Have you ever wanted to try on of the great Linux distributions, or perhaps Free BSD (the core for Apple MAC X), or one of the other free operating systems available on the internet. Well you may have tried the VMWare(tm) Virtual Machine for the free 30 day period, and kinda had a problem letting go of the $200 price tag when the free period expired. In any case, and for whatever your reasons for waiting, now your ready to jump into the world of Linux and free operating system. Or maybe you just want to run a couple of free operating systems on you current machine, but do not want partition your hard drive.
Oracle VituralBox product is an open source project sponsored by Oracle. What does open source mean you ask? Well for most of us it means FREE, and mot much more, unless you are a developer of software and want to help create the product.
I have successfully installed and tested the following OSs on virtual box Linux CentOS, Fodora Core, Slackware, Linux Mint, Apple(tm) Snow Leopard and Lion, Microsoft(tm) Windows XP, Vista (yuck), and XP and found it is the perfect virtual platform on windows. It is easy to install, setup and use and the best part of the whole project it has been completely free. Give it a try and start you Geek Project today.
Here is a great video I found on You Tube that will walk you trough setting up and testing you new VirtualBox platform.
Hardware requirements – I have run Virtual box on Windows XP, and Windows 7 personally and it works great on both. See the software site for more information on hardware requirements. It works on Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux.
Apple is a trademark of Apple Computers, VMWare of VMWare Corp, and Microsoft is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
I am often ask what is the best computer desktop out there? I always think how that is such a loaded question. I attempt to explain how that really depends what you are going to be doing with this computer, and how you are going to use it. So I have broken down what I would suggest depending on you computer experience and what you may be planing to use it for.
Non Techie Computer User:
If you one of these people that just want a computer that works everyday with fail, and your now into the geek thing. You want simple, elegant and a completely user friendly computer experiences. Or how about that perfect computer to get you mother, father, or grandmother online and connected to the Facebook, Yahoo, and that amazing world of online game. All without having to be on the phone with them every night, when those enviable update messages, register you system, and sales messages, appear asking them question they do not understand. Then the choice is simple. No matter if you a Windows veteran (preheats from work), or simple do not have a use for jacking with Windows anymore for whatever reason. Then a Apple MAC is for you. Macs are great machines for students, game players, graphics, or just about anything you may need to get done with out all he hassle.
Apple has combined a great desktop with a Operation Systems that was developed decades ago and has created, in my option, the nicest computer systems to use anywhere. You can not go wrong with a MAC. However, in this world where you get what you pay for, you will be spending a little more money, but there hardware is simple the best. They only offer about 15 models, an this is one of there biggest advantages. Knowing the exact hardware there MAC Os is going to be installed on. This little fact allows them to make sure everything works perfectly when it is boxed. A Mac is a great choice and you ca not go wrong here.
Here is a great YouTube.com video that will show you the features of the MAC OS. He covers a lot of them.
Reference: www.apple.com or you local computer reseller.
The Techie
If you a techie and would like to experiment with what I think is the next revolution in computer innovation on the PC and laptop desktop world then you choice is simple. Linux or Free BSD is where I thing the PC shift is going to take us. Let face with Apples move to Intel systems and there well developed free BSD desktop, now know as Lion. Apple has proven, not only can the so called “free operating systems” be developed into great commercial products, they are becoming real contenders to the Giant Microsoft. So I would have to say Linux is the simple choice. Today the Linux desktop is elegant, extremely stable, fast and moreover is free to all. It allows many choices as to your vendor, while keeping everything is compatible. The good news is you can do with any Windows system if you have a few extra GB of memory.
With that being said no tech savvy geek would be cough dead without a Windows machine of some kind. Let’s face it when it comes to choices, Microsoft Window has that down. Windows is offered on just about any hardware you can imagine, not to mention there software choices are limitless. While Apple has created there niche with well defined and apple designed and manufactured hardware. Microsoft is used on machine made by hundreds of vendors all over the world. Making you hardware choices limitless.
The good news with Windows and products such as VMWare Workstation (about $200) and Virtual Box (Free Software), you can run more than one OS on a machine at a time. With Virtual Box you can even run 2 or more OS combined a the same time, simply amazing stuff. Virtual Machines have becoming more and more popular for software developers, designers, writers, and the rest of us. Because we now have choices and are no longer limited to one idea of what a computer OS and desktop should look like. Let’s face it Microsoft, although the big dog, in the computer OS world, has led us astray with such debacles as MS ME, MS Vista, and I believe soon to be added to that list Windows 8.
Virtual Server is the new in thing when it comes to hard core geek computing. Being able to run a Varity of OSs on one machine is simply a must in today computing world. The problem is most Virtual Machines are generally high end servers that require enterprise hardware and software to get up and running. Not anymore … here is a great how to video on turning a, Dual Core 3gb / 80 gb Hard drive, spare machine in a CentOS 6.2 power Virtual box. Get ready to build you own simple and reliable VM server on you spare hardware. Get that spare hardware ready and watch the below video.
The iPad has changed how we look at mobile computing, read books, listen to music, and watch our favorite videos. Through 2 generation is has not let us down. Certainly one of the best products to com out in many years and we can only hope without Steve Jobs, Apple computer can continue to bring us there simply amazing game changing products. I feel he would have wanted that way. Now it is time to have a look at the net generation of iPad. The iPad 3 is finally here. Let’s have a look and see what is new with simple amazing product.