The big problem with Linux

So we get ourselves a hand-me-down laptop. Besides a brand-new spiffy core i 3 laptop, we also get a Toshiba laptop that's approximately 6 years old. It's a Satellite A40, with a Celeron 2.7 GHz chip, and half a gigabyte RAM. Looking for a light operating system that will make this work properly, lead us to Linux. Of the varieties of Linux, the one that stands out in our mind would be Puppy Linux. But the problem with puppy Linux is that it is stripped down to the barest minimum, and it does not have a large mainline library from which to choose programs.

So I would surely want to have some derivative of Ubuntu. But I wouldn't want one that is very RAM intensive and would make it difficult to run programs. Working within the limitations of the present existing hardware, brings me to a new option that is actually a bit exciting. Once Xubuntu has been ruled out, because it seemed that it has the same footprint as the regular Ubuntu.

There is a new flavor and is called Lubuntu. It's actually very stripped down and loads a meager amount of programming into RAM when it starts up. And there is another improved version of that! Called Peppermint. The advantage of peppermint is that it is a takeoff of Mint Linux. Which is to say, that it has the flash drivers already installed and it should be able to run most multimedia programs.

But alas, when you try to run certain multimedia websites various error messages appear. Such as, unable to read MMS files, etc.

Scroll down and that seems to be the problem today with Linux. Any which way you turn it, it simply does not work "out of the box." And you end up needing to know more than you really want to know about the operating system. I do not have that problem with Windows 7. And the same is definitely true with what I hear about the Apple operating system. As they advertise, "it just works."

So I formatted the Celeron computer with peppermint, and I am happy that I'm able to get something going there, but I cannot rely on it to be consistent and a free-flowing multimedia unit, which is what I wanted from it to begin with.

I ask myself, why am I trying to rejuvenate a seven-year-old laptop? Why not just invest a few hundred dollars and buy an up-to-date computer with sufficient amount of RAM, better video capabilities, a much, much faster processor? Yes, I enjoy the thrill of the case. I enjoy the challenge of taking an old unit and making it work. Okay, so I pass that test. I even obtained some Arctic Silver as a connecting glue between the CPU and heatsink. So the computer works now. But it is still deficient, and I really do what I want it to do, and for a few hundred dollars the whole dilemma could be solved.

The fun and games are over. It's time to shell out a few hundred dollars

Take two tablets and an Apple

Apple is coming out with a tablet

What a wonderful idea! A tablet computer. So here's the confusion: Apple has a product coming down the pike, but does not announce nor clarify exactly what it is. But that doesn't stop everybody from getting excited, and the rumormongers from planting all sorts of ideas as to what to expect.

And you know what? That's just fine. That's just how Apple likes it. Kick up a storm of commotion, anticipation and attention. What will the actual tablet computer look like? That is -- if there actually will be one. And when will it be released?

The modalities of the personal computer has shifted. The huge desktop is the standard for business but no longer for personal use and pleasure. The laptop had advanced to take that role.

Mobility however has become the code word in much of 21st-century computing. The laptop was meant to make computing portable. The net book was meant to make it handy. The iPhone was meant to put it in your pocket. And the myriads of other such instruments to do similar.

So now we arrived at the tablet. A monitor without a keyboard. A flat screen. Much like Kindle and the electronic reader books. What will be its size, and its functions? I don't worry. Steve Jobs is a genius. All of Apple does not rest on his shoulders, but he is an icon and an inspiration.

Apple has dazzled in the past, and I'm sure it will do so in the future.

A good microphone makes a world of difference when it comes to dictation. If you want to dictate effectively and accurately, you cannot rely on the built-in mic that is found in a computer. Instead, you need to have a microphone that is very close to your mouth, preferably approximately an inch away.

There are various ways to test the microphone and to test its accuracy. Your mileage may vary but I think everyone has to find that which is good for them. With Dragon, there is an approved list that is posted on their website.

I found three types of microphones. For me, headphones seemed to be the most convenient because it goes where your head does and the microphone stays close to your mouth. Others, use a desk type microphone and bring their mouth to the mic. The third is a microphone that is found built into a camera -- such as a WebCam -- that you might be able to bring closer to your mouth.

Amongst headphones, I find two varieties: standard audio card, and USB. The audio card variety is easily found, but my experience has been that the USB mics work better. They have a built-in sound card within them and their audio signal goes directly to the motherboard, without using the computer’s soundcard.

I found a very good one from a company called Jabra. You can google them and see their various models. Good luck at it!