Henk van de Goor's Bloggers@large

Although I was pretty damn busy this weekend, I finally managed to install (dual boot) Ubuntu 6.10 on my main PC. All previous installs just went wrong because I could not control the way Ubuntu installed the Xserver. This all resulted in a severly garbled desktop, and I even could not get a decent console using CTRL-ALT-F1; the display was just messed up and my 17" TFT screen would just blank and say: "display mode not supported". It was a real pain in the neck, because Ubuntu just chooses itself what resolution and what Xserver it installs and it does not allow you to alter or even check the settings: you just have to see what you end up with. I my case it does not know how to handle my Nvidia Geforce 6600 GTS. I suppose it has to do with the fact that A) it is a AGP version (regular 6600 GT is PCIe) and B) I use a KVM switch so I can use one screen and one keyboard with two PC's (the other one is my Linux webserver that runs Ubuntu 6.061 LTS which serves these webpages).

Before I never took the time to really tackle the problem: I think it is stupid for Ubuntu to just guess what the right settings are and then just hope for the best. Anyway: this time I was determined to get it running because I wanted to test GNOME in combination with Beryl. I wrote about Beryl last week. I just wanted to see if I could get it running and what (if any) the benefits are of all that eye candy.

So how did I get things running? Continue reading "Pimp my desktop" »

So, you think you got a pimped up operating system because you have Windows Vista, right? Enjoying your Vista "Wow" factor? You think your GUI has what it takes? You think your GUI's "Kung-Fu" is better?

Wrong. Check out Linux (in this case Mandriva 2007) with Beryl. When it comes to excessive and totally useless GUI pimping/GUI candy it beats Vista hands down. I see no use for it what so ever, but it is just cool. We geeks need cool. We need more GUI pr0n :-)



Did I say cool? I meant sub-zero!

Ps: for more sub-zero cool follow the white rabbit.

Yesterday I downloaded and installed the latest version of Windows Vista, Build 5536. This is the Pre-RC1 build, so after this we should see what probably is the closest build to the final release next year. My conclusion so far: Vista is shaping up to what Microsoft wants it to be. Some improvements are small and hardly noticeable, but others are definitely visible - or should I say: noticeable. Performance has gone up on my PC. Vista feels more responsive and quicker on it's feet. Yes, this release is miles away from the crappy beta2 community release (the one that probably did more harm than good to Microsoft's PR). So let's have a look at some of the the good, bad and ugly.
Continue reading "Shaping up: Vista part 5" »

I have been messing around a bit with Vista Beta 2, as I wrote last week. After the first hurdles of getting it installed properly and finding some drivers that work with my hardware, I also installed Office 2007 beta, SnagIT (for the screenshots I use here) and MSN Live. The more I play around with Vista, the more I feel it is going to be a big culture shock to most XP users. Also it feels like the system (especially the Ultimate version of build 5384) is bloathed with unessecary options and features that really makes this system sluggish and in fact mostly unworkable on my PC. If the finished product is anywhere near this beta 2 build 5384, then I'll have to pass on it: you obviuously need a monster pc to make it work decently. To Microsofts defense I should add that by now there is already a built 5456 and according to Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows, that should have been the build that Microsoft should have released to the bigger public through the Community Public Preview (CPP). Unfortunately I do not have that build; however I am downloading 5456 as I blog this, so I hope to continue my reviews based on that build.

Anyway, for now lets continue my assessment of build 5384. Continue reading "Going Vista part 2" »

Yes guys and girls, I just went Vista (beta2)! I got the DVD with Vista beta2 that came with PC Magazine (Dutch version) this month. I could have downloaded the sucker, but I decided to just buy the magazine and spare me the time of downloading, burning a DVD and then find out the DVD is corrupt or something. So what are my findings so far? In short: mixed feelings. Microsoft calls Windows Vista "a breakthrough computing experience". Yeah, well, I think it's a bit early to call it that. In fact Microsoft needs to start addressing some issues real quick or else I suspect that the saying "going postal" will be replaced by "going vista". Not a good thing because we do not need more "computer rage" in this world. Anyway, here are my prelimenary findings setting up Vista to dual boot on my PC. Continue reading "Going Vista" »

If you're in the IT-business - especially anything web-related - and you have a few years under your belt dealing with projects, requirements, IT-staff, customers etc., you get to a point where you probably have many anecdotes for just about every situation: Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt. Still, it is nice to see there are websites around that succeed in touching things that matter in our profession (wether you're a designer, projectmanager, programmer etc.) AND are funny at the same time. Today I came across a prime example of this: Ok/cancel. I feel I would do my readers a bad service by not pointing this website out. So, thats why I just did :-) In their own words:

About OK/Cancel

OK/Cancel is a comic strip collaboration co-written and co-illustrated by Kevin Cheng and Tom Chi. Our subject matter focuses on interfaces, good and bad and the people behind the industry of building interfaces - usability specialists, interaction designers, human-computer interaction (HCI) experts, industrial designers, etc.

Most people can relate to things in the world which don’t work like they should. From your car’s dashboard to the web pages you visit, you needn’t be an expert to appreciate the frustrations - but experts do exist to try and make things easier. If you wish to learn more about the field, we encourage you to visit the HCI Bibliography or other sites in our resources.

OK/Cancel is completely developed through virtual collaboration as Tom and Kevin reside sixteen time zones apart from each other. For full details on how OK/Cancel is created, check out The Making of OK/Cancel.

Go ahead and have a look: I promise you you will see that they have excellent subjects and - really - funny cartoons!