The Chromebook Test: Living In Google Chrome For A Month (Part 6)

After spending nearly a full week living entirely in Chrome I would say that completing this experiment will be a breeze, as I've spent less and less using Windows Applications. The only time I've ventured into the world of Windows Applications today was to play a bit of the excellent & addictive Kerbal Space Program.

Chrome only tasks

Everything that I normally do in Chrome such as web browsing, checking me GMail, watching YouTube videos & writing Blog Posts I still do in Chrome, but all but web browsing I've got set to act like normal Applications in the Chrome App Launcher, but for web browsing I've got Chrome set  to the normal tabbed browser as it's easier to switch between multiple webpages.

Chrome only tasks that I usually use Windows Applications for

I've even converted my use of Microsoft Office from using the Windows Applications to using the Office web Applications via the Office website, I think I'll still use the Windows Outlook Client for heavy use of my hotmail.co.uk & outlook.com email addresses as it offers multi account support that's not available via the outlook.com website (but when they day comes that I get a Chromebook I'll adjust to using outlook.com more. I've even converted my use of the Celtx Script & Book writing Application to the web Application, as in the past I've been stuck in a rut of using the Windows Application.

Conclusion

In nearly a week of living in just Chrome I'm amazed at how much can be achieved just by using web Applications & how much my workflow has migrated away from using Windows Applications to using web Applications. The only time I've got to use Windows Applications is if there is no web Applications to do the job (Updating my Windows Notebook).

I'm seriously looking forward to the day that I can free myself from having to take my heavy Notebook with me when I go out. I know I could just switch to Linux on my Notebook to streamline my workflow, but in the end I'm still having to lug a heavy Notebook around with me, and I've even come across a Chrome Application that allows you  to Remote Desktop into a Windows Machine which is really handy as it will still allow me to use the Outlook Desktop Client if need be when I do eventually get a Chromebook.

I've really fallen in love with the idea of living in Chrome in the 4 days that I've done this, and I'm looking forward to the 26th of January when the month is up and I can evaluate the experiment of living in Chrome for a month & will probably then extend the experiment a month at a time until I can afford a Chromebook.

Roland

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The Chromebook Test: Living In Google Chrome For A Month (Part 5)

After sorting out the weird behaviour that Windows was suffering I decided to continue my 1 Month of living in Chrome, and I'm finding myself using Windows less and less on a  daily basis apart from using it for the base of this experiment.

How I've got my Windows 7 Notebook set-up to look like Chrome OS probably isn't the smoothest of ways to go about it, but I find that it gives me minimal distraction from seeing the Windows Taskbar while still having access to the underlying Windows 7 OS (really essential for keeping Windows up to date & Hibernating my Notebook when not using it) as well as allowing me to do things that I can only do from Windows applications (Not much you can't do in the Chrome Web Apps apart from doing a system backup of my iPhone using iTunes and Windows gaming.

Since I prefer the Chrome Web Browser over the others out there then living entirely within Chrome is easy, but it's a bit of a learning curve when doing it on a Windows Notebook as the temptation to use the Windows Start Menu to use Programs is there, but I'm slowly getting used to using the Chrome App Launcher to Launch Chrome Apps.

One major benefit of using the Chrome App Launcher is that you can set Chrome Web Apps up to not open in Chrome but to open as if they're an actual Application, so you don't get the Tabs on the top of the Screen, no Omnibar & no Bookmarks bar e.t.c. or you can have them set to open in Chrome, which is also what you can set up in Chrome OS, meaning that if you've experimented with Living in Chrome & using the Chrome App Launcher within Windows or Mac OSX then the settings should translate over to Chrome OS. Another plus for Chromebooks is that Google gives away 100GB of Google Drive Storage for 2 years that has a retail value of $4.99 a month ($119.76 for 24 Months), where as with Microsoft you only get an extra 20GB of SkyDrive Storage with an active Office 2013 365 subscription, so if you're looking for a second Laptop, a cheap lightweight Laptop that you can carry around with you, a first computer for a family member or even your first laptop then for the price of a Chromebook you can't go wrong (especially when the nearest Laptop comparable in weight and size is the MacBook Air that is about 100x the price of the cheapest Chromebook).

Living entirely in the cloud has its advantages as if you lose your Chromebook all you have to do is change your Google password and all your personal data is safe.

Roland

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The Chromebook Test: Living In Google Chrome For A Month (Part 4)

After spending over a day on my experiment of spending one month of living only in Chrome, I'm wishing I could just afford to go out and buy the Acer C720 Chromebook as my 3-year-old Toshiba Notebook as started to act weird, like freeze all the time and struggle with YouTube videos.

I'm in two minds as to whether to continue with my experiment, or concede and say that I could 100% live in Chrome but maybe trying an experiment like this is probably not the best idea on a 3-year-old Notebook.

Roland

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The Chromebook Test: Living In Google Chrome For A Month (Part 3)

I've lived entirely in Chrome with a Chrome OS themed Windows 7 Desktop for a full day and I think I'd definitely be able to live with a Chromebook, as I've looked at my workflow throughout the full day I've been doing this experiment & I've found Chrome web apps for everything I use apart from working with Screenshots, but that could be something that's built into Chrome OS.

I'll continue with this experiment and document it for the rest of the month & maybe into or throughout a second month, depending how long it takes to set aside the necessary money to buy a Chromebook.

Roland

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The Chromebook Test: Living In Google Chrome For A Month (Part 2)

Since I wrote part one earlier I've found a simpler way to simulate Chrome OS within Windows, I found part of it when adding Chrome Apps from the Chrome Store I got a Chrome App Launcher on my desktop. After doing some digging around on Google I found a YouTube video Tutorial on how to make Windows Vista/7 & 8 look like Chrome OS.

After following this Tutorial on YouTube and downloading the required Rocket Dock Application from here I've got what is pretty close to an Authentic Google Chrome OS Desktop as I can get within Windows without going to the trouble of Installing Chromium OS.

