Out of the 145 readers who voted, 19% don’t even have a Twitter account, 23% have an account but never tweet, 23% tweet 1-5 times per week, 19% tweet 1-5 times per day, 7% tweet 6-10 times per day, 5.5% tweet 11-20 times per day, and 3.5% tweet more than 2- times daily.

Full results and this week’s poll after the jump.

While not a whole lot of readers voted, it was still surprising to find out that so many of you are not big on tweeting, with a staggering 65% who tweet 5 times a week or less. In a world so consumed by Twitter and hashtags, it’s interesting to see such results.

This week’s poll question is: What Do You Think Of Windows 8′s Metro UI?

Microsoft Metro UI is not entirely new, with early glimpses of dating back to earlier versions of Windows Media Center and Zune, but with Windows Phone 7 and Windows 8, Microsoft made sure we all heard of and knew what Metro UI is. Metro is a design language which is based on certain principles such as specific fonts, use of tiles and text for navigation, and more, and by utilizing in in Windows 8, Microsoft is trying to go in a completely different direction. This UI has gotten mixed reviews (although more good than bad), with some people thinking it’s the best thing since Windows added a Start button, and others hating the thought of having that as their main operating system. Where do you stand?

What is it about Metro UI that you like or don’t like? Do you think it’s good on some products but not on others? If so, which? We’re waiting for your comments.

Naturally there is some resistance to swapping the traditional desktop with this new user interface. After all, things just work as they are with the point and click of a mouse. Yet Microsoft is trying something different and attempting to pioneer a new direction for desktop operating systems. For that at least they should be applauded.

Ignoring questions about exactly how anyone without a touchscreen monitor is going to get the most out of Metro, there are ways in which the interface can be sampled without installing Windows 8 on your computer.

View Internet Explorer With MetroIE

One of the main uses for any computer is to browse the web and Windows 8 features a new version of Internet Explorer. While this isn’t yet available for Windows 7 you can sample its likely user interface by visiting this link and downloading the astonishingly small 64KB file.

After unzipping and running MetroIE.exe you will find that the file is a very convincing overlay for the Internet Explorer browser, which means that it behaves just as any browser should. Note however that it takes a little time to open webpages.

MetroTwit

Like Windows Phone, Windows 8 features an integrated Twitter app. While MetroTwit doesn’t deliver quite the same feel, it is still worth trying if you’re interested in seeing how the Metro UI stands up to repeated or consistent use. After all, it’s all very well looking good, but would you want to look at the Segoe font all day long? This is the way to find out.

You can download MetroTwit from here. Installation requires an Internet connection, but be aware that this app isn’t suitable for accessing multiple Twitter accounts.

Zune

Less experimental and a whole lot easier to use is the Zune media player and sync client, available from this link. This is essentially the Microsoft version of iTunes, used for buying MP3s, syncing with a Windows Phone and managing updates, but it is also an excellent media player, far better than the surely-end-of-life Windows Media Player.

If you already have Zune on your PC you have already sampled the beauty and versatility of Metro.

Transform Your Full Desktop

The tile-based interface is arguably the least imaginative use for Metro when it comes to powerful desktop and laptop computers. It is very similar to the design seen on a Windows Phone (where it is of course more appropriate) and far less striking than on Xbox 360 or even in the Zune media player.

To try it out for yourself you can download the beta version from Microsoft and install it to your hard drive or into a virtual machine.

Alternatively you can try the Windows 8 Transformation Pack, a 58MB download from this page. After downloading, simply unzip and run the Windows 8 Transformation Pack 2.0.exe file, set the options that you want and install it. You’ll then need to apply it as a theme (right-click desktop > Personalize) before rebooting, whereupon you will find that your current version of Windows has suddenly turned square, elegant and colourful.

Windows Phone Metro Demo

If you’re using an Android or iPhone device you might also like to get an idea of how Windows Phone works or at least sample Metro in mobile form. This can be done by visiting this page on your phone’s browser, where you will find a virtualised mobile phone version of the Metro UI as found on various devices from Samsung, LG, HTC and Nokia.

All you need to do to interact is tap the tiles with your thumb or fingers, swiping left and right to explore what’s on offer.

Conclusion

As we move ever closer to the launch of Metro as a desktop user interface, more and more tools and apps are being made available for users to get an idea of how easy it is to use.

People want to know that they can use an operating system long-term, rather than just for a few moments at a time as with a mobile phone. As such, before spending money on Windows 8 or even downloading the developer preview or beta, try a few of these apps and see what you think. Meanwhile if you have any of your own suggestions, let us know.

