Thom Holwerda Archive

The second beta of Vista will not come until next year. Microsoft did not give a time frame for the release of Beta 2 of the operating system, and said only that it would have more to say next year. MS had not said when Beta 2 will come, but some had expected it might come in December or January. More here, and here is a review of build 5259 that was supposed to be the November CTP, but actually wasn't (get it?). In related news, Microsoft has entered the beta period for Windows OneCare Live.

"Firefox 1.5 is finally out the door, and Thunderbird 1.5 won't be far behind. The new releases sport some interesting new features, including faster page navigation, redesigned preferences dialogs, a new update system, and much more. Let's take a look at what the Mozilla Foundation has been up in the year since the first major release of Firefox."

"How can Microsoft kill Python? When I say 'kill', I mean 'seriously damage the relevance of Python'. I don't mean that Microsoft, as some have suggested, will work on IronPython for a while, get people using it, then hijack the language by seriously changing the syntax of it and thereby breaking compatibility with CPython. So, how does this damage the relevance of Python? If Microsoft, who is investing considerable time and money to create a .Net implementation of Python, only refers to IronPython as a 'dynamic language' and only pushes it as a 'scripting language', many people will begin to assume that that's all that it is good for."

There is an object relational mapper out there that is a hidden gem. Instead of creating a full domain model, its job is to map Java objects directly to SQL statements. This framework is called iBatis, and its goal is to implement 80% of the JDBC boilerplate code you would otherwise have to do yourself. In addition, it provides a simple mapping and API layer that lets developers quickly develop data access code. This article explains how iBatis can help you.

"Genesi is pleased to announce the development of the 4U2 sub-laptop based on the EFIKA 5K2 reference design and the Freescale MPC5200B. The 4U2 will be produced in Asia and be available in Q2 2006. The 4U2 board can be deployed in a variety of configurations and uses and includes both mobile and WIFI wireless capability." More here. The price will be $299 (EUR 255), but may drop if demand is great enough.

Firefox 1.5 has been released. You can download the Windows|Mac|Linux version. The release notes can be found here.

Linux desktops have always faced an uphill battle against Windows desktops. Now, OSDL is calling together architects from over two-dozen key desktop-oriented Linux projects to a Dec. 1-2 meeting at its headquarters to set strategic directions and standards, and find synergies amongst Desktop Linux organizations.

Apple's Mac mini will be reborn as the digital hub centerpiece it was originally conceived to be, sources have disclosed. The new Mac mini project, code-named Kaleidoscope, will feature an Intel processor and include both Front Row 2.0 and TiVo-like DVR functionality. While the specific model and speed of the Intel processor in the new Mac mini is unknown, sources are confident the system will be ready for roll-out at Macworld Expo San Francisco, in line with other reports Think Secret has received that Intel-based Macs will be ready some six months sooner than originally expected.

Most developers (and the general public, for that matter) haven't yet gotten the idea that the next step in wireless applications is going to be all about location. Mologogo uses GoogleMaps with a Java and a GPS-enabled cell phone to show a target phone's position on a GoogleMap, allowing you to track it from your own phone or through the Web. This artcle provides insight into Mologogo and other Web 2.0 contenders and their privacy issues.

"I did not write this to say that people who do not know much about computers need to be told what to do, or to assert that Windows is not a good OS for casual users, but rather to point out that Linux is a great choice for this. Advances in desktop Linux have made it a perfect choice for casual and beginning users who don't necessarily have to (or want to) put up with Windows. Whether this is done for ease of use, to save on licensing fees, or to be able to make the best out of an old computer, it makes sense."

"In this week's issue of DistroWatch Weekly, a new Ubuntu derivative called Gnubuntu is mentioned. A little earlier in the announcement a reference to Xubuntu is given. Xubuntu is news to me! I just had to try it. I headed over to the Xubuntu site to figure this thing out. Their Introduction statements is as follows: "The aim of the Xubuntu community project is to provide a nice Ubuntu desktop experience by using Xfce4 as the desktop environment and GTK+ 2 applications wherever possible."

The Xbox-Linux team have got to work on trying to port Linux to the Xbox 360, in a project named 'Free 60'. The Free60 Project aims to port open source operating systems like GNU/Linux and Darwin to the Microsoft Xbox 360 gaming console. Here is some interesting documentation already from their website.

How are users supposed to learn if they never fall down? For many users, being faced with "safety" features just creates more workaround. Confirming, clarifying, and checking every operation, as most applications these days do, is intended to protect users from accidents. The result is similar to what many people find after putting training wheels on a child's bicycle: the vehicle is more cumbersome and the child never learns to ride it properly.

"After reading the round-by-round account of our dual-core desktop CPU prizefight, it should come as no shock that AMD's Athlon 64 X2 chips are the runaway victors here, laying out the Intel Pentium D and Pentium Extreme Edition 840 chips pins up. If we had to call out one chip, AMD's Athlon 64 X2 4400+ is an outstanding bargain given the competition, but as our results show, any AMD dual-core CPU will serve you better than its similarly priced Intel equivalent."