Why, you might ask, would anyone want to build their own operating system? It's really about being in control and knowing what's going on.In the next few paragraphs I'll explain what motivated me to take on this project, the recipe I used, and what I like about it.

Well, we all have used Unix, in one form or another (maybe even through embeded products). But which one is your favorite flavor of Unix-based/Unix-alike OSes? Read more and vote! Update: SHAME on you, who ever you are: Messing/hacking with go2poll's code and altering the results in favor of FreeBSD. By doing so, you are doing MORE BAD than good to your favorite platform.

A Sun-led Java standards group today will announce specifications designed to bring Java's write-once run-anywhere promise closer to reality for wireless handsets.

According to a PC World article, not only is built-in 802.11b wireless capability becoming the must-have feature for higher-end notebook computers, but vendors are starting to use dual-band chipsets that support both the widespread 802.11b standard and the faster 802.11a. 802.11a operates at 5GHz with maximum throughput of up to 54 mbps, compared to 802.11b's 2.4 GHz/11 mbps.

"Software is big business. Every year, consumers spend over a hundred billion dollars purchasing shrink-wrap software. For you as a developer, shareware is a cheap, effective means of marketing and distributing your software. Shareware lets the public redistribute your software for free, then pay a registration fee if they like it. Today, nearly all software companies provide some form of free trial version of their software." Read the article at MacDevCenter.

AMD executives reiterated that the company is focusing on the server version of the Opteron processor, but that the 64-bit Athlon 64 will still appear in 2003."You saw our financials; I'm not going to lie to you. It doesn't make a lot of sense to build a new processor for a niche market," said John Crank, senior brand manager for desktop product marketing for AMD's Computation Products Group. Although PCs certainly dominate the computing landscape, Crank and other AMD officials said they believed servers and their applications would be better positioned to take advantage of the Opteron's capabilities at launch, rather than PCs.

The day is approaching when Linux will likely replace IBM's version of Unix, the company's top software executive said, an indication that the upstart operating system's stature is rising within Big Blue.

When National Semiconductor decided to challenge Intel and Advanced Micro Devices in the market for low-end microprocessors in 1997, CEO Brian Halla teased a group of skeptical analysts, saying they probably thought he had been sprinkling testosterone on his corn flakes. Brian Halla predicts a technology transformation in which analog chips displace the zeros and ones at the heart of the binary language used in computing.

Microsoft recently announced the release of a scaled-down version of the .Net runtime meant for mobile devices. What will you find in the .Net Compact Framework though?

Linux distributions have come a long way in easing the tasks of system administrators. From software installation to hardware configuration, Linux is moving away from making you manually edit text configuration files by providing you with elegant GUI tools to make system administration easier. In this article, LinuxOrbit takes a look at some of the latest GUI tools you can use to help configure and administrate your GNU/Linux system.

"A federal judge's order that would force Microsoft Corp. to include Sun Microsystems Inc.'s programming language in the latest version of Windows is necessary to prevent the language from becoming extinct, Sun argued in a court filing. The company filed its response Tuesday to Microsoft's appeal of the order. Sun said its Java programming language is damaged each day the injunction is not imposed because the market tilts toward Microsoft's .NET framework." Read the reports here and here. Good to see Sun being realistic regarding the status of and race between Java and .NET's framework.

Lindows.com today announced the immediate availability of the Lindows Media Computer. The "Mini-PC," as Michael Robertson calls it in his announcement, runs LindowsOS 3.0, but can be used as a household media player. It boasts a startup time of 10 seconds for DVD/CD/MP3 CD playback. It is available online now.

LinuxHardware is featuring a review of Vector Linux 2.5 Soho Edition. However, Vector Linux is available now with version 3.0. In the meantime, the Lehigh Valley Linux Users Group has partnered with a startup nfp called Computers for Kids (cfk) which is refurbishing donated computers, setting them up with Vector Linux, and providing limited, ongoing training and support.

Xandros today announced the release of the Xandros Desktop Standard Edition 1.0. Unlike Xandros Desktop Deluxe ($99), Xandros Standard Edition cannot reallocate space from a Windows NTFS during the install, though it still can reallocate space from a FAT, VFAT, or FAT32 partition. By removing such Deluxe features such as CodeWeavers CrossOver Office and Plugin, the printed user guide, and the Technology Preview CD, Xandros Desktop can be made available at $40 USD. Desktop Standard provides one incident of e-mail installation support, as opposed to 30-day support with Desktop Deluxe.