Using Ubuntu Linux as my main operating system

I recently decided to use Ubuntu Linux 10.04 LTS Lucid Lynx as my main operating system on my computer rather then using a Windows or Mac based operating system for most of the day. Ubuntu Linux 10.04 LTS Lucid Lynx is a free Operating System which is based on the Debian Linux Distro operating system. However, Ubuntu is more easier to use then Debian, and Ubuntu is designed to make it easy for Linux newbies to use as their daily operating system.

So far, the experience have been great. I mainly use my computer for posting on forums, blogs, and websites. I also watch video and music on my PC when I am surfing the internet. When I use Ubuntu, I do not have to close system tray programs, start up programs, and other programs which are running in the background, so it runs faster like Windows. I can spend hours watching video, listening to music, and browsing the web without closing anything or noticing any slow downs.

Using Ubuntu Linux is also more quieter since there are no scheduled disk defrags, virus scans, caching apps, and maintenance programs which make my hard drive click, move back and forth and spin a lot like Windows.

I still use Windows for printing documents, and photos, video editing, and scanning stuff. I also use Windows to record shows on my hard drive with my USB TV Tuner since I find it more convenient to do these tasks in Windows.

It is great that Ubuntu makes it easy for a computer user to have the choice of running Ubuntu and Windows on the same computer drive, but on different partitions by using the GRUB bootloader to start your computer into Windows or Ubuntu by using the Arrow keys. It is also nice that it is extremely easy to use the Windows Ubuntu Installer to install Ubuntu on a Windows drive without the need for partitioning a hard drive and starting a computer from the Ubuntu LiveCD to install Ubuntu.

But, for the most part, Ubuntu Linux 10.04 have been great for what I usually do which is watching videos on YouTube, watching videos, listening to songs, playing flash games, blogging, foruming, making websites, photo editing with Gimp, and playing a few games.

I love the fast start up, application start time and shut down times for Ubuntu Linux 10.04 on my computer with a 1.8GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, and a 320GB sata II hard drive Ubuntu Linux 10.04 LTS is great to be used as a multimedia computer listening to music and watching videos since it is fast and cost nothing to install and use unlike Windows or Mac.

 Using Ubuntu Linux is great because I can be using my web browser like Google Chrome, Firefox, or Opera, and not have it crash. Plus, Ubuntu Linux 10.04 does not require disk defrags, virus scans, and other backgrounds apps which slow down most operating systems.

I also don't have to use any System Monitor or Task Monitor Programs to End Tasks and Processes to stop a slow program or service which is slowing down my computer like Windows. This means I can be more productive by not constantly closing and opening programs like disk defrags, scan disks and other programs to speed up my computer. I now have more time to spend on checking e-mails, blogging on Blogger, surfing the internet, watching videos, listening to music, and doing other important tasks rather then running a disk defrag, scan disk, disk clean up, and virus scan like in Windows...

There is also no real need to stop start up applications in Ubuntu Linux since there are very few start up programs which slow down the computer during start up.

Ubuntu 10.04 also comes with the ability for me to automatically backup my important files by making a Ubuntu One account, so I do not need to use DropBox or other online storage accounts to back up my files to online storage accounts.

It is also to install new programs with the Ubuntu Software Center, and keep my programs and Ubuntu Linux up to date with the Ubuntu Update program. The Updates are also fast to install, and don't constantly nag you to restart your computer.

Software I recommend for Ubuntu Linux which you can search for and install on Ubuntu Software Center under the applications menu on the top toolbar are

• Adobe Flash Player for playing back YouTube videos
• Gimp for image editing
• Chromium for Web browsing
• Kompozer for making websites
• FileZilla FTP client for uploading your website
• SM player for playing videos and audio
• VLC player for playing your video and audio files
• Kdenlive for advance video editing
• Openshot for basic video editing
• Audacity for recording and editing sound files
• Cheese for recording and taking pictures with a webcam.

It is also very easy to change the animations, windows' appearances, fonts, and desktop background within Ubuntu Linux.

Ubuntu Linux 10.04 LTS Lucid Lynx have been a fast, stable, simple and very customizable free operating system which is great for older and newer computers.

Ubuntu Linux also saved me a few times when Windows failed to boot or login to the Windows 7 desktop, I could use Ubuntu Linux to copy my files on my broken Windows partition to my working Ubuntu Linux partition because Ubuntu can read and write Windows NTFS and FAT formatted drives and partitions.

Make your Tablet act like a PC or Laptop by buying a keyboard for it to type on!

A Tablet is great for using to read e-books, watching videos, playing games, and other activities, but it is not very good because it lacks a physical keyboard, and the onscreen touch screen keyboard can be hard to use, and slippery.

