Zorin, Linux yang mirip Windows 7

Orang memilih menggunakan sistem operasi Linux karena berbagai pertimbangan, salah satunya adalah karena sistem operasi ini tak berbayar. Masalahnya, beralih dari sistem operasi Windows ke sistem operasi lain bukanlah urusan gampang. Selain karena tampilan, cara kerja sistem operasi selain Windows jelas tak akan sama. Kalau Anda termasuk orang yang direpotkan dengan urusan ini, ada baiknya Anda mencoba sistem operasi bernama Zorin ini.

Zorin sendiri sebenarnya adalah sistem operasi berbasis Linux. Meski berbasis Linux namun sistem operasi yang dilansir dalam versi 32 bit dan 64 bit ini memiliki antarmuka dan cara kerja sangat mirip dengan Windows 7. Memang tak sepenuhnya sama karena bagaimanapun pembuat OS ini masih harus mempertimbangkan hak cipta namun secara keseluruhan, pengguna Windows 7 tak akan mengalami kesulitan beradaptasi.

Tombol Start yang ada di Windows 7 diganti dengan tombol berbentuk bulat dengan logo Zorin. Saat diklik, muncul deretan menu yang kental bernuansa Windows 7. Di deret paling bawah ada kolom pencarian sementara di atasnya berjajar sederet aplikasi termasuk email dan games. Di kolom sebelah kanan ada beberapa link menuju Douments, Pictures, Music, Videos dan lain-lain, nyaris sama dengan Windows 7.

Kesamaan ini memang disengaja karena pencipta Zorin memang bermaksud mengurangi waktu yang dibutuhkan pengguna untuk mempelajari sistem operasi ini setelah mereka terbiasa dengan sistem operasi keluaran Microsoft. Zorin dilengkapi dengan Look Changer yang berfungsi mengubah tampilan OS ini menjadi mirip dengan Windows 7, Windows XP atau Linux. Kalau Anda membeli versi premiumnya, Anda bisa mengubah tampilan Zorin menjadi mirip Windows Vista, 2000, atau Mac OS X.

Selain terlihat mirip dengan Windows 7, Zorin juga dilengkapi dengan WINE Windows Emulator yang memungkinkan Anda menginstal aplikasi berbasis Windows di sistem operasi ini. Kalau Anda tak mau berurusan dengan software bajakan, Zorin telah menyediakan cukup banyak aplikasi yang tersedia di Software Center, mirip dengan fitur milik Ubuntu.

Karena berbasis Linux, otomatis Anda tak perlu lagi dibuat resah oleh virus yang kebanyakan memang dibuat untuk bekerja pada sistem operasi Windows. Selain itu, Zorin konon juga bekerja lebih cepat dan lebih stabil dari Windows 7.


#merdeka.com

Twitter susul Samsung dan Nvidia gabung Linux Foundation

Mengikuti nama besar IT lain, Twitter, berdasarkan informasi Engadget (24/08), memutuskan masuk Linux Foundation. Situs jejaring sosial terbesar kedua tersebut diketahui mengikuti jejak Nvdia dan Samsung yang terlebih dulu menjadi anggota Linux Foundation.

Twitter dikenal memang berusaha merangkul dan mendekati komunitas pengembang open source. Mereka dikenal juga menggunakan beberapa software open source dalam kegiatannya. Keputusan Twitter bergabung dengan Linux menjadi wajar mengingat berbagai faktor tersebut.

"Dengan bergabung kami dapat mendukung organisasi yang penting bagi kami dan bekerja-sama dengan komunitas yang memajukan Linux secepat kami membangun Twitter," kata Chris Aniszczyk, Manager of Open Source Twitter.
Twitter merasa memerlukan Linux. Banyak dari server Twitter menggunakan sistem operasi Linux. Dengan bergabung maka Twitter akan mendapat banyak keuntungan dalam operasinya.

Keputusan ini dirasa juga merupakan bentuk usaha Twitter untuk menarik simpati developer.


#merdeka.com

Microsoft diprediksi luncurkan Office untuk Linux di 2014

Microsoft Office 2013 kabarnya juga akan tersedia untuk sistem operasi Linux. Hal ini terkait rencana jangka panjang Microsoft dalam melakukan ekspansi Office 2013.
Seperti dikutip dari Softpedia (13/04), berdasarkan informasi yang diperoleh pihak Softpedia, Office 2013 versi Linux diperkirakan akan segera meluncur pada tahun 2014.
Pihak Linux sendiri dikabarkan tengah membuat Linux port of Office dan direncanakan selesai juga pada tahun 2014.
Kabar ini sendiri bukanlah hal mengherankan, sebab sebelum isu ini beredar, Microsoft juga sudah dikabarkan akan meluncurkan Office 2013 untuk perangkat Android.
Patut diketahui bahwa Android merupakan sistem operasi yang berbasis pada Linux. Jadi diperkirakan tidak sulit bagi pihak Microsoft untuk menyediakan Office 2013 untuk OS Linux.
Akankah Microsoft benar-benar meluncurkan Office 2013 ke OS berbasis open source ini? Kita tunggu saja tahun depan.


