I spent the last couple of weeks upgrading my two computer systems. Well, I did some other things too - but all things considered, upgrading my computers was probably my key accomplishment (which pretty much shows how productive I’ve been recently).
First, I cleared out my Linux system and reloaded it with SUSE 11.0. I didn’t have to spend much money on the upgrade, but it took a lot of time. I’m pretty sure most of the problems I had with the installation this time were the same problems I had the last time I installed Linux, but the last time was so long ago that I wound up reliving most of the old pain in roughly the same way. Then every time I would finally fix a problem I would have this vague feeling of deja vu. I think this feeling would have been a lot more helpful if it appeared when I first saw each problem rather than after spending hours finding the solution.
Now I read my email on my Linux box, and it is where I do my Java programming, web surfing, freecell playing, writing of stupid blog posts, etc. I even managed to link my camera to my Linux box and figured out how to download and edit pictures and movies using open source programs - a feat which I thought was going to be a long shot at best. In other words, my Linux box is now my main computer - and if you think I did the transition mainly for the geek cred, well… you’re right (and I won’t mention how using the term “geek cred” makes you a bit of a geek yourself).
Once I got my Linux box mostly squared away, I tore open my Windows box, replaced a bunch of hardware, and did a fresh install of Windows Vista service pack 1. Upgrading my windows box didn’t take a lot of time, but all the hardware upgrades cost a lot more money. This result corresponds to the following rule:
Linux versus Windows: You can solve just about any Linux problem by investing inordinate amounts of time, and you can solve almost any Windows problem by throwing money at it.
I also bought a new table/writing desk that I put in the living room, so now my computer table is devoted to my computers and my bills are where I can do them while I watch TV.
Final Geek Notes
Linux: Overall I like the SUSE 11.0 Linux distribution, and I really like their administration and software updating tools, but would recommend against choosing the KDE 4.0 option. The latest KDE desktop is still way too buggy (the 3.5 version I assume works better). The desktop works poorly enough that I’m finding myself going to the command line more often than I’d really like (I don’t really love command lines because you have to remember stuff, and my memory is sooo not my strong suit - with a GUI I can just hunt around until I find the options I need).
Windows Vista: I was pleasantly surprised at how spry my system was after I upgraded. Of course I got rid of my virus software and who knows how many other background programs that were sucking up CPU time and making startup a trial of my patience. Still, now my Windows PC boots up reasonably quickly and it shuts down lickity split. (I like that phrase “lickity split.” I don’t know what lickity means, or how long it takes to split one, but it sounds really fast in kind of an old timey way - like a model T whooshing by in a whirl of dust. It also sounds kind of dirty.)
On Buying Tables: IKEA is kind of the Linux of furniture stores - it doesn’t cost much money but you have to do a lot of stuff yourself. Oh, and it’s kind of nerdy too.
