Tag: oss

In the first installation of this series I told you, that I think that the command line is the second important tool, to get you faster with your Ubuntu usage. Actually, the command line is the most powerful toy you can use in the Linux world. Today I want to show a terminal emulator that has its root in the ego-shooter Doom. Most Ubuntu-Rockstars have always a terminal window opened, that enables them to punch in some useful and time-saving commands. The drawback of this method is that the terminal is just another application on the desktop and could be hidden behind some different app or could be minimized, that you have to activate it via the window list. An nice alternative is Guake.

Install It

To install Guake you have to download this package from their website and then install it via the Gedebi installer. As with Gnome-Do you should add Guake to your autostart list. After you installed Guake you should hit the systray icon with your right mouse button and choose preference. In the preferences dialog you should set the hotkey for the roll down. I use the Menu-key because I have no further use for it.

Use It

You can imagine Guake like a roller shutter that covers the other windows as you hit the hotkey. Now you are free to type in some commands. As soon as you hit the hotkey again Guake rolls up. In contrast to Gnome-Do Guake is not of much use unless you are familiar with the command line. If you are not using the command line already, you should change that as soon as possible. You can find a short introduction here and a useful sheat-cheat here. Discover the opportunities and rock Ubuntu today.

Update: Sad Day For Microsoft: 5,000 Laid Off, Earnings And Revenues Down

I said in my thoughts about Google's Chrome that I think Microsoft is a dying giant. I feel that I should justify such a bold statement.

First I want to mention that I see the above statement in the long-term. Of course Microsoft won't vanish tomorrow.

Here are my main reasons for my claim:

• Microsoft is relying an cash-cows and so can't change

• Microsoft is not able to be successful in new fields

• Microsoft's competitors have adopted a robuster business model

The problem for Microsoft with their cash-cows is that they can't pursue a new application and business models that endanger their existing software like Office or Windows. The Web versions of their office suite, for example is very restricted that it does not cannibalize the original. Their competitors, like Google, don't have this handicap.

On the other hand, Microsoft is not able to launch new products that earn money. Their internet activities are very expensive, the X-Box doesn't get revenues and the Zune-Player is a flop. That will be a big issue in the future.

Last their competitors of their cash-cows are open source software. It's hard to beat free in the long run, if you need to sell your product. Linux and Open Office don't need a price tag, their makers earn money with service agreements and share the development costs. This is a completely new situation for Microsoft, normally they pushed their competitors away. Look Netscape, IBM with OS/2 or Star Office, but against OSS this is just not possible. You might say Microsoft is still making a lot of money with its OS and its office suite. That is right, but things are going to change, look for example at the EeePC. This thing is selling very well and it runs on Linux and uses Open Office. My opinion is that this trend will intensify.

I think the only chance for Microsoft to survive in the long run is that it reinvents itself. It may be unlikely that they will earn so much money again like they do today, but we will see. The first war about browsers has already started…

I want to write a little series about how I use Ubuntu and what I got used to speed up my work with Ubuntu. This article is written for people who have just migrated to Ubuntu or Linux and as well for more experienced users. These series is based on my personal experience. The first episode will be about Gnome-Do. Gnome-Do speeds up my work like no second application. At most, the command line is as useful for me.

Install It

First you have to install Gnome-Do. First you have to add ## gnome-do deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/do-core/ubuntu hardy main deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/do-core/ubuntu hardy main to your "/etc/apt/sources.list". After that you type in the commandline: sudo aptitude update sudo aptitude install gnome-do gnome-do-plugins

Use It

To open the folder "Businessplan" (screenshot) on my computer I just have to press WIN+Space, type "bus" and then hit Enter. Boom, the folder opens immediately. The same way you can start programs, twitter, create Tomboy-Notes and much more. Best you add Gnome-Do to your autostart today. Discover the opportunities and rock Ubuntu today.