Using the Advent 4213 Netbook as a Server

Part 1: Choosing your OS

The choice of OS to use for a server is huge, there are free and paid for options.

Free

For the free options you have mainly Open Source options that are Linux-based OSs such as:

Red Hats Fedora Core

Novell's OpenSuse

Conical's Ubuntu

Mandrivia's Mandrivia Linux

Open Suse, Fedora Core and Mandrivia are all mainly Desktop based OSs but also have the capability to be used as Web, Email, File Servers and more, they all have a graphical Desktop so configuring the server is easier to do.

Ubuntu Linux comes in to versions the standard Desktop Os that can be used as a Server or the dedicated Server version.  The Desktop version of Ubuntu has the graphical Desktop but can also be configured to be used as a dedicated server by uninstalling all the desktop applications, where as the server version is a dedicated server OS and does not include the graphical Desktop and is configured using the CLI so it's basically like running the pre Windows Microsoft DOS OS and having server applications installed that don't have a graphical interface.

If you go the Open Source route with your server then I would recommend staying well clear of Ubuntu Server unless you are used to using Linux and feel comfortable using the command line.

There are many more free Open Source OS's than the ones I've mentioned that are available but mentioning them all would take up to much space.

Paid

For the paid option you have mainly proprietary OS's but there are some Open Source options that offer paid for versions of their OS.

OpenSuse is a free download from there website but they also offer a paid boxed option that includes the DVD and CD needed for installation along with a user manual and 90 days of free support once you register your installation.

Mandrivia also has a paid option that gives you more drivers than the free version and support as well

Red Hat and Novell also offer dedicated server OS's but they are mainly used in Enterprises and would be impossible for a consumer to get hold of.

Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7 can all be used as a simple web and file server and with the right third-party software could also be used as an email server.

Apple's Mac OSX Server (but as the Advent 4213 is a non Apple piece of hardware that is not an option)

Windows Home Server meant as a simple Home file and streaming media Server, mainly comes on dedicated Home Servers but can sometimes be picked up on ebay as just the OS without the Server Hardware.

Windows Server 2000/2003/2008 are all ment for businesses and enterprises but can still be picked up by the consumer on ebay.

Compared to Windows XP/Vista and 7 Windows Server is a dedicated Server OS but is still user-friendly thanks to the familiar Windows Desktop.  Windows Server can be used as a simple Web, File and streaming media server as well as being used for email (using Microsoft Exchange Server), it can also be used to push email to BlackBerry Smartphones using the free BESX software or the paid for BES software.

For this project I have chosen to go down the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Route with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Enterprise and BESX as I've got a BlackBerry Smart-phone.  I'll also be adding a wordpress.org Server as it's a free piece of software along with a phpBB run forum (free software again) and a MySQL Database Server (also free).

In part 2 I'll be covering configuring Windows Server and installing Exchange and BESX Servers as installing  Windows Server is exactly like the installation of Windows XP.

Roland

Using the Advent 4213 Netbook as a Server

Later on today I’ll be starting a project on turning the Advent 4213 Netbook into a Server.  I’ll break it down into a series of blog posts.

Part one of the series will be on choosing a Server OS.  When I have finished the project I’ll create a full version of the series with pictures and create a pdf file of it and post it to my Windows Live Sky drive and post a link to it in my last post of the series so that you can download the project so that you can use it if you want to create your own Advent 4213 Netbook Server.

Roland

Google Street View Trouble Continues

After reading this Article I can see another government failing.

They should have slapped a hefty penalty on Google for invasion of privacy when their street view cars accidentally stole personal information from unsuspecting people via their wi-fi networks as they drove past.

This also shows that people don't know how to secure their wireless networks or choose to turn off the encryption system that is built into the router or modem/router (gateway) as I've got an unused  BT branded Gateway that has wireless encryption turned on as standard and the Thomson Gateway provided by PlusNet also has wireless encryption turned on as standard as do the BT Home Hub Gateways that they use in their BT Broadband and BT Total Broadband services.

The wireless equipment manufacturers should not put the option to turn off wireless encryption in consumer wi-fi equipment and only allow it to be turned off in equipment for Hotels Bars and Restaurants that want to offer free wi-fi access that way things like this would not happen again in the future.

Rant over

Roland

Windows Movie Maker 2.6 vs Windows Movie Maker 6.1 Comparison

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This is my comparison of Windows Movie Maker 2.6 vs Movie Maker 6.1.

Windows Movie Maker 2.6

Windows Movie Maker 2.6 has got the time line/story board for piecing together your movie of the original Windows XP Movie Maker.  It has got the standard preview window of any video editing software, a drop down list with preview window for your A/V clips and gives you access to the built in transitions and video effects.

There is a task panel with sections for Capturing Video that is for  importing your video clips, pictures or audio or music/Edit Movie with options to view you collections, view video effects, view transitions, making titles or credits and and to make an auto movie and Finishing Movie with options to save to computer or to send to a DV camera.  Also it has the standard menu and shortcut bar.

