After a very short period of beta, Opera 6 for Windows is released. Read the press release or download the plain (3.2 MB) or the Java-enabled (10.7 MB) version. Opera 6 for Linux, Tech Preview 1, is also available.

"Reiserfs is fast and reliable. The new ext3 is an easy upgrade. Both journal metadata, but ext3 journals data too, but at a big price. Which journaling filesystem is right for you?" The IDG Network discusses which Linux journaling filesystem is right for you. Our Take: Personally, I would definetely go with SGI's XFS.

Daemonnews reports that "Looks like the OpenBSD project is a bit ahead of the scheduled Dec 1st release date for OpenBSD 3.0. This release is a 3 CD set, instead of the usual 2 CD set, but still comes in the 2CD size jewel case." In related BSD news, USB v2.0 support added to NetBSD-current. "The new ehci driver is still in development but is in a working state for some mass storage devices, such as CD-RW drives."

ConsultingTimes features an article regarding StarOffice 6, which is currently in beta, describing what's new in the new version and also what's missing. "The old StarOffice 5.2 provided integration with a vengeance, taking over your entire desktop in the process. StarOffice 6 follows the more conventional model with excellent cross-application integration. For example, it's quite special that you can start a new spreadsheet or presentation while working on a text document. No other office suite offers such smooth, unobtrusively integration." In related news, the company behind Hancom Office 2.0 released their final beta (107 MB) just a few days ago.

LinuxPower features an interesting interview with Rodney Dawes. "At daytime Rodney is a faithful employee at Ximian working on making sure that the packages in Red Carpet are up to date. At night he is working hard to make his GNU/Elysium Linux distribution a reality."

PC World reports that IBM has reached a settlement with the city of San Francisco for $120,000 in damages to pay for the cleanup of its Linux graffiti campaign in the city. Our Take: Maybe these "Peace, Love and Linux" ads are a bit weird, but I just love this huge "IBM DB2 Outperforms Oracle" ad just right in front of Oracle's office buildings, viewable from the highway, near my house. This sort of marketing competition between IBM and Oracle is at least... funny.

Lineo, current holder of the CP/M and DR-DOS intellectual property, decided to open source the two operating systems. CP/M is a legendary operating system of the '70s and '80s, while DR-DOS is a clone of MS-DOS, used by Novell and Caldera at the end of the '80s and in the beginning of the '90s. Get more information at the full story at NewsForge. Update: DR-DOS' source code is only available for a fee.

"It is becoming increasingly clear that we are heading for a world in which there are only two operating systems Windows and Linux. Within 10 years virtually all computers, from the smallest wristwatch (don't laugh) to the largest mainframe (they will never die), will run one of these two operating systems. All others are headed for extinction." Maybe true, maybe not. Get the rest of the story at It.MyCareer.

The Unununium-based distribution FRuSTRaTiON, version 0.3, has just been released. Features improved console support, new keyboard code with unicode support, ext2 file system support; and it can now run applications. Unununium is a Single-Addressing-Space environement entirely developed in 386+ assembly with an emphasis on speed. The system is entirely dynamic: Any component of the system may be reloaded at any time; there is not even a static nano-kernel. Channeled IRQ, dynamic linker, memory allocation, 3d engine and communication channels are only a few of the elements present in the system. Multiple virtual consoles support, fixing the thread engine and starting the development of a GUI are their current development priorities.

"Viewsonic, the monitor manufacturer has entered into the Tablet PC market and in a big way. The new ViewPad 1000 Tablet PC has a touch screen hi resolution monitor with built in camera, a celeron 800 Mhz Processor and it even has a built in WAN, LAN and Wi-Fi Wireless LAN abilities. This is great for people on the go or those that would like a casual PC at home without a million features. Maybe the Tablet PC market will take off where the Internet appliance market failed." Get the story at DesignTechnica. We also hear that the TabletPC will run a custom version of WindowsXP in the near future.

"GNOME is not an independent software project; it is a part of the GNU system. This means GNOME does not exist just for its own success. It has a purpose: to provide the GNU system with a desktop. So while we should try to make GNOME successful (all else being equal), that's not the highest goal of the work on GNOME. If, on the other hand, GNOME and the rest of the GNU system are widely used, but mainly in combination with proprietary software, they will have succeeded only part-way, and a big task will remain ahead of us." Read the rest of the answers, and also have a read to the issue that was raised a month ago between RMS and some of the GNOME members.

"It's been a tough year for Linux companies. Those that didn't go bust announced large layoffs as investors realized that businesses built around a free operating system weren't poised for aggressive growth. The Linux Hatchery at this month's Comdex convention was home to just two companies, down from about 150 last year." Read the rest of the story at NewsAlert.

Interactive Studio has published the QubeOS web site which serves as the developer's web site for Qube application developers. You can also download there the Windows, DOS, and Linux compatible Qube environment and the Windows Qube SDK. An interesting article found on QubeOS web site is about the Object Routing technology, a technology which Michal Stencl has been developing for Qube. OSNews featured an interview with Michal recently. Our Take: A port to FreeBSD would also be desirable.

Niklas Angebrand sent us information regarding the V2 Operating System, an OS written in assembly which was pretty popular 1-2 years ago. "V2_OS is a project which was started by the V2_Labs who wanted a superfast and scalable OS. They then designed a fully modular with its own superfast and supersmall filesystem. This OS got very popular and was soon released under the GPL, and it was even on SlashDot, twice. Now it has come to the point where the old design can no longer be developed further, as it sets many (ridiculous) limits. The new kernel, 0.70, needs coders, and people that know of OS designs. Its goals of design is maximum speed without limits and the tiniest size possible. These design goals are important, but the most iomportant element is the modularity. V2_OS needs you! V2_OS wants you!"