[caption id="attachment_1510" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Chrome OS Styled Windows 7 Desktop[/caption]

The only missing element from the real Chrome OS Desktop is the icons on the far left of the Desktop that show the Time, Wifi Signal strength, Remaining Battery & User Account Picture.

but I can live with that for now as the Windows 7 Taskbar is only a Mouse over the Top of the Screen away.

[caption id="attachment_1511" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Chrome OS Styled Windows 7 Desktop, Showing Windows 7 Taskbar[/caption]

But all in all I think that the user experience is as close as you'll get without actually using Chrome OS.

[caption id="attachment_1512" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The actual Chrome OS Desktop[/caption]

I've experimented with living only in Chrome since about 2pm and so far I've only used two Windows applications, Calculator (as I needed to do a quick calculation while still having access to the webpage I needed to calculate from on view) & Paint (as I needed to save a couple of Screenshots for Blog posts).  Other than those two occasions I've not had the urge to go into using Windows applications (Chrome & Rocket Dock are not counted for obvious reasons).

Conclusion

Will I be able to keep up only using web applications and not using Windows applications for a whole Month?

I think that I'll be able to keep it up for a whole month if not more as I spend most of my time using Google Chrome for writing my Blog, Web Browsing, email & YouTube anyway, of course I'll still have to use Paint for saving Screenshots for Blog posts during this experiment & Gaming, & if I was using a real Chromebook I'd still use my Windows 7 Laptop for times when I need iTunes for backing up my iPhone Outlook & games anyway so while doing this experiment I've still got the option for using Windows applications, but just without having to swap between two devices.

If like me you're contemplating a Chromebook because it's lighter & more portable than a traditional Laptop and you spend most of your time using web Applications then I'd definitely recommend trying to live for a full month only using applications that are accessible to a Chromebook, & if you think you might get distracted by the lure of using Word then go down the route of customizing your Windows Desktop to mimic the Chrome OS Desktop.

But why consider getting a Chromebook?

For me I want something that is lighter and more portable than my Toshiba Notebook, with better battery life & more fully featured than using my 2012 Google Nexus 7 with a wired Keyboard Case and USB OTG Cable, as using a Tablet and using a Keyboard via USB OTG while charging the device is a no go meaning that it's a case of stop what you're doing while you charge your tablet or use the onscreen Keyboard. Another downside to using a tablet is you get Mobile optimized websites which aren't the best web experience, or you have to switch to Desktop versions then scroll around the screen to see the webpage.

A Chromebook fills the gap between a full notebook computer and  Tablet nicely as you get Desktop websites and applications that are more fully featured than the tablet versions. Take the Web Google Drive that you get presented with on a Chromebook over the Android Google Drive Application. The Chromebook Google Drive is more fully featured compared to the Android Application as the Chrome OS/Chrome Web App is basically the Google Drive website wrapped up into a bookmark with the Google Drive icon which makes it feel somewhat like a normal application than a web application.

Another big reason for me is if I need to take the Notebook to my mum's or on holiday it's a drag having to take a heavy Notebook & Power Supply with me as sometimes it means having to take two bags with me, one for the Notebook & Power Supply & one for the things that I actually need to take the Notebook with me for, where as the lure of only having to take one bag with me for the laptop, charger & what I need the laptop for is strong.

Roland

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The Chromebook Test: Living In Google Chrome For A Month (Part 1)

After having to switch back to Windows from Linux I've started to like the idea of getting a Chromebook to take with me when I'm away from home as they're lighter than a regular Laptop and 99.99% of what I do can b by be done on a  Chromebook as I mainly browse the Internet, check my email, social media and Blog. I do tend to use the full Microsoft Office suite a lot, but with the Office 365 Home Premium Subscription I also get access to Office Web Applications, & I've also got Google Drive as a fall back and the full Windows Laptop is always on standby when I need more.

In this series I'll be using the Google Chrome Web Browser in Full screen mode by pressing F11 thus hiding the Windows Taskbar and only going into Windowed mode to switch Tabs and open a New Tab and for doing anything that isn't possible  using the Internet and Google Chrome.

Setup & thoughts

I've got Google Chrome to start on boot meaning that when I login Chrome will open in Windowed Mode from there I can F11 into Full screen mode or open a new Tab. There's probably an easier way to get the Google Chrome OS effect, but as this is a Month long test to see if I can live in Google Chrome it's going to be the easiest way to not get distracted by the Windows Desktop.

If I manage to last the entire Month Living with Chrome & Web services only I'll then follow this Article on trying out Google Chrome OS in the form of Chromium OS. I'll then try that for a Month then see it I've got enough money saved up for the cheapest Chromebook I can pick up.

Article in progress with Google Chrome in Full screen Mode

I'm obviously expecting to have to use Windows only applications like Paint when it comes to working with Screenshots while doing this series due to the fact that I'm actually using a fully fledged Laptop and not actually using Chrome OS.

Roland

N ext

My Move From Windows 8.1 Pro With Media Centre To Ubuntu 13.10 (Part 14 )

Since my last Article in this series I've had to go back to using Windows since the only Windows Machine in the house has died I needed to go back to Windows 7 Ultimate for compatibility reasons with some external hardware that the wife needs to use that A) only works under Windows & B) only works with Internet Explorer for Windows 7.

I've enjoyed bringing you this series but for the foreseeable future I'll be using Windows, so any Articles that I was planning that are Linux related have now been put on hold until I can ether get an OS Free Laptop to put Ubuntu back on or a Windows 8 Laptop that I can stick Ubuntu Linux on in place of Windows 8.

Roland

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My Move From Windows 8.1 Pro With Media Centre To Ubuntu 13.10 (Part 13 )

One month on from my migration from Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Centre to Ubuntu, and I'm really glad that I did. I've become far more productive thanks to the clean and tidy design of the Unity Desktop compared to when I was using Windows 8.1 Pro.

The clean and tidy Unity Desktop is a lot more productive, user friendly & professional looking than the Windows 8.1 Desktop that looks like it's been designed for a child's tablet. The Windows 8.1 Desktop is less user friendly than the old Windows 7 Desktop which makes it less productive as the Start Screen isn't useful at all even on a table.

