.

recently a buddy of mine asked me about my preferred linux os, and i sent him a gushy, link-filled love letter about linspire (formerly known as lindows). it’s easy to install, easy to use, and looks and feels a lot like mswindows or mac osx. i’d tried a couple of other builds (caldera & redhat), but chose this one for simplicity’s sake. here’s comes the gush:

this is pasted from the linspire website:

Linspire will lead you just about anywhere in the digital world. And you’ll be safe from the high costs and viruses that plague Microsoft Windows-based computers.

Linspire is packed with features: a full Internet suite; a complete office suite; digital photo and music managers; advanced notebook and wireless capabilities; and much more.

Best of all, Linspire will save you hundreds of dollars with the most advanced digital software delivery service in the world! Click here to learn more about the innovative CNR Service.

Watch this flash intro for a quick overview of Linspire, and then check out our flash demo to see Linspire in action!

and for buying info, i wrote this:

i saw this link while i was browsing tonight:

not sure if it comes with the keyboard, video monitor & mouse. even without the kvm, at $400, you not only get a way cool machine, but a robust operating system to boot! and don’t forget, any other machine you have in your house can legally use the same software and key! you’ll be an open source convert yet.

if you just want to by the os, microcenter’s website offers the retail-boxed os plus the no-nonsense guide at $59.99 (that’s like getting the $30 book for free.). if you buy qualifying hardware, you can get an oem version of the retail boxed software for only $29.99. that option requires a rebate.

i think i outdid myself on the! exclamation! points! (!!) but i am really excited about linspire. go try it and see.