Fast passed development...

Another thing that I like about FOSS, is the how fast it's developed.

One of the cases where I've been noticing it most, is on the Unity shell on Ubuntu. I updated from Ubuntu 11.10 to Ubuntu 12.04 yesterday, and in the few hours that I've been using it the improvements are quite impressive. The update has been worth it, and it has solidified Ubuntu as my favorite OS.

Yet, the fast pace of development to bring enhancements to the software is not confined to Ubuntu. It can be seen on Linux Mint, Debian, and GNOME to name some other FOSS projects that have seen great strides forward to bring better software to their users.

That there is the possibility for anyone coder to contribute to his/her favorite project to bring features, or contribute patches, brings to those projects a whole level of development that is hard to see in closes source software projects.

This makes me glad to be part of the FOSS community, and I want to make the largest amount of people not only to be aware of the benefits of it. I'd like to influence more people to use FOSS software as much as possible.

Blackberry OS might go open source...

So far, RIM has only made their Software Development Kit (SDK) and Application Programming Interface (API) open sourced. Yet, a couple of days ago I came across several that said that RIM is considering making the whole Blackberry OS open source.

For me, if the report is true, this is a very welcomed news. After all, the Blackberry OS is known for its robustness and security. Which is a great thing to have, to those like me that put a lot of value to having our private information secure and to share it only with the people we want to do so with.

I really hope that RIM do come trough with making the Blackberry OS open source, since it would give the FOSS community another worthy addition on the mobile OS sector. And to RIM it could mean that the Blackberry OS could have a good shoot a bouncing back, and becoming competitive by having other developers contribute innovative features to the OS.

To the consumer at large, it would mean having another good option to Apple's iOS.

I've always had a soft spot for the Blackberries, yet I've seen with some consternation RIM didn't react as it should to the iPhone threat. But, I do have some hope that if they release the Blackberry OS as open source they can have a chance to recovering somewhat.

Other than an Android handset, a Blackberry handset is the only real option I've in mind to upgrade my current handset to. And if it becomes official that RIM goes forward with this move, I might be sold.

Ease of use...

Some Linux distros have been adding great improvements on the ease of use, specially by users that aren't as knowledgeable on the technical side of running a computer.

That's what I like the most of Ubuntu and Linux Mint. Both of these distros are really easy to use, and you don't need to be an expert to use it or to set it up. Most importantly, they come out of the box with the software the average user use and any additional software can be easily added if needed later on.

I've found both to be a lot easier to use, and set to my liking, than Windows. My personal favorite is Ubuntu, since the Unity is a better fit to my computer needs and I like its look and feel.

Ever since I started using Ubuntu, with the 10.04 version, my laptop computer has to be able to run it without any problem at all.

But, now the argument that Linux is difficult to use or that is to technical to use is no longer a valid point. I've found by personal experience that there are distros that are really easy to use, and that allow you to get comfortable using Linux and learning how the technical side works if you choose to do so.

If you choose not to do so, you can still benefit from a stable and reliable operating system. With the added value that is easy to use, and it works.

Open source benefits...

Using open source software comes with several benefits, most of them are unknown by users either because they don't do proper research or don't have access to the information needed.

One of the benefits is that bugs tend to be found and corrected a lot faster than on closed sourced software, because you have many people working on the source code. Having a lot of eyeballs browsing the source code for trouble, means that bugs are found while before the stable release or soon thereafter.

This also makes a software a lot safer, since many different people can find vulnerabilities that could be exploited to gain access to the system. Or any code putted in place that could threaten the end user's interests, mainly because no central power has complete control over all system and people have a sense of ownership of the software they contribute to or use.

It's a lot harder to hide code on the source code, and any unwanted code can be removed with greater ease. And if there is any disagreement on what road should the project should go, forking the project is a real possibility.