Windows 8 Bad points

Microsoft could have quite easily made the Windows 7 UI touch friendly, just make the icons e.t.c bigger. If Canonical can make the ARM version of Ubuntu work fine on tablets then Microsoft with all their money and Developing muscle could have made Windows 8 a tablet friendly version of Windows 7 while also making it work perfectly fine on standard Computers, Laptops & Netbooks.

A Windows 8 License is expensive meaning that it's expensive to upgrade every Computer in your home to Windows 8. Also if you want to do a full Windows Home Network it'll set you back a small fortune for a Single Windows Server License.

Windows 8 Good points

The only good points to Windows 8 is that it supports Professional & Business Software from Microsoft, Adobe and others along with a vast catalogue of Commercial & Independent games.

Ubuntu 13.10 Bad points

Linux is still very much a Niche Operating System, and that is shown by the lack of the same Professional & Business Software from Microsoft & Adobe along with the slightly smaller catalogue of Commercial &  Independent games.

Ubuntu 13.10 Good points

Ubuntu is free to use on as many Computers as you like meaning that you can set-up a large Server based Network for very little in the way of financial cost, as Linux has all the same Server side tools as Windows Server like a Web Server Active Directory Server, Groupware Server, Database Server, Email Server, Print Server e.t.c, but these Server side tools are only equivalent to the tools available for Windows Server and there is a good selection of them that is free. Ubuntu Server is very light weight as it doesn't have a Desktop Environment aout of the box and everything is done via a CLI (Command Line Interface) but it's quite easy to Install the Enlightenment Desktop Environment, xfce Desktop Environment or even the lxde Desktop Environment onto a Ubuntu Server if you want a GUI interface. I'd recommend any of the above mentioned lightweight Desktop Environments over KDE, Gnome or Unity for a Server Desktop as it'll mean more resources being used by the Server over the Desktop and a low end Graphics Card can be used in the Server.

There is all the Software that you need to use Ubuntu or Linux the same as what you do Windows, it's just that you'll have to adjust to using Gimp over PhotoShop KdenLive over Premier Pro, LibreOffice over Microsoft Office (although LibreOffice is available on Windows & Mac) and you'll have to use Opera, Firefox, Chrome or Chromium over Internet Explorer on Windows or Safari on Mac, but the mentioned alternative browsers are all available for Windows & Mac.

LibreOffice supports both Opening & Saving to Microsoft Office file formats meaning that you still stay compatible with Windows users which is handy for students. The Gimp Image Editor supports Opening and Saving to PhotoShop format which is handy for both students & professionals that need the PhotoShop file format.

Linux is vastly more customizable than Windows and if you take the time to learn how to use the Terminal or even CLI it's far more powerful than Windows. Also Linux doesn't need Anti-Virus Software as it isn't has prone to Viruses or Malware as Windows is.

Conclusion

Linux & Ubuntu especially is a viable alternative to Windows & Mac OSX especially if you're looking for something that you can play around with to make it look just how you want at a price that is cheaper than Windows or Mac OSX, but has to have more flexibility than a Chromebook or Chromebox.

Mac OSX is a viable alternative if you want to & can afford to buy premium hardware combined with an OS that's loosely based on Unix which Linux takes it's inspiration from.

If you can afford to Mac OSX is an ideal way to get to grips with Unix based OS's as it comes pre-installed on Apple Computers, then migrate onto installing Linux on an old PC. But if you are looking for a drop in replacement to Windows on your Desktop, Laptop or Netbook then Ubuntu is probably the best choice as it has the most simplest of Installers amongst all of the various Linux Distributions.

Roland

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Microsoft Office 2013 Vs Microsoft Office 2010

With Office 2013 Microsoft have broken with tradition & having multiple versions of Office available only on CD/DVD and have introduced a subscription based version of Office along the CD/DVD versions called Office 365. The most common version of for the home user will be Office Home Premium as the CD/DVD version will be the cheapest as well as the Subscription based Office 365 Home Premium is only £79 GBP a year or £7.99 GBP a Month.

On the Office 365 front for your £7.99 GBP a Month you get Access, Excel, Powerpoint, Publisher, Word & OneNote applications along with an extra 20GB of SkyDrive storage, some Skype, Office On Demand that allows you to only install the application that you need, then un-installs it when you've done along with Office Web applications that allows you to use Office without installing any applications. Office Web applications is ideal for working with Office in a situation where you can't install applications or you're on an un-supported platform such as Linux.

With Office 2013 Microsoft introduced Office Mobile for Android and iOS, as Microsoft have always done Office Mobile is pre-installed on Windows Phone Devices, but if you use an Android phone or iOS device such as an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad you have to install Office Mobile then be an active subscriber to Office 365 subscriber to use it.

Office 2013 is a big improvement over earlier versions of Office, especially if you go down the Office 365 route as you get updates pushed out as and when they're available and you get all Web tools and Office Mobile access.

for more on Microsoft Office 2013 & Office 365 follow the link

The Curse Of The USB Cables

This post has been written out of frustration after coming to charge my Bluetooth Headset only to discover that it's Mini USB.

I decided to charge my Bluetooth Headset that I've not used for months only to discover that it's Mini USB & The only USB Chargers at hand were the Micro USB Charger for my 2012 Google Nexus 7 that I also use to charge other devices & the Apple Dock Connector cable, no problem I thought as I proceeded to search cupboards & drawers in the living room knowing that a Mini USB cable was living somewhere in there.

But no Mini USB Cable turned up, but aUSB to Mini USB plug & the shortest USB Cable imaginable turned up.

Now it's not as though the Bluetooth Headset is that old as I've had it since last year, also it's not like there are many devices around that use Mini USB anymore so why can't Accessory manufacturers get up-to speed?