#merdeka.com

LibreOffice 4.1 Released With Improved Microsoft Office Document Support

LibreOffice 4.1, which brings with it an experimental new sidebar, has been officially released.
The update also features ‘a large number of improvements in the area of document compatibility’.
These improvements aim to make the sharing of documents with those using other office suites, most notably Microsoft Office, better by ‘retaining the original layout and contents’.
Other new features and changes include:

• Font embedding in Writer, Calc and Impress documents
• ‘Photo Album’ import (Impress)
• Image rotation in 90 degree steps (Writer)
• Stepped Lines type to Scatter graphs added
• Improved Footnote and footer comment handling (Writer)
• Experimental sidebar feature
• 3000 bug fixes

This release comes exactly one week after the final release of the 3.6.x series was issued.
LibreOffice 4.1 is a free download available for Linux, Windows and Mac OS X.


 http://www.libreoffice.org/download/

Don’t fancy installing LibreOffice 4.1 manually? If you’re running Ubuntu 12.04, 13.04 or 13.10 you can add the LibreOffice ‘ test builds and backports’ PPA to upgrade to this release using Ubuntu’s Update Manager.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/ppa

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

#http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/ 

Everything you want to know about Ubuntu Edge answered by Canonical founder

Reddit's Ask Me Anything (AMA) events have been pretty amazing ways to find out information on topics that you care about; and right now, Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth is holding an AMA about the Ubuntu Edge. So, if you have a question for him, just head over to Reddit and ask.

The AMA started just over an hour ago, and already Shuttleworth has said that the Ubuntu Edge will be "an annual process by which the previous generation backers get to vote on the spec for the next generation of Edge." Ultimately, Shuttleworth says that "the real idea we're trying to express is that a community can make better decisions than a single person." Additionally, Canonical will be looking into using "all-open hardware" in future generations of Edge, and is hoping to be able to crowd-source the design of the Ubuntu Edge in 2015.

Canonical will be releasing the physical dimensions as soon as they are final so users can 3D print accessories. And, there has been work put into dealing with heat issues in such a powerful device that would double as a desktop computer. The key, according to Shuttleworth, is to provide "all-out for performance to get over the convergence hump - i.e. deliver a device that gives a good enough desktop experience when you hook it up via HDMI and a bluetooth keyboard", but not have the device be too hot when in your hand or pocket. 

On the subject of battery life, Shuttleworth dropped the extremely interesting idea that Canonical wants to "blaze a trail with silicon anode batteries." Silicon anode batteries use silicon nanowires to build a battery that has been said can last about 40% longer than current batteries, and survive as many as 4x as many recharge cycles.

On carrier customizations, Shuttleworth says Canonical has proposed that carriers/manufacturers are responsible for hardware drivers, Canonical is responsible for software updates, and there is a customization layer (which Pat McGowan explained for us) which would allow for customization of content on the device and themes, but not customization of the core OS. 

Shuttleworth has confirmed that the first generation Ubuntu Edge will not include wireless charging because the team decided it would make the device too thick. However, future generations of the Edge will likely include wireless charging options.

On the question of why an iOS user might want to purchase an Ubuntu device, Shuttleworth answered:

If you're interested in convergence between phone and PC, we'll do that first and imo best. If you're interested in accelerating the movement of new tech into the mainstream, the Edge is a very interesting new way to signal to Appe what you consider cool in hardware (and software).

Shuttleworth has confirmed that Ubuntu Edge will feature unlocked LTE that will support LTE in both US and Europe, but because "the spectrum is just too fragmented at the moment", so it won't be able to have worldwide LTE support.

Canonical is working with game developers to bring top notch games to mobile and desktop (which of course will be the same with the Edge), and Shuttleworth is excited for the potential of gaming. Of course, many people have been excited for the "potential" of gaming on Linux for a long time. More and more games are coming to Ubuntu, but the ecosystem is still nowhere near as impressive as Windows, or even Mac. 

There was even a bit of a tease that Canonical may be working on its own wearable devices, when Shuttleworth said, "What better way to prototype wearables than with a mobile PC to power them?" We won't say this is an admission that there is an Ubuntu wearable in the works, but knowing the team at Canonical, we're sure that the idea has been bounced around, at the very least.

Conclusion

There is a lot more information in the AMA, but we're pretty sure we caught all of the highlights. As usual, the aims of Shuttleworth and Canonical are sky high. We had known that the team was working on converging mobile and traditional desktop devices, but the ideas behind completely crowd-sourcing the process of designing and building devices is incredibly interesting. 

There is still a fairly long way to go in the Ubuntu Edge funding, but it has managed to raise over $6 million so far. That is less than 20% of the final goal of $32 million, but it has only been 3 days, and there is another 28 days to go in the campaign. The Canonical team obviously are looking for ways to keep interest in the project high including this AMA and in adding more funding tiers, so we wouldn't be surprised if the goal is reached. And, if it is, that will go a long way to keeping alive Shuttleworth's idea to make this an annual project with the Ubuntu Edge handsets.

#http://www.phonearena.com

Android may soon support 4K displays (and crazy PPI displays)

You may have thought that smartphone displays would be stopping at 1080p, and tablets may take a while to move past the 2560x1600, but some new code inside Android 4.3 indicates that Google is getting ready to offer support for crazy high pixel density as well as 4K displays. Apparently, Android 4.3 has added support for XXXHDPI, which is for screens with an approximate DPI of 640.

Let's roll back a bit to give some context there. Android smartphones started out in the Medium DPI (MDPI) range of ~160ppi, which is what you'd find on the T-Mobile G1. Eventually, we moved up to HDPI (~240ppi), which was the Nexus S type display. We then blew right through the XHDPI range (~320ppi) which were essentially the 720p displays on devices like the Nexus 4, and we are now in the world of the XXHDPI range (~480ppi) which you'll find on 1080p displays like the HTC One. 

So, the idea of an XXXHDPI display is pretty crazy. Of course, in all likelihood the reason this resolution support has been added isn't for high-res smartphones or tablets, but for 4K TVs, and for Android's move past mobile and into traditional laptops and desktops. We've already heard Sundar Pichai talking about big things coming to Google TV this year, and 4K support would be a big addition for the platform. 

#http://www.phonearena.com/