Chrome OS: The new threat to Redmond

By Sreejith K | Published: July 13, 2009

Last week Google announced in their official blog that they will be entering the Operating System arena with the launch of Chrome OS. If Microsoft is challenging Google in the search engine arena with Bing, then this one is Google’s reply to MS. According to Google, Chrome OS is a complete redesign of Operating System architecture. Its their attempt to re-think what Operating System should be.

Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Chrome OS is designed in such a way that a user will be able to connect to the web within seconds saving the bootup time. Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. Basically, Chrome os is a Browser Operating System with a new windowing system running on top of Linux kernel. The apllications that are used in the Chrome OS will be web applications. So developers need to write applications using their preferred web technology. These applications are standard web applications and that can also be run on other OS’s like Linux, Windows and Mac. The difference is that these web applications looks like normal Desktop applications under Chrome.

Google Chrome OS will run on both x86 as well as ARM chips and Google is working with multiple OEMs to bring a number of netbooks to market next year. So from next year Netbooks from Acer, HP, Toshiba etc. will be preinstalled with Chrome OS.

Lets wait and see what Google has come up with…

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Google Chrome on Linux

By Sreejith K | Published: June 7, 2009

Disappointed in not having Google Chrome for your favourite Linux distro ? Now you shouldn’t be. Fetch the Google Chrome packages from here. They are on the development stage and wouldn’t be a stable one. But you can give it a try. Features like Flash will not work in this release. Installing Google Chrome will add the google repository so your system will automatically keep Chrome up to date. (If you don’t want Google’s repository, do “sudo touch /etc/defaults/google-chrome” before installing the package.)

Have Fun.

Note: The Linux build still lacks certain privacy features, and is not appropriate for general consumer use.
Posted in Applications, Linux, News, Ubuntu | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Jaunty on my new Toshiba Satellite !!!

By Sreejith K | Published: June 6, 2009

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I bought a new Toshiba Satellite L310 Notebook last week. It is my first laptop and I’m happy that I bought it with my own money (from my salary). Weeks before I took the Tosh, I had been looking for a good laptop which would be a nice pickup taking into account the price, configuration and style. I was planning to take a Dell Inspiron 14 or Dell Inspiron 15 before I had changed my mind to the HP Pavilion Series. But the HP Pavilion laptops I liked were not there in the retail shops and Amazon (Actually there was, but they wouldn’t ship to India). After some time surfing the web, my eyes stuck into a review of Asus EeePC at Register. It is  a netbook (meant for common tasks such as browsing, e-mail etc.) with a mind-blowing battery backup of 9Hrs (but the absence of optical drive is a compromise). For the next few weeks there was not even a single other notebook in my mind. But when I reached home from Chennai, one of my cousin, who is working in a Computer Peripherals Marketing Company told me about the Tosh. He said that one is the best one they’re having now at their showroom. After explaining the configurations of the Tosh, I began to think that taking a netbook only is a waste and made up my mind to take a Tosh instead.

Next day I visited the retail shop and purchased a Toshiba Satellite L310-D4012 (I still donno why the model is not showing in the official Tosh website). Its not that bad in looks, infact I liked the lappie on first sight itself. The only think I didnt’t like about Tosh is that its colour is not black, its metallic silver. Here is my Tosh’s spec

  • Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T6400, 2.0 GHz Speed
  • 2 MB L2 Cache, 800 Mhz FSB
  • Intel 965GM Express Chipset
  • 2-GB DDR2 667 SDRAM expandable to maximum 4-GB
  • 250-GB, 5400 rpm Serial-ATA Hard Disk Drive with Shock Absorber
  • DVD SuperMulti Double Layer Optical Drive (DVD-RW/RAM)
  • 14.1-inch (35.8 cm) WXGA 200NIT Hi-bright Clear Superview TFT Widescreen Display (HBCSV), 1280 x 800 pixels screen resolution
  • Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator GMA X3100 Graphics Chipset with 358 MB Shared Video Memory
  • Integrated 56-kbps V.90 Fax/Modem
  • Integrated Bluetooth v2.1
  • Integrated 10/100 Ethernet LAN
  • Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG network connection 802.11 a/b/g
  • Integrated 1.3 MP Webcam
  • Fingerprint Reader
  • Glossy Mercury Silver Chasis – IMR Finish
  • Integrated Microphone
  • Toshiba Spill resistant 101 keys Keyboard
  • SRS Surround Sound Sound, Herman/Kardon Speakers
  • 2 USB v2.0 Ports
  • 1 e-Sata Port
  • S-Video TV Out
  • IEEE 1394 Port
  • Express Card/54
  • 6-in-1 Bridge Media Slot (supports SD Media, Memory Stick Memory Stick Pro, Multimedia Card, XD-Picture Card)
  • IEEE 1394 port
  • 6-Cell Li-ion Battery, 3.7 hours backup
  • Dimension: 334 x 242 x 37.5 mm
  • Weight : 2.62 kgs (with battery) / 2.35 Kgs (w/o battery)

Now you would be thinking about the price Huh? It might be 45K or 40K. But tell you the truth. I got this machine for just 33500/-, the best deal as they said and for sure it is.

Then the only problem infront of me was the Tosh’s Linux support. I installed the latest Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope to my new Tosh and I got really excited to see the Tosh working just fine under Linux. Here I will tell you about the hardwares I tested.

Resolution : Native (Out of the box)

Wireless : Working (Out of the box)

Camera : Working (Out of the box)

Audio : Working (Out of the box)

Fingerprint scanner : Works with AES1610 driver in libfprint eventhough lsusb shows AES1600.

Bluetooth : Will work if enabled (Fn + F8 will not enable BT, but you need to enable it from Windows)

Functional Keys : Working except bluetooth’s Fn + F8

ACPI functions : Partially working as toshiba_acpi module doesn’t support Phoenix BIOS. But function like suspend, hibernate, brightness adjustents etc. will work.

Note: Some of the ACPI functions are not working because of the Phoenix BIOS. I think a BIOS update will resolve the issue of not having an option to turn on the bluetooth in BIOS Settings. I searched the web for ACPI configuration, but even the omnibook modules didn’t work for me.

Some Tricks : If you feel you’re having low volume on Jaunty, try this. Add the following line to /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf

options snd-hda-intel position_fix=1 model=3stack

After a restart, you’ll feel some changes. Also look here for resolving your sound problems.

Posted in Hardware, Linux, Personal, Review, Ubuntu | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Windows 7 and the Linux lesson

By Sreejith K | Published: April 27, 2009

You may love Linux or hate it, but when a distribution is complete, there’s very little hesitation by commercial operators when it comes to getting the completed operating system out there.

The Ubuntu 9.04 release candidate was posted on April 16 with final code promised for seven days later on April 23. The final Ubuntu 9.04 code was turned around as promised.

The same cannot be said of Microsoft and Windows. And that’s causing some frustration among those who want to get on with Windows 7.

The Windows 7 Release Candidate – build 7100 – has reportedly been leaked to the web. And unlike previous Windows 7 builds that showed up on one torrent here or there, the release candidate’s on four. The word is that Windows 7 Release Candidate will be available to MSDN and TechNet members at the end of next week with general availability on May 5.

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Posted in FOSS, Linux, Ubuntu | Leave a comment