Well it is Spring Break and I got bored with an old laptop, so I looked into some DIY projects and found some on instructables.com.  I then changed them a little bit so I didn’t have to buy anything.  What I used:

• Old 10″ x 12″ wooden frame
• Old Dell laptop (I forgot what model it was, latitude d610 I think)
• Leftover foam board
• Lots and lots of Hot Glue

I took everything apart, figured out how to fit the laptop screen in the frame with the foam board, then I took all of the unnecessary parts out, including the battery (will be powered by the power adapter) and the CD Drive.  I attached the foam board inside the frame as a make-shift matte, then the screen, which I glued in with hot glue, careful to avoid sensitive parts.  I then glued in the laptop parts (upside down at first, so I couldn’t hit the power button , but I fixed the mistake).  Then I plugged it in and it worked!!!

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I have decided from about one day that I like the new functionality in Windows 7.  The effects and new features are pretty cool, but I wish my older laptop had better graphics on it so I could run Emerald themes and Visual Effects on Ubuntu 9.10…  I will compare more on other internal improvements, as there have been several fundamental changes to the base of both operating system.  I have also decided that we are all going back to minimalistic white, as there are several graphics in both operating systems that are very minimalistic in nature.

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I have decided to make this Windows Vista Problems a multi-part post.  In my last post, I talked about the GUI of Windows Vista and the problems with that.  Now, obviously there are more problems than just that.  One such problem exists with the file system used.  I haven’t done enough research to know if it is the same as XP, just upgraded, but whatever they did to it, it stinks.  Loading files is extremely slow, folders take ages to open, and this is on a fairly new, not top of the line now, but fairly new, machine.  It shouldn’t be happening.  I read somewhere that professionals are encouraging everyone to “make the switch to Vista”.  This means Businesses, Personal, most Schools, and possibly Government.  Why are we encouraging this?  If you search Windows Vista on the web, I can almost guarantee that the first result will not be a fan site.  The second will probably not be either.  Why is this?  Is Microsoft losing their touch?  Did they ever really have a touch?  I believe they did, before 1995, but those days are long gone with the releases of 98, XP, and now Vista.  I bet if we compared a graph, usership would be going down, and consumer happiness is going down with it.  However, Linux and Macintosh are slowly gaining on Microsoft in user friendliness, compatability, speed, and ease of use.  Will there ever be a Microsoft free world?  Is this a possible future?  I believe that someday Microsoft and WIndows OS will soon be a hushed discussion, talked about only by computer nerds, and seen at historic OS conventions.  We can make this happen.  If we keep developing Linux, perfect it, make it the best experience that you could have while using a computer.

I predict that in 50 years, Windows could be a thing of the past.  Maybe even 25 years.  If Microsoft keeps following in the path they are taking now, who knows what kind of computer we will have to buy in five, ten, twenty years.  Are we going to need computing beasts, just to run a few simple word processing and internet browsing programs?  Are we going to lower our computing power standards?  I think not.  It has always been the goal of Linux and BSD based distrobutions to create an awesome user experience at no cost (with the exception of a few) and keep the resource use at a minimal level.  If we continue to use the Windows, all we will find is closed doors.  Linux is a clear box, and if we continue to develop it to perfection and for the use of our kids and future generations, we will live in a secure, safer, faster computing world.  Imagine how much money a company could save if they switched to, say, Fedora, and quit using Windows completely.  They could use slower machines for longer, have less need for newer machines less often, not have to pay hundreds of dollars for Office, Windows, Antivirus/Spyware, Firewalls, and other enterprise applications for each computer, but they would have free open source software that would cost $0.  That’s it.  The software can be easily used, changed, and perfected to the exact needs of each department, or individual in the company.  Imagine the possibilities of a free, open source world.

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Windows Vista.  The latest operating system release from Microsoft.  Microsoft is supposedly planning to stop releasing Service Packs and stop supporting Windows XP sometime in the near future.  I don’t know when the full transition is expected to take place, but anyone using Windows XP better prepare to be forced to use Windows Vista very soon.  It’s very rare to find any new computer (with the exception of business computers) that come with Windows XP.  Some people absolutely love it, but there have been numerous, countless, problems with this “revolutionary” operating system.  I have one home computer that we bought new about a year ago, Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM, 250 GB HDD.  It is already outdated by Windows Vista.  I have my Intel Centrino Compaq HP that runs Fluxbuntu at just a slightly slower speed.  Why is this?  Because if you haven’t already figured it out, Windows Vista is a big, fat, eye-candy loaded resource hog.  I can run a game in Vista, it takes up almost all of the RAM because there is so much background stuff going on.

