Me Myself & Linux

Monday, January 19, 2009

Launching ihackintosh.com


Guys

for last few weeks i have been working with another blog which is www.ihackintosh.blogspot.com and after great sucsess of that blog i am proud to announce www.ihackintosh.com a new blog with my buddy vinay. In our blogspot venture we got 2 lakh hits in 6 months and made some seriouse money and now expecting the same from ihackintish.com. So happy hacking

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Windows 7 installation guide for pc & mac

You've been thinking about installing Windows 7 Beta 1 now that it's totally available to anyone. Well, here's our complete guide to grabbing, installing and playing with Windows 7—it's (mostly) painless, so no excuses!

Are You Ready?
First thing's first—you might be tired of XP, but can your computer handle Windows 7? Probably! Here are the minimum requirements:
• 1 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor
• 1 GB of system memory
• 16 GB of available disk space
• Support for DirectX 9 graphics with 128 MB memory (to enable the Aero theme)
• DVD-R/W Drive (actually not necessary)

Where to Get It
Microsoft is obviously the first stop to getting Windows 7. you can download it from connect.microsoft.com or from msdn or technet. where you'll pick either 32 or 64-bit version. If you have 4GB of RAM or more, get 64-bit. You'll need your Live ID and Microsoft will want some info about you, but just lie or tell the truth or whatever, and you'll be taken to a download page with your product key and you are ready to downlaod the ISO file.

Product Key Page

Even if Microsoft's own servers are crumbling under the strain of surprisingly strong demand (though I downloaded at 1MB/sec just fine), you can always hit BitTorrent. You're looking for Windows 7 Beta 1, build 7000. Other benefit to torrent: It'll still be available after Microsoft's Jan. 24 deadline and you don't need a Microsoft Live ID. But you will need to get your own product key.

Getting Stuff Ready
Windows 7, from everything we've heard is surprisingly stable beta, and it's easy to upgrade from Vista, since it happens automagically. However, that doesn't mean you should run it as your sole OS (especially on your work computer), because your programs might not work with it (they should, but you never know), crash possibilities and other unknown unknowns. should dual boot it, meaning you'll be able to run either OS at startup. Luckily, Ihackintosh has a step-by-step guide to doing just that.

It works especially nicely if you have two hard drives in a desktop (like me), but most likely, you'll have to partition. Keep in mind if you're partitioning a single hard drive, the minimum space for Windows 7 is 16GB, and you'll probably want more room than that. Again, ihackintosh has the complete details, but the short version is that in Vista, run "Computer Management" from the Start Menu and you can complete all of the partition voodoo from Disk Management, like shrinking your current volume to give your new Windows 7 partition that minimum 16GB of breathing room. And you know, actually creating the fresh partition for Windows 7. (Do that now, and remember which one it is!) For XP, you'll need the GParted Live CD, which you burn to a CD, restart, boot from disc, and do the partition thang.
Disk Managment In windows Vista
How to Get Windows 7 on Your computer
After getting install downloaded and hard drive prepped, you've got a couple of options for actually getting Windows 7 onto your computer. The first, and easiest, is to make a Windows 7 disc by burning the image to a DVD using something like ImgBurn.

If you're installing Windows 7 on a Mac, you can burn the image to a DVD with Disk Utility.

Or, you can do what I'm doing since I'm out of blank DVDs at the moment, and put it on a flash drive for installation. This is also how you'll get it on a netbook or MacBook Air. You'll need a 4GB USB 2.0 flash drive and a mounting program like Daemon Tools on Windows or MountMe on Mac. Format the flash drive in FAT32, mount the Windows 7 image, then copy everything over to the flash drive.

Select Advanced installation for dual boot
Installing
Hello easy part! Pop in your disc or your flash drive. Boot from it, and follow the wizard, installing Windows 7 on your clean partition (under Custom installation type). On a Mac, Boot Camp Assistant will take you through the process after you slide in the Windows disc. Make sure it's the right partition or you will hose your actual current Windows install. Then go watch some TV or take a poop while it does its thing. Come back, and you'll have a few more setup screens—hope you wrote your license key down!—then you'll be up and rolling with Windows 7.

Now what?
The initial setup is fast and easy, but you might wanna check out your driver situation. Mac users, for instance, have a little bit of work ahead of them, since you'll have to install drivers from the OS X disc, and if you're running 64-bit, download the Boot Camp 2.1 update.

Well, there's a lot to check out in Windows 7. Like the new Media Center, which has 10 new features we're really hyped about, like sweet dissolve effects, turboscrolling, virtual channels and remote copying.

Windows Media Center in Win 7

The new taskbar is one of its major new UI features that's both exciting and at first a little confusing, since it works a lot differently than the taskbar you're used. Checking out Microsoft's video tour before you jump might save you some frustration. There's also Aero Shake, which knocks all the clutter off your desktop instantly; Snap, with its instant window resizing; and Peek, which is like turbocharged thumbnail previews.
New Desktop

Oh, and whatever you guys do, don't play your MP3s in Windows Media Player, since it could corrupt them! Update: just google the patch and u'll find it.

There's definitely a lot to play around with. Let us know in the comments once you get your install running what else you think people should check out as soon as they get their machine fired up! If you've got any other install tricks, let us know about those too! happy hacking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Dell showcased Adamo




Dell is so tight lipped with details, they wouldn't even answer a question asking what class of laptops this falls under (see: luxury product). We don't know much about the laptop so far, but the Model had no problem holding it up with one hand, so I'd assume it's pretty light. Dell also said something about using high quality materials in the design, and I'm guessing this thing is going to be super expensive. Anyways, here it is, the first look at the Adamo, Dell's Answer to the Macbook Air and Voodoo Envy 133.