Since September 2010 when I got my Blackberry Curve 8510 all the phones I've used have been Micro USB with the exception to my current phone (iPhone 4S) which uses the Dock Connector that Apple introduced with the 1st generation iPod.

even the Bluetooth keyboard that I use with my Google Nexus 7 has a Micro USB Port and the Bluetooth keyboard Case that I'm using on my iPhone 4S has a Micro USB Port.

People always talk about fragmentation in the Android Mobile OS, but no one ever says anything about the fragmentation within the Accessories that use USB for charging. USB is supposed to be universal since USB stands for Universal Serial Bus, but yet there is fragmentation within the plugs & ports for the mobile side of a universal standard.

Rant over

Roland

iOS 7 Shared Photo Stream Bug

In this post I'm going to talk about 2 possible bugs in the iOS 7 implementation of Photo Stream & my work around. My iPhone 4S came with iOS 7 pre-installed so I don't know if it was present in iOS 6.

Inviting people to a shared Photo Stream

I first spotted this bug when I first set-up a shared Photo Stream between me and the wife. The original Invite when I set the Photo Stream up never went through, so today I tried doing it again and it didn't go through.

Since Apple in their infinite wisdom never implemented a Delete Invite option I was unable to delete her Invite and start again.

The solution

the only way I could get the Invite to go through was to delete the Photo Stream and re-create it and her Invite went through and she was able to accept the Invite.

Adding Photos to a shared Photo Stream

Once I'd re-created the Photo Stream and added some Photos I was then unable to add anymore Photos or Videos, the Photos app would just freeze and I'd have to return back to my Home-screen & close the app through Multi Tasking.

The solution

the only way I could get Photos to add was to delete all the Photos in the Photo Stream and re-boot by holding down the Sleep/Lock button until the screen went blank and I was able to add Photos as normal.

Conclusion

I've got no idea if these are a bug or due to hardly ever re-booting my phone meaning that the RAM needed flushing by doing a re-boot.

Roland

My Move From Windows 8.1 Pro With Media Centre To Ubuntu 13.10 (Part 12)

In this part I'm going to go into more depth the difference between the Windows 8.1 Pro Desktop and the Ubuntu 13.10 Desktop.

Windows 8.1 Pro Desktop

The Windows 8.1 Pro Desktop is mainly the touch friendly Metro UI Modern UI with the Classic Desktop tacked on for compatibility with 99.99% of the Software out there that doesn't use full screen like Microsoft Office.

The Modern UI is clunky and unwieldy for non touch enabled computers, even though Microsoft re-introduced the Start Button, but this is just a shortcut to the Modern UI Start Screen. Microsoft have introduced the ability to boot straight to the Classic Desktop, but with the Start Menu gone in favour of the Start Screen kind of renders the use of the Classic Desktop useless as you have to ether fill the Taskbar with shortcuts, fill the Desktop with shortcuts or use a third party Launcher such as Object Dock. Even then it's annoying as the Charms bars pop up whenever you mouse over the left ore right side of the Screen.

The Start Screen is cluttered as it doesn't have any kind of organisation out of the box, and Windows 8 and non windows 8 apps are all mixed up on the Start Screen and you have to spend the time sorting your Start Screen how you want it. The only way to get some organization to the Start Screen is to use the All Programs Screen as it has all the Windows 8 apps dumped at the front then all the non Windows 8 Programs grouped by name, making the All Programs Screen kind of a Windows 8 version of the Classic Start Menu.

Ubuntu 13.10 Desktopskbar

The Ubuntu 13.10 Desktop has a slight feel of Mac OSX to it with the Dock Bar running down the left hand side of the Desktop and a menu/Taskbar running across the top.

In Ubuntu 13.10 the Dock Bar is called the Unity Launcher but does the same thing as the Mac OSX Dock Bar by letting you dock apps to it as well as show any open apps that aren't docked, at the There is an equivalent to the Classic Start Menu that is called Dash in Ubuntu.

Dash has a Search box at the top that allows you to search Documents, files and applications as well as online. There is no real organization to the Applications part of Dash, but you can just start typing the name of the application you want and up it pops in Dash, if you don't know the name of the application you want, just type say Music and up pops all of the Music applications you've got installed along with any music files that you've got on your HDD.

The Menu/Taskbar is about 99.99% the same idea as the Mac OSX Menu bar with the exception of the Menu only shows when you mouse over the left hand side of the Taskbar and isn't available on just the Desktop and just says Ubuntu Desktop when all open applications are minimized or no applications are open. The right hand side of the menu/Taskbar is very clean and only shows Keyboard Language, Ubuntu 1 Cloud Service Networking, Battery/power icon a sound drop down with volume slider and mute, clock with a drop down Calendar, an Envelope icon with a drop down list that I'm not 100% sure what it's used for any more as in the pre-Unity Desktop it was used for Email notification as well as Instant Messaging & Social Networking, a Print Que icon when Printing and a Bluetooth icon when you've got a Bluetooth Dongle plugged in or Bluetooth turned on if you've got a Netbook or Laptop with Bluetooth built in switched on.

Other Points

Ubuntu can easily be installed on PC, Mac & even ARM based computers such as Android Tablets where as Windows 8.1 RT is needed to install it on ARM Based Tablets and this isn't readily available other than to OEM's and the Windows 8.1(Pro) isn't as easy to install on a Mac due to having to deal with driver compatibility where as everything should  just work out of the box for Ubuntu on Mac.

Roland

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My Move From Windows 8.1 Pro With Media Centre To Ubuntu 13.10 (Part 11)

In this part I'll talk about Software Development on Ubuntu 13.10. There are loads of different Development tools available for linux that range from the nano code editor that comes with Ubuntu 13.10 and is accessed from the Linux Terminal to full IDE's. In this part I'll be focusing on the Qt Creator IDE with the Ubuntu SDK Plugin installed.

TheGNU nano Code Editor

Development Credentials

I'm not a Developer or even proficient at writing any form of code be it Python or even html, and I've not even had a look at the Markdown code that has been introduced on Wordpress & my only dive into the Code Editor on Wordpress is to add my Google+ Profile badge to the end of every post, & even then I just copy and past the Code.

