Posts by Ian Moffatt

The best netbook-friendly Linux distros

Linux Mint

Downloaded the latest version an put onto USB drive courtesy of info at Pendrive.com(?).

Simple installation. Worked first time and it just so classy as well ;-)

Still has no right hand SD card (think this is an Ubuntu thing as LM based on Ubuntu, I think). Doesn't automagically add the LH SD slot to HDD like Linpus but that'll come eventually.

Wifi worked straight away (not the switch though but again this might be an Ubuntu thing).

Also impressed the my Orange Broadband dongle worked straight away.

Running this on an Aspire One 16GB HDD 1GB RAM. An 8GB SD in the LH slot as my downloads location.

I'd previously tried UNR but always liked LinuxMint on a 'fullsize' laptop - thought I'd give it a try here and was pleasantly surprised.

Of course it's not as fast as Linpus but that was just too cheesy for me. I tried the Reg's guide to customising it but cocked that up and had to start from scratch.

Well worth a look if you want a nice clean and classy distro.

IMHO.

Police want new remote hard drive search powers

@Mark

Well said Sir!

Ian

Start-up Bee pledges 'affordable' British e-car

How much weight will that save?

'In the interests of weight and cost, the One will forsake a conventional in-car entertainment system in favour of an iPod dock which Bee sees as being more than adequate for most drivers ICE and navigation needs'

You'll still need amp and speakers. Or do we share a set of headphones? Then we'll get fined by the new roadside cameras designed to catch us out/keep us safe.

Plus I wouldn't want to rely on my iPhone as a sat nav. It's not accurate or fast enough.

Ian

Paris - because she knows all about being caught on camera

The Mac OS 10.5.6 update saga continues

What's your problem?

My iBook, MDD and my Mum's Mini all upgraded flawlessy.

So there ;-)

Ian

IBM, PGP fill Bletchley Park's rattling tin

@Sean

What he said.

The Government should put money here rather than Northern Sodding Rock

Ian

Paris - 'cos she knows a Colossus or two ;-)

Ubuntu man challenges open source to out-pretty Apple

Here's a tip

Get rid of the brown/orange 'jaffa cake' look. It's bloody 'orrible. And sort those manky looking fonts out.

Mines the orange imitation suede one with the brown fun fur collar ;-)

O2 buckles under 3G iPhone demand

Q? What Q?

There was nobody outside the Harlow o2 shop this morning. Good job too, because they closed for a 3 month(?) refurb on 3 July. The branch manager there must have a crystal ball and I bet he's chuffed to bits.

I really hope o2 get a good stuffing over this. They naffed me off the other day when I tried and then had the cheek to text me with an apology and a linnk to website that tells me all about the iphone but doesn't give the option of ordering the sodding thing.

Am quite loathe to hand o2 a large wad of money now - but what choice do I have?

Apple need to take this on board as well. They've pissed off load of potential switchers and customers.

(Rant over - I feel better now)

Ian

NY street-cleaning truck swallows dog

Not dead - just gone home

Isn't that the dog from Men In Black?

Boffins: Roadrunner hypercomputer could drive a car

Only in this dimension

'(As an aside, in a development sure to enrage Douglas Adams fans, the average human appears to be between ten and a hundred times as intelligent as a mouse.)'

Tut, tut, tut

You seem to forget they are very clever pan-dimensional beings

Mine's the one with three arms

UK prisoners offered data cabling training

And the security implications are?

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but do not engrs working in comms rooms or generally any IT post in a large company have to have some sort of security clearance?

Whilst all in favour of the lag/ds rehabilitation I can see them being restricted to low level or residential work

Mine's the one with the big black arrows on it

Ian

Ian McKellen to reprise Gandalf

60 years?

After a quick glance a Middle Earth history, I make it 77 years between the Hobbit and The Fellowship. And if I recall, in The Fellowship Gandalf 'remembered a spring, nearly eighty years before' when Frodo is making preparations for his unexpected journey from Bag End.

The one made of Mithril and the sword belt please ;-)

eBay slams UK.gov touting ban

They would say that wouldn't they?

eBay stand to lose money if not allowed to flog on tickets. Yes there are the odd legitimate cases where someone can't attend an event. eBay are just taking the p1ss.

eBay Australia faces competition probe

Stand and Deliver!

Don't know about the 100 transaction thing but I have over 1000 feedback and they are telling me I MUST offer PayPal as a form of payment. They will also hold the funds for 21 days unless get + feedback or no chargeback/dispute etc. Nice little earner with the interest there, Terry!

So I pay them twice - for the listing/final value fee and then PayPal.

Unfortunately there is not a viable alternative at the moment for most punters. I've put some kit onto eBid but haven't managed a sale yet :-(

But I can just keep relisting for free and accept that it'll take a while to sell kit.

YMMV.

Ian

--

Man with glasses because it's the nearest pic to someone with a Highwayman's mask.

Boffins develop '500TB iPod' storage tech

Maybe the Dalek was right after all

With storage like that available, perhaps he DID download the internet ;-)

The one with the sink plunger poking out of the pocket please. . .