Ubuntu on my laptop

I was scpetical about using Linux on my laptop. But when I tried the Ubuntu Live CD, I literally fell in love with it.

But installing in on my HP laptop was a task! I didnt want to remove the Windows Vista it came with. Because, many of my applications are available only on windows. e.g., Canon Camera applications.

That means, I will have to create a new partition by using some tools like Partition Magic. I learnt that Windows Vista comes with an option to shrink any parittion. I tried it. My 260GB hard disk, after analysis, the tool offered me to shrink upto 512 MB. In fact I had more than 40GB free on that. 

I suspected my drive is too fragmented. I run the defrag tool many times, removed the paging, still no effect.

Then accedentally I put the live CD again and booted once more.  I saw a Partition Editor application in the Ubuntu menu (Parted).

Without any hestiation, I ran it - cool - I get new 35GB partition!

Now I have to install Ubuntu permanently.

Here is the list (incomplete) of advantages I get from Ubuntu:

1. Speed - faster boot

2. Less disk access. With Windows Vista, the disk access light is permanently ON. Could be because of the anti-virus tool and other indexing software

3. Free softwares....

Here is what I miss: (I dont miss them exactly - I have dual boot to Vista)

1. Windows is still much more compatible with hardware options. 

2. Rich set of codecs - olangal.com - the movie streaming website - most movies are not viewable from Ubuntu. I dont know how to install all codecs. I tried my level best. But in windows, I dont have to know anything about codecs.

Will update as I make further progress.

Fall

Fall, originally uploaded by Jojan Antony.

I have been playing around with this cheap 50mm lense

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

A Love Song for Bobby Long

A Love Song for Bobby Long is a story about a girl, her late mothers friends and how they happen to stay in her home.

The climax is surprising and I was comparing the ending with that of the famous Malayalam movie "Patheyam". Both plots deal with a girl "discovering" her father! But how different are the impacts across the culture!

December Boys

San Jose public library is very valuable for me. It helps me watch all those good english movies, which will never be available in the DVD libraries back in Trivandrum. Chocolat, Majestic and now December Boys!

December Boys is the story of four orphans, who gets a vacation as a birthday present. BTW, they are called December boys, because their birthday falls in december. They fight with each other when they realize that a couple is going to adopt one of them. It is such a wonderful story - never miss it!

Digital TV Converter Box

Compared to India, the cable TV service is expensive. I used to enjoy the Asianet Cable for INR200 per month, SCV for INR100 per month. But Comcast's cheapest package itself is close to USD15

So I chose to depend on terrestrial transmission which is free of cost. I purchased a antenna for 10$ and tuned the TV. I could get TV35 with lot of grains. With more trials with the antenna placement I could get few more channels but with lot of grains.

Then I saw the advertisement Digital TV Converter Box Coupons. In no time, I picked up the phone and ordered the coupons.

YEsterday I got the coupons, went to Walmart, Monterey Highway - but all the Magnavox converter boxes were sold out. I tried in Walmart, Storey Road - same story. Finally I bought the Insignia box from BestBuy.64$ price, 40$ coupons so 24$ from my pocket.

Rushed home, connected the box, switched it on, started auto-scan, - great - I get 15 channels!!! DVD quality pictures......