Open Source » Desktop Environments

Five-year plan: 8 problems IT must solve

There's a reason that so many businesses create five-year plans: If they're reasonable, they're achievable. Setting goals within that timeframe allows room for prioritization and opportunities to deal with the unexpected.

By Paul Venezia | 27 September, 2010 20:08

Tags: Adventures in IT, business, business issues, Tech Industry Analysis

Sneak Peek: KDE 4.4 screenshots

The final release of KDE 4.4 is due in early 2010, and not since the arrival of KDE 4.0 two years ago has an open source desktop environment been so highly anticipated by the free desktop community. Unlike the anti-climax that was the first KDE 4 release,, however, KDE 4.4's developers say this new version will actually deliver on many of the original promises of this next-generation desktop environment -- and then some.

By Rodney Gedda | 17 November, 2009 15:18

Tags: desktop linux, kde, kde4, open source

KDE 4.4 aims to take free desktop skyward

The final release of KDE 4.4 is due in early 2010, and not since the arrival of KDE 4.0 two years ago has an open source desktop environment been so highly anticipated by the free desktop community. Unlike the anti-climax that was the first KDE 4 release, however, KDE 4.4's developers say this new version will actually deliver on many of the original promises of this next-generation desktop environment -- and then some.

By Rodney Gedda | 17 November, 2009 15:12

Tags: desktop linux, kde, kde4, open source, Qt

A prescription for lower costs

Open source technologies help McKesson deliver lower-cost IT solutions to its healthcare customers by trimming the tab for hardware and software.

By Paul Desmond | 21 November, 2008 09:34

Tags: healthcare, open source

Specialty Linuxes to the rescue

Linux is, among other things, a customizable operating system. Clever developers can craft a Linux whose kernel and packages are configured for a specific purpose, to serve as a sort of vertical-market operating system. The benefit to users is somewhat akin to walking into a hardware store. On the shelves are tools, each suited to a specific task. And it's particularly nice that all the tools are free.

By Rick Grehan | 12 November, 2008 09:22

Tags: Linux, open source

Education IT chiefs debate open source

The concept of open source software seems so firmly entrenched in higher education that it comes as almost a shock to realize there's actually a debate over it. But debate there was, civilized and trenchant, this week during the annual Educause conference on high technology in higher education in the US.

By John Cox | 03 November, 2008 14:16

Tags: education, open source

Google's iPhone killer

Now that we early reviewers are free to talk about the T-Mobile G1, you should expect to see G1 referred to as the "iPhone killer." G1 is a killer, all right, but imitating iPhone was the farthest thing from the minds of the Google and open source developers that pulled Android, G1's unique operating system and GUI, together. G1 was a consumer-oriented product from the word go.

By Tom Yager | 17 October, 2008 08:28

Tags: Google Android

The T-Mobile G1 'Google phone' is a tweaker's delight

At first glance, the T-Mobile G1 (US$179) doesn't seem to merit much attention. It looks like just another bland, HTC-manufactured phone. But use the G1--the first phone to run Google's Android operating system -- for 5 minutes, and you'll start to see why it's one of the best-designed phones you can buy. Not only is the G1 intuitive to use, but its customization options (via Android) makes it a tweaker's delight.

By Melissa J. Perenson | 17 October, 2008 08:30

Tags: Google Android

Five outside-the-box ways to cut IT costs

Every time the economy turns downward, IT shops take a hit.

By Tom Sullivan | 15 October, 2008 08:24

Tags: consumer electronics, open source, personnel, social networking, Windows Vista

Five programs you can afford in a financial meltdown

It's the afternoon of September 30th and for reasons beyond my understanding the NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) is up more than 3.5 percent after yesterday's financial fiasco. Hello, Wall Street, what part of "No one has a new bailout deal; the House hated the old deal, and it's the week of Rosh Hashanah so it won't be a full week at Congress anyway" do you not understand? Even if you believe the bailout will magically work wonders for the economy -- I don't -- it's not going to happen this week.

By Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols | 03 October, 2008 10:15

Tags: business, costs, open source, propritary, software

Installing Linux apps: A few good tips

Sooner or later, we all end up installing new software on our computers. Whether it's a new version of Firefox, or a cool game, or a video editing package, there comes a time when you want to make your system do more than it can do now.

By James Turner | 29 September, 2008 08:10

Tags: desktop linux, linux apps, operating system

Linux examined: Xandros Professional

To a lot of people, Ubuntu represents the most end-user-friendly nongeek-compatible Linux distribution. But there are other commercial distributions that work even harder to create a desktop experience that is, frankly, Windows-like. The two most well-known of these are Xandros and Linspire (formerly Lindows). Since Xandros recently acquired Linspire, that leaves it pretty much in sole possession of that segment of the marketplace.

By James Turner | 25 September, 2008 08:35

Tags: xandros professional

How to buy a mini-laptop

Mini-laptops are among the hottest new products this year and with the back-to-school sales season upon us, I created a list of items to help you choose the right one.

Open source: What you should learn from the French

A decade ago, European countries leapt out of the gate to take the lead in the radical open source movement -- none more so than France -- and left US developers in the proverbial dust. Through policies and high-profile projects, the French Republic for years has been advocating for all open source all the time, in government and education.

10 Firefox add-ons for better browsing

If you love Firefox, you'll love these extensions!

By Jason Meserve | 27 August, 2008 09:50

Tags: firefox

12 great apps for bridging Windows, Linux and Macs

Blogger Ron Barrett has scoured the IT world to bring you this list of affordably priced business productivity tools that run on any desktop (many are even free). Also check out Barrett's full review of each tool in his A Better Windows World blog.

Linux-based Exchange sub helps health care systems cut costs

For three health care centers, the challenge was clear: Find a way to improve internal communications by expanding e-mail accounts to all employees, including doctors, nurses, security staffers, dietary workers and others, without breaking their IT budgets.

Linux examined: OpenSUSE 11.0

A few weeks ago, the OpenSUSE Project announced the release of OpenSUSE 11.0, the "community" edition of SUSE Linux, Novell's commercial Linux distribution. Like most recent distributions, OpenSUSE is made up of the usual suspects, including GNOME and KDE-based desktops, Live CD and full DVD installation options, and an online repository of software that can be installed using a GUI tool.

Making power policy just work

The kernel can't know if you want those low-priority processes to use all the CPU power on the system, or if you want them to pile up on one CPU and save power on the rest. Developers debate the best way to set the system's power rules.

Making desktop Linux work for business

Today's IT managers face tough choices. PCs that run fine today have an uncertain upgrade path, now that Microsoft has chosen to discontinue Windows XP. Upgrade costs associated with Vista, coupled with the ever-escalating cost of application licenses, make switching to desktop Linux an increasingly attractive option.