2CPU.com has an article posted comparing the performance of Linux kernels 2.6.4 and 2.4.25 under a variety of server-oriented benchmarks. Their Apache and MySQL results were especially interesting. It's a good read for those of us debating whether or not to update our production machines from 2.4 to 2.6.

March's LinuxGazette.net and 100th issue includes interesting articles like "Programmer's Toolkit: Profiling programs using gprof", "Python Generator Tricks" and "Fvwm and Session Management".

IronPython is a new implementation of the Python language targeting the Common Language Runtime (CLR). It compiles python programs into bytecode (IL) that will run on either Microsoft's .NET or the Open Source Mono platform. Elsewhere, "A Byte of Python" is a free book (or free tutorial) on Python. It is meant to be a guide to anyone learning Python.

This document is the result of various discussions with Mono and MonoDevelop users on their needs to build, package and distribute their software by using Mono Develop. Elsewhere, Eclipse 3.0 M8 has been released. It features many fixes, improvements and new features inlcuding a minor UI facelift.

Sun Microsystems posted some new screenshots of its Java-based Project Looking Glass.

Macworld goes undercover to reveal 40+ Mac OS X 10.3 Tips and Tricks here. Elsewhere, if you work in an environment where you need to manage a large number of Macs (such as in a classroom), you might want to take a look at Apple's Remote Desktop. Using this pricy but effective software, you can easily control and manage all of the Macs on the network. Also, MacOSRumors details some of the planned features and marketing points for Mac OS X 10.4 (preliminary code-name "Merlot").

The article explores the attribute-based programming model provided by Indigo for writing Web services. Compares and contrasts the Indigo programming model with the ASP.NET Web services programming model, then walks through a series of code samples in which a synchronous, unreliable, request/reply, and stateless Web service is transformed to be asynchronous, reliable, bidirectional and stateful—all through attributes. The downloadable sample, written using Avalon, contains a client for the service.

In this month's Web Server Survey the number of IP addresses with sites using ASP.NET has overtaken those using JSP and Java Servlets. The number of IP addresses found with ASP.NET has shown very strong growth in the past year with a 224% increase from 17.2K to 55.8K. JSP & Java Servlets despite being overtaken is the next fastest growing in percentage terms with a 56% increase, says Netcraft.

The Council of Better Business Bureaus has recommended (based on a tip by Dell) that Apple Computer discontinue comparative performance claims regarding its Power Mac G5 desktop.

Amigaworld has obtained a lengthy interview with KMOS CEO Garry Hare, the new Amiga OS owner.

This article discusses the Media Integration Layer, the low-level rendering technology in "Avalon," the presentation subsystem of the upcoming "Longhorn" release of the Windows operating system.

Cooperative Linux, a system for running a linux kernel completely natively within an NT environment has now been released at version 0.60.

Following Novell's announcement that they will be combining the best of KDE and GNOME, Heise On-Line is now reporting (Google Fish) that Chris Stone let it slip during his keynote at BrainShare 2004 that Novell has chosen to standardize on Qt as development environment. If the latest SUSE desktop is anything to go by, we can expect an integrated desktop based on KDE & GNOME out of this.

Personal computing is about to undergo a fundamental transformation, if industry cheerleaders are to be believed -- and to stunning effect. Rebounding basketballs or ricocheting bullets in today's computer games, shown only as rough approximations of reality, will become more true-to-life. Voice recognition, now so error-prone as to be scarcely usable, will morph into a dependable tool as computers become able to understand and execute complex verbal commands.