When I run a few programs, such as the now bloated Microsoft Office 12, and maybe Photoshop, along with the Aero window theme, the glass look, and the Windows Sidebar, my computer shows signs of aging and slows to an unbelievable pace!  Yet, all of my computers that run various Flavors of Ubuntu (Ubuntu, Fluxbuntu, Xubuntu) still go at an awesome pace for how old these machines are.  All of these machines are at least three years old, but they run just as fast as Windows Vista.  The only thing I can see in Windows Vista is Windows XP with a super bloated graphical theme.  Is this Revolutionary?  No.  Ubuntu and various other Linux Distros have been able to skin the window manager and have thousands of other ways to customize your box.  There are tons of Mac-like themes, Aero themes, and tons of other amazing themes.  All of this, and my Linux still runs faster, with the same look and similar programs.  Another bonus to Linux: It’s free.  That’s about two-hundred dollars cheaper then Vista.

If you think this is too late, I needed time to test Vista, and Ubuntu and find many of the disturbing realities of Vista.  It’s bloated and not worth your money.  I wouldn’t take it for free either.  There you go.  That’s my Windows Vista rant.

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I have been back in school, and I have had less time to come on here and put up new posts.  I have not yet installed Xubuntu on my Cardboard computer, but I am designing a website right now using various image manipulation and web design programs such as GIMP, Photoshop, KompoZer, and Dreamweaver.  I will post some pics and maybe host it throught one of the free services that I have found, such as Freeservers, or Bravenet.  I will let you know when I have it up and running.

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What will come of this combination?  I have downloaded and made a bootable CD of Xubuntu 8.04 and I plan to install it on my Cardboard Computer when I get home from work today.  I hope it doesn’t take all night, but we’ll see I guess.  And yes, if you haven’t already figured it out, I am a fan of low resource Ubuntu flavors .  I hope that it will run it, and I’m pretty sure it has enough RAM to run Xubuntu.  More updates after I get it installed.

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Here are the specs and some better pictures of the CB-PC II.

It is still running Windows XP SP2, it has a Pentium 4 Processor, at 1.7 GHz, which runs at about 109F.

I have a 40 GB HDD, 248 RAM, two extra fans, and a bunch of duct tape and cardboard.  Both sides are open, it has network, six USB ports, and it runs pretty cool at a system temperature of 83F.

Here are some much better pictures, sorry about the old crappy ones.

It looks like I’ve got some cleaning up to do!

The CB-PC II code-name: “Puckulence”.

I am hoping to try Fedora on this, or maybe another Distro

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I have (almost) completed the Cardboard PC II.  It turns on and it is running WinXP right now, but it will have some flavor of linux right now.  Currently it is running at about CPU – 107F and System – 82F with two extra fans on each side.  Here are some pictures, and yes, it really does run and it stays really cool.  I only need to secure a few more parts on the box and my project will be complete!  Then I hope to find more computer parts and make CB-PC III.  We’ll see what I can get…  Anyway, here are the pics, I will post the specs up as soon as I get home and fiddle with it some more.

Sorry some of them are blurry, I took them with my camera phone.  I will post more complete pictures when I am totally finished with the project.

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I have not started taking this apart yet, or putting  the second one together.  I will this weeked, I promise.  Here you go for now.  My custom case mod, the CB-PC I, Code-named “Quick One”.

Specs: It has three fans (Power Supply, Random, CPU Fan), a 40 GB HDD, 384 MB RAM, Pentium 4, two 48x CD-ROM, one floppy drive, added on video card, pieces came from two HP Compaqs (not sure which model) and a Compaq EVO.  It currently does not boot into an OS, because I think I either hooked up something wrong, or there is no OS.  (I also had to replace the Motherboard battery, so I think for CB-PC II, code-named “Puckulence”, I will use one of the other motherboards.  We’ll see…

I hope that CB-PC II will be the first working Cardboard Fluxbuntu box.  We’ll see… yet again.

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Well, it’s been about two weeks since I installed Fluxbuntu on my desktop, and now my laptop as well!  I’ve played games, downloaded themes, icon sets, pictures, installed programs, used word processors, and countless other things.  I absolutely love how fast and lightweight it is.  DO NOT INSTALL IF YOU DON’T LIKE USING THE TERMINAL A LOT!!  That is the one problem with it.  There are lots of strange and different things to n00bs and unexperienced users.  I had trouble finding things too, and I have used Ubuntu and other linux flavors.  Use the web browser, file explorer and Fluxbox on a Ubuntu machine before trying this, and make sure you have the Fluxbuntu community saved in your favorites, because you’ll need it. 

It is an amazing OS, although slightly harder to use, it is surprisingly user friendly in most aspects.  You can drag files to the program and open them, change any icon on all or one specific file, change themes, etc.  It is really nice, and on a 40 GB HDD, 512 RAM, Intel Celeron HP Compaq, it is amazingly fast at boot and while using, even while playing Globulation and changing themes, and installing new programs.  It is very useful for reviving that old desktop or laptop. 

Oh, and another note, there is no LiveCD, sorry guys.  It is text based install, keeping the ISO very small (307 MB).

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