Windows Movie Maker 6.1

Windows Movie Maker is very much similar to Windows Movie Maker 2.6 and it has got the time line/story board for piecing together your movie, it has also got a new time line called Narrate time line for doing narration in your movie.  It has got the standard preview window from MM 2.6 but it has got the Windows Media Player 11 style controls, a drop down list with preview window for your A/V clips and gives you access to the built in transitions and video effects and also some view shortcuts.

The task panel is cleaned up and has got new style with the sections for Capturing Video, Editing Movie and finishing Movie now as fixed lists instead of drop down lists Capturing Video has now been renamed Import with all the same options for importing your media as in MM 2.6 From digital video camera (New in MM 6.1),Videos, Pictures and Audio or Music/Edit Movie has been renamed Edit  with options to view you collections(Now Imported media), view video effects (Now Effects), Transitions, Titles and credits and Finishing Movie has been renamed Publish to with expanded publishing options to save to computer, DVD, Recordable CD, Email and Digital video camera Auto Movie has now been removed from the Publish to menu and placed on the shortcut bar.  Also it has the standard menu and short cut bar from MM 2.6 but it has got the Windows Vista style to it as this version of Movie Maker has been exported from Windows Vista and has been re-packaged to install under Windows7.

The Installer also Installs Windows DVD maker but you don't need to bother with it as the shortcut just opens up the Windows 7 version of Windows DVD Maker, a Program of interest is the Capture Wizard that allows you to Import video without having Movie Maker open I don't have a DV Camera so can't confirm if it is possible to Import from a DV Camera without opening Movie Maker.

Conclusion

If you are a Windows 7 user and currently use Windows Live Movie Maker or Windows Movie Maker 2.6 or have upgraded from Windows XP or Windows Vista I would advise upgrading to Windows Movie Maker 6.1.  For a download link for Windows Movie Maker 6.1 then please visit this Blog.

Roland

Windows Movie Maker 2.6 vs Windows Live Movie Maker Comparison

This is my comparison of Windows Movie Maker 2.6 against Windows Live Movie Maker.

Windows Movie Maker 2.6

Windows Movie Maker 2.6 has got the time line/story board for piecing together your movie of the original Windows XP Movie Maker.  It has got the standard preview window of any video editing software, a drop down list with preview window for your A/V clips and gives you access to the built in transitions and video effects.

There is a task panel with sections for Capturing Video that is for  importing your video clips, pictures or audio or music/Edit Movie with options to view you collections, view video effects, view transitions, making titles or credits and and to make an auto movie and Finishing Movie with options to save to computer or to send to a DV camera.  Also it has the standard menu and shortcut bar.

Windows Live Movie Maker

Windows Live Movie Maker is a bare bones video editor compared to the old Movie Maker it just has a video preview window and a search panel for your videos and photos and has the new ribbon style menu bar at the top.

It has a selection of different transactions known as animations along with various video effects.

Conclusion

Windows Live Movie Maker is nowhere as powerful as Windows Movie Maker in Windows XP and I advise Windows 7 users to download Windows Movie Maker2.6 over Windows Live Movie Maker

Roland

Windows Movie Maker vs Windows Live Movie Maker Comparison

This is a straight comparison of the Windows Movie Maker built into Window XP compared to Windows Live Movie Maker for Windows 7.

Windows Movie Maker

Windows Movie Maker that comes as part of Windows XP is a simplified version on other free and paid for video editing software.  It has a time line that allows you to stitch video and audio clips together or you  can stitch pictures together and add music to it to create a picture slide show.  It also has a story board where you can piece A/V clips from your camera together and add different transitions.

You can also import video from a variety of different sources as well as save your finished movie in a variety of different formats.  You get the usual video preview screen along with the story board/time line panels along with a tabbed panel that lets you select from your video clips, audio clips and transactions etc.

Windows Live Movie Maker

Windows Live Movie Maker is a bare bones video editor compared to the old Movie Maker it just has a video preview window and a search panel for your videos and photos and has the new ribbon style menu bar at the top.

It has a selection of different transactions known as animations along with various video effects.

Conclusion

Windows Live Movie Maker is nowhere as powerful as Windows Movie Maker in Windows XP and I advise Windows 7 users to download Windows Movie Maker 2.6 it's only meant to work on Windows XP but I've successfully managed to get it to run on Windows 7 Ultimate before.

Disclamer

I have not used Windows XP in a while so if there is any inaccuracies in my description of Windows Movie Maker in Windows XP then I'm Sorry and I've currently not got Windows Movie Maker 2.1 installed to use as a visual aide in writing this review.

I'll do a Windows Movie Maker 2.1 vs Windows Live Movie Maker soon.

Roland

Spam Comments On Blogs (Final Follow Up)

This is a final post on the Spam Comments On Blogs.  Following my rant about Spam Comments that I was getting on my Blog all spam comments have stopped infecting my Blog and I'm now getting legitimate comments only on my Blog.

Roland