Email from Daniel Rivera
I recently reformatted my work laptop which was running Windows. Now it runs Kubuntu Linux (Ubuntu with a KDE shell) 99.5% of the time. Whenever I have the need to definitely use Windows, I just run a remote desktop connection from Linux to a Windows server at work. Works like a charm. Oh, and the upgrades are free 🙂 No stock options scandals, no random restarts, none of that.
Excellent. I just got back to using Ubuntu on a desktop after several weeks of being distracted by minor issues like fixing up the house to sell it. Easily got it to find the network hard disk and network printer. Now I’m doing all my blogging in it again. It’s both easier to use and more fun than Windows. And of course, it’s free.
I just upgraded to a new Intel iMac. Adding a program called Parallels lets me run a multiplicity of other operating systems, including any version of Windows (95, 98, XP, Vista, etc.) or any version of Linux as a virtual machine, with essentially full speed (since this is an Intel processor). You can run them either as a window within the main MacOS, or switch with a keystroke to a full-screen view of the second (or third or fourth) OS. With the upcoming version that they demonstrated at MacWorld, you can drag and drop files between OSes, and you can even run Windows programs (not sure about Linux) “desktopless,” that is, the Windows document or program will appear on your Mac desktop, but it will be running inside an invisible Windows desktop and still running Windows. And of course it’s all multitasking, so all operating systems are running simultaneously. Truly amazing. I’ve only just started down this path, but it looks like the best of, not just both worlds, but many worlds.