By now you may be wondering what the hell am I doing writing an Article on something like a Programming IDE when I'm not a Programmer or even have any proficiency in writing code. Well I've been interested in Coding since Microsoft introduced Visual Studio Express, but never could workout how to do anything with it. I then tried Python earlier in the year with a Tutorial that I got from a Linux Magazine and got the hang of Python fairly quick, but then gave up after I was unable to get one of the tutorials to compile (think I was using on of the Ubuntu 13.04 Development releases at the time) & ended up giving up.

I've now decided to try and pick up learning to Code again, probably when this series has finished so I can then move onto a new Coding series and not have to switch back and forth between to series and have more time to dedicate to learning to Code.

Qt Creator & Ubuntu SDK

The Qt Creator IDE is very slick and easy to understand as you are talked through the steps of creating a new Project and get to select where files e.t.c. go, and you are then presented with a slick and minimalistic Code Editor that isn't full of  multiple panes, toolboxes, icons and when using the Global Menu option in Unity you're not overwhelmed by having the Menu Bar on display all the time.

The start screen of Qt Creator with the Ubuntu SDK in is minimalistic compared to that of Microsoft Visual Studio & the Welcome option on the top of the left hand menu panel even has a Tutorials option (which I might have to investigate when I'm starting the next series & actually learning how to Code).



The New Project Screen lists all the different projects in the left hand list with all the different options for the selected project type on the right. This layout makes it simple to see what you can do with each project type without having to select a project type to move onto a window listing the options which makes it easy at a glance to know which project type to choose for what you want to create.



The Code Editor window is minimalistic with the IDE's options menu on the left hand side showing up from the Start Screen, then the Projects file Tree panel above the Open Document window with the Code Editor panel taking up the rest of the Screen with that being it for the Code Editor.



The IDE Menu is absent from Qt Creator when Using Unity Global Menu, but if you have got Unity Global Menu switched off or using KDE or Gnome Desktops the Menu will be permanently attached to Qt Creator.



I personally like how tidy the Unity Global Menu keeps everything by hiding the Application Menu so I only see the Qt Creator Menu when I mouse over the Unity Panel.

Conclusion

Qt Creator is probably one of the best designed Development Environments I've seen and I look forward to getting to know it more and document more about it. The Ubuntu SDK for Qt Creator is an added bonus and I can see being very useful.

Roland

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My Move From Windows 8.1 Pro With Media Centre To Ubuntu 13.10 (Part 10)

In this part I'll conclude the Video Editing and Scree Capture series with Web Cam Video Capture, and talk about two Web Cam tools I've got installed, Cheese Webcam Booth & GTK UVC video viewer.

Cheese Webcam Booth

Cheese Webcam Booth is a simple Webcam video recorder & photo taking app. Cheese is ideal for recording videos & taking photos only and has a number of video & photo effects and has a burst photo mode, but if you want to overlay video onto a Screen Recorder session then its not ideal as it has got a UI that shows all the options & time stamp for video recording.

GTK UVC video viewer

GTK UVC video viewr is a better option for working with Webcam video as it has a separate Video window & tools meaning that you can use it to record video from your Webcam, take pictures with your Webcam or just minimize the controls window and have the video window open during a Screen Recorder Session that you can have Webcam footage showing while showing the applications etc, this is ideal for making video tutorials or OS reviews. GTK UVC video viewr is the most flexible and powerful of the two Webcam tools that I've talked about here and I've not had a play with GTK UCV video viewr so I'm not sure what it's fully capable of.

Conclusion

The probably the easiest & most powerful selection of tools has to be:

1. Kazam for Screen Recording & Screenshot taking.


2. GTK UVC video viewer for working with a Webcam.


3. HandBrake for Video Conversion.


4. KdenLive for video editing.

With the 4 tools I've mentioned in the list  above you'll be able to do pretty much anything for YouTube or any other distribution way you want. As I mentioned at the end of the last part YouTube is your best bet in learning everything that you could possibly need to use the above tools to their full potential

Roland

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My Move From Windows 8.1 Pro With Media Centre To Ubuntu 13.10 (Part 9)

In this part I'll be talking about Screen Recording, Video Conversion & Video Editing, and in Part 10 I'll be talking about Web Cam Software that's ideal for doing YouTube OS Reviews or even YouTube or even Offline Tutorials.

Screen Recording

There are various Screen Recorders for Linux, but the one that I chose to Download and Install was Kazam and for Ubuntu users Kazam is available in the Ubuntu Software Centre.

Kazam allows you to record your Desktop Session which is ideal for producing OS Reviews or Tutorials, the only downside is that if you don't require any edits to your recorded Desktop Session you will have to run it through ether a Video Editor or Video Converter to be able to use the raw video as is. On a plus note though Kazam allows for Screenshot Capture which is ideal for YouTube producers that want to create a Thumbnail for their OS Review or Tutorial.

Video Conversion

The Video Converter that I've Installed is HandBrake, the only thing is that it's not available to Install from the Ubuntu software Centre and the only place to get it is from here.

HandBrake is a pretty straight forward piece of software and does the conversions pretty quick, but speeds will depend on the size of the video being copied so don't expect say a full HD Video with Full 5.1 Surround with a length of an eposode of Game Of Thrones to convert as quick as a 10-20 min Video captured using an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S4 that's High Quality SD or even 720p HD.

Also the more resources you've got will speed up the Conversion an 8 Core 64 Bit AMD CPU with 32GB of Matched RAM will fly compared to a Single Core 64 Bit intel Celeron CPU with 3GB of RAM.

Video Editing

I've Downloaded KdenLive from the Ubuntu Software Centre as two YouTube producers that use Linux & produce Linux OS Reviews also use it, so it can't be that bad.

KdenLive has a pretty simple but functional Layout with the top half of the screen split between a video & audio clip library on the left & preview window on the right, while the bottom is taken up by a multi track timeline.

I've not had chance to have a play with KdenLive much yet so can't really go into too much depth with all the features of KdenLive at this time.

