8/08/2023
Mozilla Thunderbird 115: a leap forward.
7/29/2023
Linux Mint 21.2: a great point realese upgrade.
After a week of upgrading to Linux Mint 21.2 Victoria, I must admit that while I notice some of the visual improvements, of the most part I'm glad that for the most part all has been the usual for my daily use.
Which, to be honest, is a great thing. Things just keep working great, nothing has broken and I can continue to use by laptop as I expect to be able to do on a daily basis. Which is something I want to be able to do as a user, I just want upgrades not to make my life harder.
Linux Mint is really an elegant OS that just works. Linux Mint has become a Linux distro that I can wholeheartedly recommend to new Linux users, and to experienced Linux users that want a distro that isn't that hands on and just works allowing them to focus on what they use they computer for.
In a way, Linux Mint slogan that from freedom came elegance is true. The whole user experience feels modern, and elegant. I can't talk for the MATE and Xfce versions of Linux Mint, since I use Cinnamon as my desktop environment of choice. Yet, Cinnamon is quite a great desktop environment for any computer with at least 4 GB of RAM.
I used to be an Ubuntu user, until they stop using the Unity user interface. Cinnamon was my second favorite desktop environment, but since Ubuntu moved to using GNOME 3, though is highly modified, it simple doesn't works as well for me as Cinnamon does. And since Cinnamon is a Linux Mint project, I decided to move to Linux Mint since it was always a Linux Mint that I worked for me.
Ubuntu will always be special for me, since it was the first Linux distro I used on a daily basis. Yet, Linux Mint has become the gold standard for what I expect from a Linux distro. The 21.2 Victoria point release make it easier to keep recommending it to users that can see a benefit from using a Linux distro that is easy to use and not that difficult to adapt to coming from Windows and for those user that prefer using Linux but expect their computer to work without much work from the user.
I admit that Linux Mint isn't perfect, but it is close to perfect as a Linux Mint can get.
6/28/2023
New Mexican biometric passport.
I renewed my passport a couple of weeks ago, and got my first Mexican biometric passport since they got implemented in 2021. To be honest the whole process was quite simple, but since the only appointments available where on municipal liaison offices to the SRE, I had to wait a couple of weeks to actually get it.
To be honest, I don't mind the wait to pick the passport up. Yet, I'd like to have the option to have it sent to my office or home. Though the wait wasn't that long, it took no more than 20 minutes to be called to be handled my passport, it would be far better to have it delivered since it would mean I wouldn't have had to use a vacation day to go get it.
The passport itself isn't all that different than the one it replaces, which it isn't a big deal on itself. I think that's good, since I've always liked the design of the Mexican passport and the fact that passport one of those things that are an international standard.
Now, its time to get some international travels.
5/30/2023
Linux Mint sold me on long-term support software for my OS.
When I was an Ubuntu user, I did enjoy getting a new OS release every six months. It really matter if big upgrades didn't come every time, but it was something nice to have even if it was just for novelty sake.
Now that I've move to Linux Mint, I've come to appreciate long-term support software. Even tough the big releases come every couple of years, the three point releases that come in-between makes the wait worthwhile. The best thing, is that if any big upgrade in a component of the OS can be come with a point release, not having to wait until the next big release to come.
To be honest, the long-term support model for the OS has won me over. Mainly because it simply has proven to cover all the needs I've for my computing needs without having to worry about my system braking every 6 months. Which, with Ubuntu didn't happen to me.
What's best, Linux Mint's point releases keeps my system reasonably up-to-date without having the worries of upgrading completely every time.
So, if you want a good Linux distro for general computing with support for at least 5 years, but with an option to upgrade to a new version every two years, Linux Mint got you covered.
5/13/2023
New CEO at Twitter.
Elon Musk appointed Linda Yaccarino as the new Twitter CEO, and the conservative Twitterland went crazy over it. It seems like she is to connected to the progressive and globalist side of things.
To be honest, she seems to have the credentials to at least be given the chance to see if she can manage. I thing she can do a good job, and definitely a better one than Must has been doing so far, but only time will tell.
At the end of the day, the most vocal people against the appointment are the ones who aren't happy with anything, or the ones who can't give a chance to anyone that doesn't believe the same thing they do. We'll have to give Linda a chance to prove she is a good option for the CEO role.
4/29/2023
Looking forward for Android 14 on the Nothing Phone (1).
Android 14 beta is coming to the Nothing Phone (1) in the coming weeks, and is something that makes me happy.
The Android 13 upgrade for the Nothing Phone (1) came at the start of February, and it has been quite a nice upgrade. I actually participated on the open beta program that started on December 2022, and since then Android 13 felt like a good upgrade. As such, I'm looking forward to upgrading to Android 14, when it comes live.
If an open beta for Android 14 come around, I willing to becoming a part of the open beta. While I know the beta testing for Android 14 might not go as smoothly as the open beta for Android 13 went for me, it seems like a risk I'm willing to take.
I'll see if I make the jump when the know issues for beta testing come, but there is a high probability I might make the jump.
So far, the Nothing Phone (1) has been one of the top 3 Android smartphones I've owned, and it proven that middle range smartphones are a good fit for my use case. So much so, that if I jump brands I'd go for a Google Pixel.
Nothing has become on of my favorite Android smartphone brands, the others being Motorola and Google Pixel.
4/15/2023
Software is a tool to fulfill the needs of its user.
When the discussion of which OS, or app, is the best the most important question is often left out of it. People tend to lose sight of what said OS, or app, is going to be used for by the end user.
For example, I've found out that the best OS for me is Linux Mint. Linux Mint runs like a charm on my laptop, and it has all the software I need for my needs. Yet, I wouldn't recommend it for someone who needs to use AutoCAD, or Adobe Photoshop, since they need macOS or Windows to use those apps.
Which OS, or app, is the best for any given user is the one that better fits their needs. There is no one size fits all, at the end of the day most software is developed in order to meet a certain set of use cases in mind.
At the end of the day, the best software is the one that works for you. That software can change as your needs change with time, I used to prefer Windows, then moved to Ubuntu, and finally I'm happy with Linux Mint. It might be that with time I'll move to other OS, but so far I've seen no need to do so.
The same goes for Android and iOS, the best one is the one that just works for you. The whole discussion about how the iPhone can do this that Android smartphones can't, and vice versa, is meaningless for most users. For the average smartphone user, the best smartphone is the one that works for her/him, no matter the technical specifications of the smartphone itself.
Each user have certain needs, and the best option is that one that covers those needs the best.
Lack of computer literacy.
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It has been about a week since I upgraded to the Linux Mint 22.1 Xia, and it has been one of the best point releases Linux Mint has had i...