Matt Hartley

Not all that along ago, I was hearing rumors that the release of Windows 7 will spell the death of Linux on tiny notebook type computers called netbooks. At the time the argument was that people expected Windows on their PCs and that familiarity would win out over anything that desktop Linux distributions can dispense […]

Like many of you, I live in an Ubuntu world. Sure, I also have a Debian box that I run as a file server on my home network, but most of my desktops/notebooks are fully dedicated Ubuntu machines. Why? Simply put, it keeps things easy to manage. I am able to use a LTS release […]

Recently there has been tremendous buzz surrounding a method of running a full Ubuntu Linux installation within Windows. Unlike similar alternatives for Windows, however, the user is not installing Linux only to have to reboot out of Windows to enjoy their new Linux install. Instead, Portable Ubuntu for Windows allows the end user to enjoy […]

Perhaps one of the most common myths surrounding desktop Linux is the belief that modern distributions do not provide decent hardware support. It’s unfortunate, but this thought pattern has been ingrained into the minds of many die-hard Windows users over the years. Many of them have only tried using Linux once or twice, at which […]

Everywhere we turn these days, we see evidence of open source developers trading their time and hard work for little more than the hope of benefiting the ever-growing open source community. While there are many companies world-wide enjoying the benefits of a number of Linux and open source products, there are instances where creating sustainable […]

Not too long back, I shared my thoughts with you on how there seems to be a real disconnect with US schools and desktop Linux. Differences of opinion were exchanged in the comments area of the article and I gained some new insight along the way. The point that was driven home to me the […]

Virtualization was once thought to be something of a fad when it first began appearing on desktop PCs not all that long ago. And while no one ever said it outright, it was clear it was not taken seriously until its obvious cost savings – particularly in hardware costs – became self-evident. Today, we see […]

Remember back in 2008 when a teacher named “Karen” made a remark about using Linux holding her students back? The idea apparently being that students using Linux must somehow be participating in something that is illegal. Later, apologies ensued despite new wounds on both sides of the issue being created. Seems to me that this […]

What’s your favorite open source alternative to iTunes? Leave a comment at the bottom of this page. While it’s true that Apple iTunes has some compelling services, such as their TV/music/movie store, the media player itself leaves many power users yearning for something more. To be sure, the alternatives don’t have Apple’s muscle with the […]

Taking baby steps to become more familiar with a new operating system can be as simple as revamping the OS already in use on your computer. It begins with unlearning Windows-born behavior to free up your mind for a new way of doing things. Here are some tips on utilizing different open source resources to […]