Another good Video Editor is Lightworks by Red Shark. I've had a bit of a play with Lightworks when I last used Linux, but I might have to give it a go again in the future.

Lightworks is a Professional Video Editor with lots of powerful features that are probably beyond the knowledge or even use of most people unless they have got experience in using Adobe Premier Pro or Adobe After Effects as they are both Industry Standard Video Editors (Windows & Mac OSX only). Lightworks is currently only available on Windows & Linux with a Mac OSX version in development.

Note

I've not had much of a chance to play with ether HandBrake, KdenLive or Lightworks, but as soon as I've had a chance to have a play with them I'll post an in-depth review on them. Kazam on the other hand is so simple to use that the review would be to short to be of any use as the UI is basically self explanatory.

In the meantime a YouTube search on the software mentioned in this part will probably bring up video reviews and tutorials that will help.

Roland

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My Move From Windows 8.1 Pro With Media Centre To Ubuntu 13.10 (Part 8)

In this part I'll talk about gaming & mainly about more main steam gaming via the Steam Distribution Platform in particular all though a couple of the game also distribute via the Game Developers own website as well as via Steam.

There is a multitude of games that are available via the Ubuntu Software Centre and most can be Installed as Default in OpenSuse. I've got three Installed on my Ubuntu Laptop that I downloaded from the Ubuntu Software Centre, these are SuperTux & SuperTux 2 that are based on the classic side scrolling Platform Game Super Mario Bros & Super Mario Bros 2 and the third is SuperTuxKart which is based on the original Super Mario Kart (I think).

Gaming On Linux Using Steam

Even though I've got 7 Games with Linux versions on my Steam Account I've currently only got 1 game from my Steam Library currently installed at the minute & that's my current favourite game Euro Truck Simulator 2 by SCS Software. Apart from it being an addictive game by taking the Driving Simulator out of the Racing genre (but that's for a different part or Article) I needed a game with Steering Wheel support for an earlier part on Hardware Support in Linux.

There is only three other indie games that I've go:

• Bastion that is like a fantasy Platform game that I got via the Humble Bundle Weekly Sale.


• Game Dev Tycoon  that I got when I was using Windows 8. If you are using Linux already then I'd highly recommend getting games via Steam if they are available via Steam as I had all kinds of trouble getting the Ubuntu package of Game Dev Tycoon to Install when It was made available for Linux, and in the end just gave up and Installed the Windows version using Play On Linux (but that ended up with sound issues) fortunately the last time I was on Windows 8 I spotted a link in the game to upgrade to a Steam License which I did.


• Kerbal Space Program when I last moved to Ubuntu. Kerbal Space Program on the other hand doesn't allow for the upgrading of a License to Steam. Kerbal Space Program offers the choice to Download an Installer Version on Windows & Mac, but that  neater solution isn't available which only leaves the Steam Version as the neater and easier option  (which I'm going to have to re purchase through Steam at some point).

I've then got the Valve Produced HalfLife 2 & Addons and Counter Strike Source from years ago in my Library that I got years ago that doesn't work properly on my Laptop & the rest of my Steam Library is made up of Windows only games.

I've also got a vast Library of games on the Origin Distribution Platform that I'm unable to use for two reasons:

1. Origin isn't available for Linux.


2. If Origin was available for Linux it would then have to rely on the game Developers getting behind Linux, which is going to take time as Steam has still got gaps in it's vast Library of games that have also got Linux versions.

Conclusion

Gaming on Linux is slowly starting to gather steam as indie developers are starting to get behind Linux as well as Windows & Mac and when one of the biggest Developers Valve gets behind Linux by releasing HalfLife 2 and Steam for Linux the whole Gaming industry should take notice of Linux.

The forthcoming Linux based Steam OS Gaming platform developed by Valve should be a big game changer for Linux as it will offer far more than the proprietary OS's used by Sony in the Playstation, Nintendo in the Wii & Microsoft in the Xbox, also with Steam OS being Free & Open Source it means that  anyone will be able to build their own Steam OS powered Console as well as OEM's and presumably Valve building their own Steam OS based Console to rival the established Console's.

Linux maybe slowly moving out of the niche market to main stream, especially when it can support Hardware that will technically reach  End Of Life for Windows in about 2 or 3 versions of Windows due to Hardware requirements of newer versions of Windows, and will be totally End Of Life once the last version of Windows that runs fine once Microsoft stops all Support for it.

Microsoft then expects users to ether upgrade Hardware where possible or buy a new Computer with Windows pre-installed. Why a user should seriously consider purchasing a new Computer with the Latest version of Windows on when they can just Install the latest version of Linux on it is beyond me.

Roland

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My Move From Windows 8.1 Pro With Media Centre To Ubuntu 13.10 (Part 7)

In this part I go through some of the hardware that's advertised as Windows or Windows/Mac only that works in Ubuntu Linux & presumably in other Linux distributions.

Hardware Known To Be Working

• Kodak ESP 1.2 AIO Printer, the Printer side of the Kodak ESP 1.2 definitely works under Ubuntu 13.10, but the Printer Driver that needs to be used is the Kodak Hero 3.1 AiO one.


• Microsoft LifeChat LX-2000 Headset, the Headset works as it's a simple Headset with 3.5mm Headphone Jacks for the Microphone & the Headphones.


• Generic Wireless Lazar Mouse, as with all mice a generic Wireless Lazar Mouse works out of the box without needing any drivers.


• Kodak ESP 1.2 AIO Printer Photocopier, the Photocopier portion of the Kodak ESP 1.2 AIO Printer works as it employs an internal interface between the Flatbed Scanner & the Printer for Photocopying.


• Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000 USB Headset works perfectly fine once the LX-3000 Headphones & Microphone are selected in Sound Settings.


• Generic USB Webcam with Microphone, the Webcam works fine even the 6 LED lights can be turned on and off. The Microphone works fine as it uses a separate Microphone cable with 3.5mm Jack.


• Thrustmaster Ferrari Challenge Wheel works with no problems or additional software required.