There are companies like Logitech Tablet Keyboard for Android 3.0+ (Keyboard-and-Stand Combo) which make USB or Bluetooth based keyboards for you to input text on your tablet with a keyboard similar to your laptop's or PC's  keyboard with all the letter, numbers, directional and other keys.

This will make typing long e-mails, documents, and doing office work on your Tablet a lot easier then using your fingers and the on screen keyboard since a keyboard is easiest to use to input text into your tablet PC because you can use both hands to type on the keyboard rather then peking each individual key on the onscreen keyboard on a tablet. Using both hands to type on a keyboard will increase your productivity since you can now type text twice as fast on your tablet with a keyboard.

Using a keyboard to type text on a tablet also reduces the number of fingerprints or scratches on the screen since you touch the screen less since you are no longer using the screen to type, so it reduces the chance of you scratching, and smudging the screen with your fingers. Your touch screen will last longer because you are using it less to type, so there is less wear and tear from regular use from typing on the on screen keyboard.

Plus, you can also move your tablet PC farther away if you prefer your tablet to be farther from you when you type. Having a keyboard also frees up your hands for typing and viewing videos since most tablet pc keyboards also come with a stand or a case for you to hold your tablet on to hold it while you watch a video.

Solid State Memory Drives Advantages

The benefits of Solid state memory drives like the Kingston SSDNow V100 64GB SATA II 3GB/s 2.5 Inch Solid State Drive are they uses less power, run faster in some cases, run cooler, can be more reliable, are quieter, and are smaller then mechanical drives. Solid State Drives uses technology which is similar to your USB Flash drive, SD memory card, and other flash based memory. However, SSD drives are a lot faster and more reliable since they uses the SATA II drive interface to connect to your computer.

Solid State drives are faster like 250MB/sec read and 145MB/sec write speeds for the Kingston SSD drive and will stay faster over time since you do not have to worry about data fragmentation when using a SSD drive. Plus, the hard drive does not have to spin up to access data like mechanical drives. Your computer start up time and program start up time will also be a lot faster compared to a mechanical hard drive.

The main reason solid state memory drives uses less power is that there are no moving parts like mechanical hard drive which have a motor to run the data discs and read and write head inside a drive.

Not having mechanical parts inside a solid state drive also have the benefits of using less power and making no noise while the solid state drive is on unlike a mechanical hard drive which has clicking and spinning sounds when the drive is on.

Some higer end and faster drive may require additional fans to cool mechanical hard drives. The cooling fans will also add additional noise to your PC.

While a solid state drive does not require extra cooling since they usually run pretty cool since there is not a lot of heat generated because it does not have mechanical parts. Solid State drive are also great for laptops, tablets, and low power usage computers since they use less power which means you do not have to charge your laptop as much, and you will use less power when your computer is on. This has the benefit of paying less for your computers electricity usage.

Solid State Drives are also smaller, so you do not have to worry as much as not having enough space inside your new computer to mount the drive to.

SSD drives are also lighter then 3.5" mechanical hard drives and 2.5" laptop mechanical hard drives since they
have fewer parts in them and uses chips rather then disc platters and mechanical motors to store, read and write date. Solid State Drive are more environmentally friendly because they can last longer, uses less material to make, can be reused in your future desktops, and laptops you buy, and use less electricity which is good for the environment.

Since solid state drive don't have any mechanical parts, so  it is better suited for places with a lot of vibrations, or if you are more likely to bump or drop your laptop. With a hard drive, if you drop it, you risk losing all your data if your hard drive read and write head crashes in to the data platters in your drive. With a Solid State Drive, there is no read or write head to crash, or motor to fail. You also do not have to worry about the Solid State Drive failing because of cracks or dents on the case like a metal mechanical hard drive which will break if even a particle of dust some hows enter inside the hard drive case.

The downside of a solid state drive is it cost more for the same amount of storage space compared to a mechanical hard drive, but solid state drive are less likely to fail because you drop your laptop or computer  on the ground, so you save money on data recovery since you won't need it since your SSD survived a drop on the ground. Data Recovery can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars if your drive head or motor has failed on a mechanical hard drive where you can't turn on or use your mechanical hard drive anymore. However, if you have a USB external hard drive, a secondary internal hared drive with lots of storage space like 500GB or more, or don't have a lot of files, the space limitations of a SSD would not be very noticeable for someone who mainly use their computer for web browsing, playing a few games, listening to music, and watching a few HD movies on a SSD.

A Solid State Drive could extend the life of your computer since it produce less heat, have no moving parts, and uses less power, so your power supply does not have to work as hard to power your SSD drive, and SSD have no moving parts, so your data should be safe even after a fall from a few feet unlike a hard drive which can fail if it falls from a few feet off the ground.

Solid State Drive offer the speed, reliability, quietness, and power savings for saving your data.