Category: Personal Computing Page 4 of 7

As of around March of this year, I have successfully switched over to Linux for my home PC – I will probably say a bit more about that in a future post – as well as at work. Specifically, I am using the Ubuntu variant (32-bit for home and the 64-bit version for work), running a Windows XP for accessing the Microsoft Office documents mainly in a free virtualisation program called Virtualbox. I must say, so far I am pretty happy with the transition. I mean, apart from a few nagging things like Java and some multimedia functions not working perfectly all the time, no issues about Windows-withdrawal… I mean, it does help that I am comfortable with UNIX/Linux since my PhD days. 🙂

Anyway, for people who are still afraid of trying Linux or free/open-source software in general, here is a list of 20 lightweight window managers that have been available for Linux for quite a few years, just to show that UNIX/Linux is not all about a blank terminal with a blinking cursor! So, why not give it a try? Or, better still, try alternative OSes using a virtualisation program such as Virtualbox.

This is more for my own benefit so that I won’t need to search high and low for these links again. Note that the transformation from MHz (millions of steps per second) to GHz (thousands of millions) only took slightly less than 10 years, which is quite amazing if you ask me… Incidentally you can clearly see the rise and fall of AMD in the period 200 to about 2005-6, when the Core2duo architecture appeared.

1. Intel’s 15 Most Unforgettable x86 CPUs
2. The Mother of All CPU Charts Part 1 : Introduction
3. The Mother of All CPU Charts Part 2 : AMD Processors From March 1994 To December 2004
4. Tom’s Hardware’s Interactive CPU Charts (check out also the very illuminating tree diagrams of Intel and AMD CPUs up to 2006)
5. CPU Socket Basics: Intel
6. CPU Socket Basics: AMD

Was trying to find information regarding the RAM for my particular model of G4 Powerbook because I planned to upgrade the puny amount of RAM (512MB in total, 256MB soldered) that came with the machine, and happened on the following DIY sites. Very helpful, I must say. As an example, here are illustrated guides for upgrading the RAM.

1. Steps for RAM upgrade from ifixit
2. Another guide from Macinstruct
3. All you’d want to know about RAM for Powerbooks

An excellent 3-part series on the boot up process of modern day computers, focusing on “Linux, Windows, and Intel processors.” Very worthwhile reading.

1. Motherboard chipsets and the memory map
2. How computers boot up
3. The kernel boot process

Recently, I was helping someone to upgrade her Mac – not that I am an expert by the way, but simply because I have been using a Powerbook (yes, the obsolete machines… 🙁 ) for the past year and have taken more interest in Macs consequently. The following are some resources I found, which hopefully can help others from getting lost in the updating/upgrading maze.

• Mac OS X Updating FAQ
• Mac OS X 10.2 (Wikipedia)
• Mac OS X 10.3 (Wikipedia)
• Mac OS X 10.4 (Wikipedia)