First Linux Encounters: 'As Memorable as the First Girlfriend I Married'

When the average person recollects the "first time," it's not typically an encounter with an operating system that comes to mind. Of course, Linux geeks are by no means average, so it should come as no surprise that that's exactly what they were referring to in a recent conversation on the blogs.

"The introduction was as memorable as the first girlfriend I married," blogger Robert Pogson told LinuxInsider.

Would a Windows user ever make a statement like that? Not unless it's Bill Gates himself, we'd bet.

That comparisons could be made with such defining moments speaks volumes about the plane on which Linux affects its users' lives -- and about the beauty that is our favorite OS.

'When Did You First Use Linux?'

It all began at the Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit held in San Francisco earlier this month, where attendees reminisced about when they first heard of the operating system. (A video of some of their answers is available.)

That, in turn, led Computerworld's Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols to ask much the same question on his blog, sharing his own story along the way.

More than 140 comments greeted the question there before it was picked up on TuxRadar, as well as on OSnews and on Digg, among other forums, turning the conversation into a virtual blogosphere-wide lovefest.

'I Have Fond Memories'

Many of those chiming in had known Linux since its early days: "Late summer, early fall of '92 I think it was," wrote dgarcia42 on OSnews, for example. "I have fond memories of my roommate and I downloading floppies using 20 machines in the lab to download them in parallel. I think we were using TAMU at that point. I had a vt100 clone that I plugged into the serial port of his dx2/66 box so that we could share his machine ;)"

Also present, however, were members of what one might consider the next generation. Ubuntu 6.10 was the first distro used by TuxRadar blogger Muzer, for example: "Yes, I'm a newbie. But I'm only 14!"

Some bloggers even dragged out a Linux Timeline to help them pinpoint the dates.

With so much love and nostalgia in the air, we here at LinuxInsider couldn't resist taking the question to the streets ourselves.

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Windows 7 to have an 'XP mode'

Microsoft is trying to make it easier to sway users of Windows XP onto the latest version of its operating system.

For some time now, the company has been quietly building a "Windows XP mode" that uses virtualization to allow Windows 7 to easily run applications designed for Windows XP. According to sources familiar with the product, the application compatibility mode is built on the Virtual PC technology that Microsoft acquired in 2003, when it scooped up the assets of Connectix.

By adding the compatibility mode, Microsoft is aiming to address one of the key shortcomings of Windows Vista: its compatibility issues with software designed for Windows XP and earlier versions of the operating system.

Details of the Windows XP mode, previously known as Virtual Windows XP, were first published earlier Friday by the Windows SuperSite blog.

The technology has not been part of the beta version of Windows 7 or previously disclosed by Microsoft, but is expected to be released alongside the upcoming release candidate version. Microsoft said on Friday that it will release it to developers next week and publicly starting May 5.

According to the SuperSite report, written by bloggers Paul Thurrott and Rafael Rivera, the XP mode won't come in the box with Windows 7, but will be made available as a free download for those who buy the professional, enterprise, or "ultimate" versions of Windows 7. The site also has some screenshots of the mode in action.

There had been rumors of a secret user interface, but until Friday, no mention of the XP mode.

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Seeing the world in 3D

Philips is selling 3D LCD monitors to the commercial market and will try to bring the technology to consumer TVs by 2008. The TV is a standard LCD with an additional layer of lenses aligned in rows. These lenses create separate images of the material that, when received by your eye and brain, get interpreted as 3D imagery. The 42-inch screen is meant to be viewed from about four meters away. The 3D effect of the 20-inch screen can be viewed about 60 centimetres away. (If you stand closer, the 3D effects disappear and the image begins to blur.)

Handheld Brain Training Game

Everyone wants to stay in shape, and now you can keep your brain in shape as well with the Brain Trainer. The Brain Trainer is a fun, hand-held game that allows you to compete against yourself in order to keep yourself mentally fit. This little gadget performs tests that stimulate your brain by working the frontal cortex. This is the part of your brain that controls creativity, memory, and communication.

So if you find yourself forgetting things or losing your train of thought easily, you may just need to exercise your brain. The Brain Trainer was invented by a neuroscientist in Japan. It is designed to take you through a series of programs that quickly stimulate your frontal cortex in order to enhance mental agility. The programs include tests in which you add, subtract or multiply as fast as possible, count as quickly as you can, or add a series of numbers sequentially. There are also tests for memorization and recalling as many numbers as possible.

When you are feeling like you need a mental boost just pull out your handy Brain Trainer. As you progress through the programs the device also keeps track of you score and time for each session so you can always compete against yourself and try to increase your brain power each time you play. The Brain Trainer runs on 2 AAA batteries.

Start increasing your mental capacity and get your Brain Trainer here...

Get comfortable with United Airlines

Here are a few more reasons to get that Business Class seat if you can afford one - United Airlines has just announced that it will make some improvements for passengers in that section, throwing in a 15.4″ personal LCD monitor for your viewing pleasure, a USB and an iPod adapter at the side, 20 channels of XM satellite radio to choose from, and a pair of noise-canceling headphones for you remain detached from your surroundings. Each seat can also recline a full 180 degrees, and at 23.5″ wide, you’re sure to have a comfortable sleeping experience to stave off jetlag when you arrive at your destination.

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