Dell Launched Inspiron Mini 10 King of all Netbooks




One of the biggest announcment in this year CES is the Dell Mini 10 and it actually has some decent features, which include a 720p screen with end-to-end glass and a TV Tuner.

The Mini 10 has a Z530 1.6 GHz Atom processor, and a smattering of relatively pedestrian features like 3G WWAN ,802.11n wi-fi ,but the biggest add ons are inbuilt GPS and a multitouch trackpad. Dell had no further info to provide, so price and release date is still a mystery.

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Sony Vaio P Launched World's Lightest Laptop


SONY UNVEILS WORLD’S LIGHTEST 8-INCH NOTEBOOK
Full-Featured VAIO PC Fuses Style, Mobility and Connectivity for Anytime, Anywhere Computing

Sony today took the wraps off the world’s lightest 8-inch notebook— the new VAIO® P Series Lifestyle PC.
About the size of a business envelope and roughly as thin as a cell phone, the VAIO Lifestyle PC weighs just 1.4 pounds and is small enough to slip into a jacket pocket or handbag while integrating full-PC features.
The model incorporates a high-resolution, 1600 x 768, LED backlit 8-inch ultra-wide display (diagonal), making it easy to view everything from entire spreadsheets to full web pages— no side-to-side scrolling necessary. It also incorporates Sony’s XBRITE-ECO™ LCD technology, producing images in brilliant detail for razor-sharp viewing on-the-go.
Stylish enough to take anywhere, the unit is available in an array of eye-catching colors, including garnet red, emerald green, onyx black, crystal white and classic black. Matching carrying cases and Bluetooth® color-coordinated mice are available to complete the look.
“The VAIO P Series Lifestyle PC is your portal to the world, delivering entertainment and computing in a head-turning device that’s small enough to put in your pocket,” said Mike Abary, senior vice president of VAIO product marketing at Sony Electronics. “Designed for the fashionista in all of us, it’s the ideal companion.”
Engineered to provide the feel of a larger notebook, the VAIO Lifestyle PC provides a convenient typing experience by extending the keyboard to the perimeters of the chassis maximizing the typing area. The spacing between keys has also been engineered to help reduce typing mistakes making it perfect for long fingernails.
The notebook incorporates built-in wireless WAN 3G Mobile Broadband, 802.11n wi-fi and Bluetooth technologies. Users can toggle among various wireless options for the most efficient connection – Wi-Fi for working at a coffee shop; Bluetooth for peripherals; and Mobile Broadband service on the Verizon Wireless nationwide network(US ONLY) when traveling outside the reach of hotspots (subscription required).
The unit features up to four hours of battery life with the included standard capacity battery and eight hours with the large capacity battery (sold separate).
It also incorporates real-time GPS functionality, making it easy to find restaurants, hotels or special sites of interest. Destinations can be found by simply typing in an address or keyword and then following the turn-by-turn directions. The Lifestyle PC even includes estimated drive times to let you know how far you are from a destination. No Internet connection is required in the United States or Canada.
The unit also has an instant-mode option that launches directly into Sony’s Xross Media Bar™ interface, so you can rapidly boot up and access music, video, photos and the Web.(Similar to Dell Media Direct) A built-in webcam lets you video chat with family, friends and colleagues. A third-party service is required.
The PC comes with the Windows Vista® operating system, supporting office applications and all the software programs routinely found in full-size notebooks. A windows arrangement utility has been added to easily organize all open documents or websites with one touch, positioning them neatly along side each other on a single screen.
The VAIO P Series Lifestyle PC will retail for about $900.

So i really have no idea when it will retail in india or weather it will support Linux or not but i really would love to get my hands on it.

Dell New XPS 1340 & 1640


That beautiful 13.3-inch Dell XPS M1330 which i personally own since 2007 just got a couple of potential successors -- the Studio XPS 1340 and Studio XPS 1640, the latter being a 16-inch version.

Base specifications for both models start with an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.26GHz P8400 CPU, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, 320GB hard drive running at a decent 7,200rpm, LED-backlit display, slot-loading DVD burner, integrated 2-megapixel webcam and 64-bit Windows Vista Home Premium.

The 16-inch 1640 model offers an option, however, to upgrade the RGB LED LCD display to a true 16:9-format version, rocking 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution. And instead of the 1340's Nvidia 9400M or 9500M graphics, it offers ATI's Mobility Radeon M86XT card, featuring 512MB of graphics memory.

In the 1640, you can also opt for up to 8GB of DRR3 RAM (the 1340 is limited to a maximum of 4GB), and the option to add a Blu-ray/DVD combo drive (Blu-ray is read-only).

So i believe i need to update my lovely classy XPS 1330

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Lenovo new idea centre 600 mac and Dell XPS One rival


Lenovo's IdeaCentre 600 is a pretty splashy debut: Its first ever all-in-one is a simple curved slab that's supposedly the thinnest all-in-one in the industry.

Beyond the form factor—which borrows liberally from the new Star Trek and the iMac (the frameless black bezel looks like it was copy and pasted)—it's actually a disappointingly standard all-in-one affair, with a smallish 21.5-inch screen and nothing you can't get on the new Vaio LV or Dell XPS one. And it's missing, at least from the spec sheet, one of the Vaio's killer features—HDMI in and hand sensor in XPS one which illuminates the LED's when your hand hover around them. Still it does have an awesome Swiss Army knife of a remote—it's an air mouse, accelerometer controller for games and Skype VOIP(wii style) handset (it acts like a cordless phone).

It starts at $999, but all the cool stuff (like Blu-ray) is add-ons, so it'll probably get pricey pretty fast.