Mandrake Linux 9.1: A Free Desktop for Free People

This is a critical review of the installation, setup and actual performance of the Mandrake distribution of the GNU/Linux operating system, version 9.1, and comes as a second part of OfB.biz's Mandrake review. (You can see part I here.) The review will cover these areas: (1) Installation and install-related setup; (2) Post-installation system administration; and (3) System performance. The review will end with a general evaluation and will assign grades on relevant areas.

MacWorld: Dual 2GHz Power Mac G5 is New Mac Speed King

"Macworld Lab's first test results are in on all of Apple's new Power Mac G5 towers. We've tested all three models, and found them be clearly faster than the previous generation of Power Macs. The two single-processor models are generally as fast or faster than the top-of-the-line dual-processor 1.42GHz Power Mac G4, and the dual-processor 2GHz Power Mac G5 is clearly the reigning Mac speed king by a wide margin." Read it at MacWorld.

Who Killed Apple Computer?

In a weblog sponsored by the Apple Computer History website, a former Apple marketing director admits that he, assisted by everyone who worked at Apple with him, "killed" the company. He cites a culture of "individual brilliance and group stupidity." A Wired News article has more details and responses from some of his Apple contemporaries.

MandrakeSoft Introduces Ads to Mandrake Linux 9.2 Download Edition

MandrakeSoft, the third biggest Linux provider which has known financial problems, decided to go ahead and offer advertising options via its upcoming operating system. Regular screensavers, bookmarks, default first browser page and Installation screens will feature advertisements. The ads will only be part of the free download edition and not the purchased version of the OS. OSNews featured a poll last year regarding advertising via an OS: 55% did not favor the idea, 30% did and 13% were not sure.

Linux the Most Successfully Compromised Operating System

Linux, not Microsoft Windows, remains the most-attacked operating system, a British security company reports. During August, 67 per cent of all successful and verifiable digital attacks against on-line servers targeted Linux, followed by Microsoft Windows at 23.2 per cent. A total of 12,892 Linux on-line servers running e-business and information sites were successfully breached in that month, followed by 4,626 Windows servers, according to the report.

The Missing Longhorn

I'm puzzled by Microsoft's apparent confusion over the release date for Longhorn. Many stories over the last two weeks have discussed potential repercussions and conspiracy theories. The leading one being that they want to wait until the anti-trust consent order runs out so they can keep the document apis secret. I don't buy that at all.

On Database News: Oracle, DB2, MySQL, FireBird, SAP

A new production version of the MySQL database, version 4.0.15, has been released. Additionally, MySQL Studio 4.2.5 is out: a set of MySQL GUI tools for database management, import/export, backup and monitoring tools for OSX and Windows. Firebird-SQL 1.5 RC-6 is out too, release notes. In the meantime, SAP unveils GUI Machine, a set of dev RAD tools, while an Oracle executive says the company is building a consortium of industry players to help create standards for commercial use of grid computing. Interesting results of the recent TPC-H benchmark performance testing on Clustered and non-Clustered 100GB and 300GB configurations.