It’s not that Linux is hard to use or understand, but it simply doesn’t fit the Windows mindset that most people have. Expecting to do everything in Linux exactly like in Windows is where problems start appearing, which can easily deter a good number of users. Thankfully, there is now a Linux distribution that could make the process a whole lot easier.

About Zorin OS

Zorin OS is a Linux distribution based on Ubuntu, but besides identical packages and base system there are some major differences between the two. One of the major goals of Zorin OS is to offer a user interface that is similar to that of Windows, making Windows users feel more comfortable when they use Zorin OS. I must say that Zorin OS does a pretty good job with it.

Downloading

You can download the ISO for Zorin OS by going to this page and downloading their “Core” ISO. The developers also offer lite and educational variations for you to download, but in most cases you’ll have the better experience with just the core. This review will focus on the Core edition.

Additionally you’ll find a Premium page where they offer you Ultimate, Business, Multimedia, and Gaming editions, which is mostly just the Core software with many additional applications for that type of system. The effort it takes to put all those extra programs into the ISO is why they charge for those editions.

Once you have your downloaded ISO burned onto a CD, written to USB, or ready to go for VirtualBox, you can boot straight into the live environment. Loading shouldn’t take very long, and in no time you’ll be presented with the Zorin OS desktop.

Desktop

As you might recognize, the default look for Zorin OS mimics Windows 7 quite well. There are only a couple of shortcuts found on the desktop, and in the taskbar you’ll find the Start menu on the left (with Zorin OS branding, of course), the icon tray on the right, and then in the middle you’ll find the cool looking buttons that show which programs are currently open (do those even have a technical name?). Overall, it looks very much like Windows 7, which is very impressive.

Start Menu

If you actually click on the Start menu, you’ll see a lot more Windows 7-esque goodness. The Start menu, which appears to be GnoMenu with an appropriate theme, looks extremely similar to Windows 7′s Start menu. Keeping a small Linux touch, however, all programs in the left side of the menu are organized into the regular categories that regular Linux users are familiar with. There is also no “Recent Programs” list as is in Windows 7.

Look Changer

So all this stuff that looks a lot like Windows 7 is great for someone coming from Windows, right? Well what if they’re trying out Linux because Windows XP is starting to become very dated for an operating system? No need to worry there either. In the Control Center, there is a button called Look Changer, which will open a new window where you can choose between a Windows 7, Windows XP, and regular Linux Gnome desktop. With Windows XP available too, switching to Zorin OS is even easier for more people.

Default Applications

Zorin OS also comes with some pretty interesting default applications. Instead of Firefox as the default browser as is the case in all major distributions, Zorin OS chose Chrome in part due to its ever-increasing popularity. Many will enjoy this, while those that don’t will simply need to install their browser of choice. Not a hard thing to do. Zorin OS also includes Nautilus Elementary over Nautilus, which offers a tweaked user interface for a cleaner look. As for everything else, the usual applications that you would expect are included.

Conclusion

This interesting Linux distribution has some great incentives for Windows users to try out the Linux side of computing. Aside from all the differences between itself and Ubuntu, the rest is business as usual, letting you get work done like a pro.

What do you think about Zorin OS? Is it the best way for Windows users to try Linux? Let us know in the comments!

Love it or hate it, Apple has changed the whole tech industry. The genie cannot ever be put back in the bottle. Is Microsoft doing enough to catch up? Or is it, alternatively, doing too much, trying to change the operating system which remains its main source of revenue when millions of people are happy with their non-touch way of working and non-tiled user interface?

Windows 8

Windows 8 is going to arrive some time during 2012. It’s just a matter of which quarter Microsoft decides to launch it. It’ll ship around three years after Windows 7. Three years during which Apple and Google have both affected the way we interact with our devices on a fundamental level.

Consider for a moment the world in 2009, when the iPad was still being forged at Apple under Steve Jobs’ controlling eye and Android 2.0 had just been released. At that time Windows did everything required of it, offering an accessible way of using computers with a keyboard and mouse. The iPad changed that, with its dismissal of all external inputs other than your fingers, and Android then exacerbated the trend. Windows was suddenly looking like a dinosaur waiting for the end of the world to arrive.

Microsoft knew it had to do something radical, and the company’s answer was to port the Metro UI from Windows Phone 7 over to Windows 8.

Metro UI

Microsoft faced a huge dilemma when it came to developing Windows 8. Windows 7 enjoyed a near-perfect launch, managing to move the operating system on from the Vista debacle in the minds of all but the most vehement Windows haters. Windows was set to carry on unhindered and unchanged for many years to come. And then the iPad arrived, and everything changed.

