Status-Q

[Original Link] RedHat 8 is a nice version of Linux. It's good to have antialiased fonts, OpenOffice & Evolution installed as standard, and it even detected the graphics card and monitor correctly on one of the two machines I installed it on. 50% is a better hit rate than I've had in the past.

I even quite like the way they've tried to merge Gnome and KDE so you hardly know which one you're using. But it does mean there's a lot of confusion about how to configure certain aspects of the User Interface. Should I be using KDE tools, Gnome tools, or some RedHat special thing which tries to configure both?

What seems to be lacking, unless I've missed it somewhere, is any way to add and remove items from the main system menu. This is a major failing, but Michael Knepher tells you how to do it with a text editor. A useful article, which shows there's quite a sophisticated system underneath now. And what's wrong with emacs? We wouldn't want to let ordinary users customize their own desktops, would we...?

[Original Link] It's been a good year so far for Apple.

[Meerkat: An Open Wire Service]

Tom Stoppard. "Skill without imagination is craftsmanship and gives us many useful objects such as wickerwork picnic baskets. Imagination without skill gives us modern art." [Quotes of the Day]

[Original Link] Old satellites don't die. They just lose their pictures.

[Original Link] A very useful primer on the current state of 802.11g by Tim Higgins. How does it work? How fast is it really? How compatible are the products, both with other 802.11g products and with 802.11b? And how come all of this stuff is out there several months before the standard is finalised?

[Original Link] It's nice to see an encouraging draft directive from the EU which makes some sense. I'm just thinking about the last time I saw one of those. Mmm. Errr. No. Sorry. Can't remember one.

[Thanks to Adam Curry for the link]

Having recently created quite a large document in OpenOffice, I must say I'm quite a fan. There are several features which I much prefer to their Microsoft equivalents. And if, occasionally, things seem not to be quite as intuitive as they might, I have to keep reminding myself that I've used Microsoft Word, on and off, for about 14 years, and that's quite a legacy/mental rut to get out of.

If, by the way, you've tried it under Mac OS X and have been disappointed by the ugly fonts currently supported by the X server, you might want to try this. Slow, on my elderly Mac, but much prettier. Make sure you turn off 'Preview in font lists' in the View options if selecting fonts is too time-consuming!

[Original Link] "...in an accident, you and your family are more likely to die if you are riding in an SUV rather than in a car..."

What's good for General Motors is bad for America. [Thanks to John for the link]

[Original Link] A little glamour for those who have been working on Mobile IP for so long! And great advertising for RedHat.

I'm starting to come up with new Star Trek movie plots. "What is it, Uhura?"

"Well, Captain, I'm receiving reports that Earth has been targetted by a SQL Server-related virus, thought to be coming from somewhere near the Horsehead Nebula. They're shutting down the terrestrial firewall, and all global critical systems are being rebooted. We're going to lose all contact with Earth for the next 18 hours..."

[Original Link] Had to check my calendar to make sure it wasn't April 1st.