Hardware Unknown If Working Or Not

• Kodak ESP 1.2 AIO Printer Scanner, I don't tend to do any Scanning so I'm not sure if the Scannin side of the Printer works or not.

Not Working

I've so far not come across any Hardware that's not working.

Roland

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My Move From Windows 8.1 Pro With Media Centre To Ubuntu 13.10 (Part 6)

Since I started my transition from Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Centre last Wednesday I thought I'd try the Linux alternative to Myth TV. In this part I document my brief encounter with Myth TV.



Myth TV is the Linux alternative to Windows Media Centre, but it's far more powerful than Windows Media Centre, & with all the extra power and features it makes it more complex to setup. I found this oout the hard way when I tried to set it up yesterday evening.

Unlike Windows Media Centre MythTV is split into two separate parts:

• Part 1 is the Backend that can be thought of as a Server (and I guess in some way it is a Server) this means that you can setup the MythTV Backend & presumably the TV receiving Hardware & then put it in a Cupboard or in a Loft out of the way as long as you've got an Ethernet Connection to your Network where you have got the MythTV Backend machine.


• Part 2 is the Frontend, the Frontend is the UI of MythTV, this can be setup on another Machine and placed in your living room, bedroom, kitchen or Home Theater room and act as a Set Top Box. The Frontend can also be setup on your Laptop or Desktop Computer as well.

MythTV can have both the Backend & Frontend, this method is probably going to be the most common way of setting up MythTV as it's the cheapest method as it only needs one Computer. The HTPC method is probably one of the easiest routes to go as it doesn't require a Backend Server & separate Frontend STB to work, which is in keeping with how Windows Media Centre works.



If you're building a dedicated MythTV HTPC the you can't go wrong with MythUbuntu. Mythubuntu combines a stripped down veersion of XUbuntu with MythTV and can be used as Both an All In One Ubuntu HTPC or as a separate MythTV Server & separate MythTV STB. MythUbuntu also allows you to try out the MythTV Client Server model by having a MythUbuntu Computer & using the MythUbuntu Disk to boot any Desktop or Laptop into the MythUbuntu Frontend, this is ideal if you want to try out the Client Server model of MythTV/MythUbuntu without having to install it onto you existing Windows Media Centre HTPC.



I installed MythTV from the Ubuntu Software Centre & instantly found out the hard way that MythTV is a complex beast, but with all the power of MythTV it wouldn't be able to have the Client Server model that it does.

Once installed I went into the MythTV Backend setup and couldn't get past the first 3 dialogues before it went back to the beginning after 3 attempts with the Backend setup I tried the Frontend setup and got the same result, but this time with a constant Unity Notification that MythTV had restarted & no amount of Quitting MythTV would stop it from re-starting, and I was forced to unlock MythTV from the Unity Dock & Uninstall MythTV to be able to have a working Laptop back.

On reflection of my brief experience with MythTV maybe I should have gone to the MythTV website and downloaded the pdf version of the MythTV documentation to actually find out what I was supposed to be actually doing to correctly setup MythTV.

In no way is my brief experience with MythTV a knock on what I'm sure is an excellent Media Centre service, but compared to the ease of use of Windows Media Centre (Microsoft have done an excellent job of making Media Centre mimic as close as they possibly can the Firmware on a Consumer DVR STB whilst taking into account the extra power that a HTPC has over a traditional DVR STB.

I'll definitely give MythTV another look, but this time I'll use the MythTV Documentation to assist me in setting it up, and it'll make for another article in the future, maybe part 10 or 11 maybe eariler than that depending on how much free time I've got later this week to dedicate to having a concentrated attempt at setting it up.

Roland

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My Move From Windows 8.1 Pro With Media Centre To Ubuntu 13.10 (Part 5)

In this part I'll explain my thoughts on how Linux could get more of a main stream acceptance.

For Linux to get more of a main stream acceptance than it already has got Software Developers need to fill the gaps by making ether Linux equivalents to the big and more specialized Software suites that are on Windows, make there versions operate in as close to the same way as well as make them look as close as they can to the big Window's software suites without getting sued for copy right infringement or the Big Window's software manufacturers should bring out a Linux version of their software. Microsoft & Adobe already make Mac OSX versions of their software, they could easily make money out of people that need Microsoft Office or Adobe Creative Cloud at work or School/Collage/University and don't have a Windows or Mac Computer at home, as well as from people that don't like Windows but would like to keep all the Software that they have purchased on Windows.

There are ways to get Microsoft Office (Pre Office 2013/Office 365) along with other Windows only software using Crossover Office (Paid) Play on Linux (Free but mainly meant for Games) and the Free but not as user friendly way to get Windows Software to run on Linux Wine, but Native versions would certainly boost Linux's popularity.

The other way to use Windows only Software is to use something like VMWare or VirtualBox and installing a Licensed copy of Windows just for the Windows only software, but this method will severely impact the performance of the host Linux computer as well as have a negative impact on the Vitalized Windows Computer unless you have a new powerful Computer, but that then defeats one of the big draws of Linux, that it can run on ageing Computers that can't handle the newer versions of Windows that well.

With both independent Game Developers and even Valve getting behind Linux with the introduction of Halflife 2, its addons, Counter Strike, Portal & even Steam all being made available for Linux & Windows Natively by Valve and even independant Developers making both Linux & Windows native versions of their games it really makes sense that the other Big Game Developers like Electronic Arts and even the Big software Developers to make Linux versions of their software available natively on Linux, but I can't see many doing that as they are ether stuck in the Windows only world with a few diversifying to Mac OSX & probably don't see the extra expense of having to employ Linux Developers to translate or even re-package their games or software to Linux as viable compared to the amount of extra revenue that they would make, thus alienating owners of their games or even software who would get the game for free on Linux since they already have the Windows version ( only applicable to Game Developers like Electronic Arts that have the Origin distribution platform, Developers that use the Steam Distribution platform, Adobe with the Creative Cloud platform & Microsoft with the Office 365 platform), even some independent  game Developers that Distribute their games themselves as well as through Steam give their games away free to Linux users that purchase the Windows version as well as to Windows Users that purchase the Linux version.