Another benefit is, that you don't depend on a single source to provide with the software you need or with any changes you might want to be made to the software in question. There are several communities out there that can, and are willing, to help you out with whatever you might need. Most often than not, the answer to your needs, or problems, is a quick search away.

The odds that you'll find a forum, or a support group, that can help you find the answers you need are really good. For most problems, you can find the answer in a matter of minutes.

Open source is truly a community that is helpful, and where you can find something that suits your needs.

Countdown for Ubuntu 12.04....

As an Ubuntu user, and fan, April and October are special because with them a new version of my favorite distro arrives.

So, I looking forward to April 26th when Ubuntu 12.04 is set to be released. The changes so far look promising, and being a LTS version most of what has been implemented in the 11.04 and 11.10 versions has matured or is a lot more polished.

I upgrade to the new version of Ubuntu each time it's released since it means that it comes with the most resent Linux kernel version, and it has most of the recent versions of the software I use. So, is a good idea to upgrade to the next version since it come with all the advantages of Linux kernel that can make use of newer technologies more efficiently, or comes with code that it's updated and/or patched so it's safer to use and plays nicer with newer hardware.

And, I've found Ubuntu to be a joy to use. I fell in love with the Unity shell, it really speaks to me and it doesn't get in my way. As a matter of fact, the Unity shell help making Ubuntu my favorite distro by far.

It might not be for everyone, yet I've found Unity that meets all my needs and most of my likes. And the fact that almost all the issues I would have with its current state addressed on 12.04, it makes me glad to be a user of Ubuntu.

It's a great time to come to Linux...

Microsoft just announced that in two years time the plug will be pulled of Windows XP, one of the best OS I've used.

With the close release date of Windows 8, it seemed that the best road would be waiting a few months to make the jump from XP. But, after reading various reviews of the upcoming OS and knowing the Windows track record of past Microsoft's OS releases, it seems that if you want to upgrade to a modern OS you are better off jumping to a Linux distro.

There are several Linux distros that are easy to use, and that come with all you need to work with on the daily basis. My personal favorites are Ubuntu and Linux Mint, but there are several distros out there that could be a better fit to your personal needs and what you expect of a modern OS.

All of them with a community behind it, that is willing and able to help you with any question or problem that you could face along the way. Yet, most of the time you shouldn't have any problem at all. Most the the hip cups that come along, and let's face it all OS's have some, are easily solved by just a simple search or by asking around.

Not only that, the odds is that you won't have to make a big investment on new hardware in order to make the jump. Your current computer is most likely supported by several distros, and if you decide to buy a new computer it doesn't need to be an expensive one. That's one of the nice things of Linux, it plays nice with low end hardware because it isn't a resource hog.

There is a lot of choices for a Linux distro that fills all your expectations on how your computer should work.

Strength and weakness...

One trend that I've seeing when somethings changes to a distro, or when comparing two distros, is that reviews tend to focus too much on the relative strengths or weaknesses of whats on the software.

Bringing attention to the particular strengths and weaknesses in the software isn't bad in itself. What can be prejudicial to the community is how they are treated. Strengths should be pointed out so people that are interested know what are the benefits of that particular distro, app or software. The weaknesses should be pointed out so users know before hand to help them avoid using a something that wont serve their needs, and the coders now where they need to work to improve their software.

Let's face it, all software will have strengths and weakness depending of what are their aims and the particular abilities of the people who creating them. And something that some perceive as a weakness, could be view as one by the people who made the software.

All depends for the purpose for what the software was made for, and the direction the people who made it have for it. You don't have to agree with them, and the creators don't have to please everybody.

Is important that people who come to use Linux have in mind that not all distros are not created equal. Each distro has its particular strengths and weaknesses depending to what objectives they are targeted for. Keep in mind what are your needs, and look for the distro that best suit them.

Often, you'll fine that there are few distros that meet them. That's one of the mayor strengths of the Linux community, that there you can choose the distro that meets your needs, and that you can love to use.