Matt Hartley

Most open source advocates like to believe that the migration from proprietary software products over to open source alternatives is fairly straight forward. Unfortunately, it’s never that simple. The problem is that proprietary legacy software is a lot like a barbed fishing hook. Removing it to make things better tends to hurt more than most […]

Simple access to desktop computing: It’s something that myself, among countless others, take for granted every single day. With proprietary operating systems, there are programs readily available for those who need accessibility assistance with their computers. But what is it like for someone who needs accessibility options on the Linux desktop? We often hear how […]

Even after considering the success seen with Linux on netbooks, there is really no question that it feels like something ominous is holding back desktop Linux from the masses. In the past these hurdles have been attributed to familiarity, legacy Windows software and even a lack of a perceived collaborative effort from a business standpoint. […]

”Dual-booting with Windows and desktop Linux is a snap to do.” This statement is at best a half-truth as it really depends on the skill set of the person trying to install Linux along side Windows. Despite this, I hear people stating this as a fact nearly everyday. Drives me bananas. When it comes to […]

Over the years I’ve witnessed desktop Linux distros evolve dramatically – change the very core of the way we look at how an operating system interacts with its users. However, I still find plenty of forum posts on the Web stating that Linux as a platform still lacks suitable parental controls. It is true that […]

For years technology fans have been fighting over one of the most foolish mottos ever mentioned by the Linux community: “the year of the Linux desktop.” The exact wording may vary from year to year, but the idea remains the same. We find ourselves taking sides, arguing for our own perspective as to whether we […]

This year Microsoft has been making changes to the way it approaches Linux and open source in ways I had never expected. Some of the areas that Microsoft made changes in are significant, while other aspects of their changes are, to be honest, predictable. In each case, however, it is impossible not to get the […]

With the recession in full swing, I have found a growing number of people questioning the value of moving onto Windows 7 upon its release. Not because there is anything wrong with upgrading to Windows 7, but rather a concern that the prices for Windows 7 is thought to be a bit high for the […]

If you have a suggestion to help make a Linux app store a reality, please post a comment below. Linux on the desktop has seen some significant successes over the years, from improvements with hardware detection to user adoption. Yet despite these successes, the single sticking point I find myself arguing with people over the […]

For most people, computing comes down accomplishing their daily tasks with as much time saved and cost efficiency as possible. There are also users (such as myself) who want to know that the applications we use are running code that is not locked in by any one company. This gives us freedom of choice. Where […]