Microsoft also don't help the growth of the big computer OEM's by giving them huge incentives to only install Windows on their computers if they left the big OEM's to pick and choose the OS they want to sell a computer with or even to allow them to sell computers OS free it would bring more people to try Linux by ether buying a computer with Linux Pre-Installed or even at a discount without anything installed, thus allowing people to even choose what OS to install without voiding their warranty. Currently there are only two OEM's that give an alternative to Windows, 1 is System 76 who make Ubuntu only Desktop, Laptop & Server Computers with Ubuntu Pre-installed and the other is Novatech who do mid range prices for a base configuration OS free computer, a more expensive fully customized OS free computer up to a very expensive fully customized computer with Windows and Office.

Novatech's Desktops are fully customizable and include the choice of no OS, Windows only or Windows & Office, & like Apple they also offer a cheaper version of their Desktop & Laptop computers in the form of a base configuration that you can also configure however you like & how bigger budget you've got, but unlike all the other OEM's including Apple they have the same options in OS free version which is a bonus for Linux users as they don't have to potentially void their Hardware warranty by replacing Windows with Linux or existing Windows users that have got their own Licensed copy of Windows & also own their own Licensed copy of Office or own their own Licensed copy of Windows and have one of the Office 2013 365 subscriptions or even for anyone who wants to buy their own Licensed copy of Windows to avoid the bloatware associated with buying a computer from one of the big OEM's.

Sure with some of these ideas Microsoft would see a loss of revenue from potentially less Windows sales, but that would be more than made up for by the increase in ether Office 2013+ or Office 365 Subscriptions. But I suppose that Microsoft has it's reasons for being anti- Linux, but that makes no sense when they release Office for both Windows, Mac OSX, iOS & Android along with its own Windows Phone & Windows 8 RT Platforms. Their long standing argument that Linux is complicated & expensive compared to Windows is harking back to the early days of Linux but with UI's that are more visually appealing and simpler than Windows 8 this is no longer true, also with Broadband Internet being the only option for many people now compared to when Linux first came to light it's so much cheaper than Windows as it just needs the price of a Blank DVD and time to backup files on a Windows computer, reboot the computer with the Linux DVD in the DVD, install and be running Linux in a matter of minutes compared to the close to 30mins to over an hour to Instalolandl Windows 8.1 (Depending if you are coming from a Windows 8 Upgrade DVD, Windows 8 DVD or Windows 8.1 DVD) and having to install Hardware Drivers.

Roland

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My Move From Windows 8.1 Pro With Media Centre To Ubuntu 13.10 (Part 4)

In this part I'll sum up my feelings after using Ubuntu13.10 & Linux full time for the last three days. I'll sum up what I think are Ubuntu 13.10's major selling points and what I feel should be worked on to make Ubuntu a vaible alternative to Windows, & what makes for a tough decision for someone wanting to switch to Linux.

Ubuntu 13.10's major selling points

Ubuntu 13.10 & linux in general's main selling point is, it's cheap as it only costs the price of a Blank DVD and Internet connection, It's also easy to setup with all Hardware being detected and setup during Installation, the only Linux Distribution that needs a bit of work to get fully working is OpenSuse with its oddity of having to different ways of handling the Wireless Card. There are loads of software applications both free & paid, Windows game developers are starting to bring out their catalogue of games on Linux. Ubuntu 13.10 has got a very intuitive and user friendly UI that makes it ideal for anyone who is new to Computers or Linux and it's far more productive than Windows 8.1's UI.

What needs to be changed in Ubuntu

The Hibernate feature used in Laptops and Netbooks to suspend & shutdown then resume from where you left off, needs to be fixed as in the last release it was broken & needed to be manually setup by getting help from the Ubuntu Forums on how to set it up & in this latest release it still needs to be manually setup, but it's still partially broken as it will only Hibernate when the battery is low & there doesn't seem to be a way to setup Hibernate to  work when the Laptop or Netbook lid is closed.  This needs to be fixed in the next version, but I highly doubt if it will get fixed as the developers probably don't even know that it's broken or just don't care that it's broken.

What makes it tough for anyone looking to switch to Linux from Windows

The one thing that makes it tough for anyone looking to switch to Linux from Windows is that there are a mass of different Linux Distributions.

Here is a list of the ones that I can think of off the top of my head:

• Debian


• Ubuntu and its derivatives KUbuntu, LUbuntu, XUbuntu, EdUbuntu, Linux Mint & Pear OS.


• Red Hat Enterprise Linux & its derivatives Fedora Core & Cent OS.


• Openuse.


• Slakware Linux.


• BSD Unix derivatives Open BSD, Free BSD & Net BSD.


• The more Technically involved but highly customizable, built from Source Code Gentoo Linux.

Then there are the different Desktop Environments:

• K Desktop Environment (KDE).


• Gnome Desktop Environment.


• Unity Desktop Environment (Used by Ubuntu).


• Enlightenment Desktop Environment ( a lightweight Desktop Environment).


• Xfce (another lightweight Desktop Environment).


• Cinnamon Desktop Environment (Used by Linux Mint).


• A heavily modded to look like Mac OSX Gnome Desktop Environment (used by Pear OS).

With all these different Linux Distributions & Desktop Environments there is no wonder that Linux is finding it hard to break out of the Niche market and make it into wat is a viable alternative to Windows & even Mac OSX when in windows there is only the Modern UI/Classic Desktop & in Mac OSX there is only the Mac Desktop that makes Mac OSX a true viable alternative to Windows if you can afford the price of Mac Hardware & with the dozens of OEM's that pre Install Windows onto Laptop/Desktop & Netbook Hardware with a varying price range to suit everyone. The only slightly Linux based system that is currently a viable alternative to Windows & Mac OSX being the Chromebook range running Google's Chrome OS as they are really cheap compared to Windows & even Mac Laptops & Netbooks.

Roland

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