To Xubuntu

Sorry for the lack of recent writing - this weekend I 'upgraded' my Dell Inspiron Laptop from Windows XP to Linux. The distribution I chose was Xubuntu, a suggestion of Alex Holman (he of Boston Typewriter Orchestra fame).

I have always been annoyed at the bulk and noise of my computer (fans, hard drive, even my video card makes noise), but I am now impressed. A bit of tweaking and I have my full-function machine back, incredibly fast and quiet. The new setup:

Xubuntu / Windows XP dual-boot (via grub)
OpenOffice 2.1 (full-featured office suite)
Firefox & Thunderbird
Skype
F-Spot (photograph management)
gIMP (image editor)
VLC (media player)

I was most impressed at the camera support from F-spot - just plug and go. No drivers to install (!).

Soon I will move the Trombone Analog off of the VAIO onto this computer, leaving things up and running a bit more often. I still use Windows XP for Finale and video conferencing, but I am actively searching out open-source alternatives.

Amen to volunteer hours.

Back to practicing...