Product Description: "Linux software is like gold on the moon. It's wonderful, if you have a way to get it." --Kevin Carmony, President and CEO, Linspire Inc.Sick of Windows Viruses, Crashes, and Expensive Upgrades? There's a better alternative: Linux. It's not just for "geeks" anymore. It's for you--and it's for real. With Peter van der Linden's Guide to Linux(R), Linux isn't just powerful, it's easy and fun. While writing this book, the author spent an entire year helping new Linux users get started and once again demonstrated that he is flat-out brilliant at simplifying technology. He knows all the tricks and the quickest ways to help make you productive. Before demonstrating how to do something faster, easier, and better with Linux, he reminds you how it works in Windows. Along the way, he anticipates potential missteps and questions, and fills in the gaps other books ignore.* Get connected to the Internet, your email account, instant messaging, and your network*Get productive with OpenOffice, the amazing Microsoft Office clone that's absolutely free*Get solutions with van der Linden's easy, step-by-step troubleshooting help*Get into digital media--music, movies, DVDs, CD burning, digital photography, and more*Get secure and keep your data and email private with CIA-strength encryption *Get beyond the basics and leave Windows behind, download the best free software, and even master the command line The book includes a Linspire 5.0 CD-ROM, the world's easiest desktop Linux! Boot into Linux from the included CD, without installing anything or changing any Windows files at all.
CD does not work on any of my computers "Linux software is like gold on the moon. It's wonderful, if you have a way to get it." --Kevin Carmony, President and CEO, Linspire Inc.I would paraphrase it" if you have a way to get it work". I got the book, read the tear dropping story about Uncle Josch and the whole chapter how wonderful Linspire is as compared to Miscosoft OS, how CHEAPER it is. I went to Linspire web site before I decided to buy the book with CD and they have they list of system requirements which gives you an idea that any PC/laptop capable to boot from CD and having sufficient amount of RAM and HD space will work. I tested Freespire before and it booted.I found the truth only on page 29 of the book with "nice" list of Linspire hardware "must nots".Both of my two desktops and a laptop are dual core processor machines and I will have to get a multiprocessor capable Linspire kernel from Linspire web site. Here goes the cheap part out of the door, just do the math. If you did not buy the software on their web site and got it from somewhere else, free support is not available, even for the installation problem. The cost of "cheap" is $29.99 per incident and then up to $149.xx for a year of suppor, search option in forum is next to nothing and I spent hours looking for the solution. I came across some posts in other Linux forums where people had same problem I did an no effective solution offered. I am not a geek, even worse, I am a blond and my little ASUS eee running Xandros is pink. My 65 year old husband is pretty much like Uncle Josch and I wanted to help him to enjoy his new PC by replacing Vista with Linspire. I ended up spending time working on with Vista, reinstalled the OS and twicked it with effective FREE help from Microsoft web site, and his machine is running smooth and fast now. I did not give up on Linux, but I feel tricked by the author of Guide to Linux.He should put the compatibility requirements at least in fine prints in his ad instead of just collecting money from dummies like me.
I've been using this book for 2 Years I've been running Linspire Five-O for about two years. This book still helps me. I just re-installed the operating system after a Western Digital 10GB drive failed. (or filled up?) The OS would not load. in about 2 hours I had an old W98 PC back up. This book helped quite a bit. Linspire has been very stable on this old PC, I have it running 24-7 now with a new WD 80GB drive. Anyone with a old W98 PC should try it.
G
Almost time to bid farewell to Microsoft! I have been building PCs since the Dos days and I struggled through the many imperfections of Win95/98/ME etc. Win2K was a vast improvement but still the security issues and constant patches are enough to drive anyone crazy. XP and Vista require faster, more expensive hardware than I care to invest. I tried several distributions of Linux and the learning curb required more time and effort than I was willing or able to commit. I installed the free version of Linspire called Freespire which is nearly identical to Linspire and found that I was immediately able to do much of what I absolutely need to do on a PC. This book has been my Bible for networking my linux box with our Windows PCs and understanding how to set up hardware and especially the file system which works quite differently than a Windows OS. Most of the basic software is already included such as an Office Suite, CD burning software, a great browser, and e-mail program. CNR works similarly to Windows Update by informing you of updates etc. Installations can be a little tricky but not impossible. The included Live CD does not do Linspire justice since it runs much slower and some PCs just do not like it. If there is a new edition in the works I would like to see a chapter devoted to emulating windows. I know Linux purists hate people like me but there are a couple of programs we simply cannot do without and trying to run them without help on Linux has been frustrating. The controversial proprietary support for Windows Media is nothing short of amazing. Streaming video etc. has worked flawlessly. Linspire is a bit like Linux with training wheels. Thank you Peter van der Linden for making the plunge so much smoother. This book far outranks the other Linspire guide by another author. I just hope more editions are in the works!
Linden's Guide to Linux This is the book for anyone wanting to get full use out of Linspire 5.0. It has all the technical stuff you need to make using Linspire, the World's Easiest Desktop. It is a must for anyone that has already read The No Nonsense Guide.
The ONE book a new Linspire user must have The info in this book tells how to do everything a typical home user will want to do with Linspire, and how to configure and tweak things, and more important, how to resolve problems that creep up. I think any company that sells pre-installed Linspire computers would be very well served by jacking up their price $30 and including this book. For a Windows user who buys a pre-installed Linspire system for the first time, this book can be the difference between 1) frustration and regreting the purchase, and 2) a happy conversion to Linux and ALL it has to offer.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