Microsoft itself was the architect of the push to get us all using tablet devices. But its efforts at the turn of the century (dubbed TabletPC) failed to move from being a niche to a mainstream product. Apple got it right first time, producing a truly great product which has eaten into the PC market ever since, and virtually wiped out netbooks as a form factor.

The Metro UI is Microsoft looking to the future, to the post-PC era that Apple is developing. It’s far from perfect, and it has been argued Microsoft has erred by trying to mutate it to its main OS. You can see for yourself by trying it in VirtualBox, with Windows 8 Beta Simulator, or with Instant Beautiful Browsing.

Windows 7 With a Glossy New Front-End?

The basic structure of Windows 8 is built on top of the current iteration of Windows, Windows 7. As has been true of all versions of Windows that have gone before. As with most operating systems, Windows is in constant evolutionary flux, with each new version meant to improve the UI while providing the tools needed for the present time.

To be fair to Microsoft, Windows 8 is the biggest evolutionary step up since Windows 95. But at least back then it was a battle being fought in just one, rather than multiple, arena(s).

The problem is that the whole computer industry is now changing at a rate of knots. Not in terms of hardware, as was the case for the whole of the 1990s, but in terms of how we relate to the technology and use it merely to access the Internet and all the services it provides. In some respects then, operating systems are becoming irrelevant. Or at the very least not as necessary to impress as was once the case.

Do People Still Want Windows?

The big question is whether people still want Windows. It has spent decades as the first choice operating system for the majority of people, but times are changing, and fast. As mentioned previously we’re now entering into the post-PC era, where mobile devices are becoming the default choice for most people, and capable of doing everything a notebook or desktop can do.

In this scenario, Windows in its present form looks set to lose much of its appeal. If Microsoft doesn’t alter Windows in a radical way then it risks becoming a niche product used by enterprise customers and professionals, but not by the mainstream. It cannot afford to let this happen or it faces a bleak future. With the exception of Office and Xbox, Microsoft hasn’t got much else beyond Windows to fall back on. Unless Windows Phone can grow beyond the expectations of most analysts.

The question then is whether Microsoft has done too much, too little, or just about the right amount of tinkering in building Windows 8 to go another round.

Looking To The Future

Will Windows 8 succeed or Fail? I think we need a third option of “do mildly well but will hardly set the world alight.” Because that’s my honest assessment of how Windows 8 will perform.

Microsoft has done just about enough to stop Windows from becoming completely irrelevant by trying to please everyone, all of the time, but the two-tier way Windows 8 operates risks pleasing no one, none of the time. To stop the rot Microsoft is going to need to exhibit a willingness to change and be fluid in its approach to developing future versions of its key products. In other words, take a leaf out of Apple’s book.

Do you think Windows 8 will be a huge success? Or a massive failure? Or, like me, do you feel Windows 8 is just about good enough to keep Microsoft in the game while the industry changes around it? Personally I’m already looking towards Windows 9.

Image Credits: mynetx, Ceo1O17, backofthenapkin, Esparta, Titanas

Windows has managed to do a pretty good job of putting together the x64 version’s emulation mode (WoW64) and I’ve had no experiences where 32-bit software wouldn’t run as expected. Device drivers though, is a big one. Don’t you dare go putting x86 device drivers on your x64 machine. However, x86 64-bit systems often lack alternative software to those that are written specifically for 32-bit architectures. So here I am with three solutions that ought to put you on to some brand new, 64-bit compatible freeware goodies.

Just a note before jumping in: All three of these websites are very trustworthy and I have experiences with them all. Feel free to check their WoT ratings if you’d like a third-party opinion. However, I do not personally support downloading software from anywhere but the software’s original website. Too many websites wrap their downloads with garbage, and though these don’t I’d still recommend that you search up and navigate to the author’s site and download the programs from there. Just a safety practice!

Start64!

Start64! is one of the most trusted repositories for updated software compatible with 64-bit systems. Those of you who have been really laying it on me about now posting much about OSX will be pleased as Start64! has a whole section set aside for Apple fans.

The site is very easy to navigate, which is something I’ll always be a fan of. The listings are clear, large, and include a short summary of the software.

Each and every listing includes live screenshots and an easy-to-read recap of the program’s features. They make it very clear in just about every specific software’s listing that the software is 64-bit compatible and go as far as to list OS compatibilities overall. If you read my warning earlier (which I hope you did) then you don’t have to worry about Start64! because they send you directly to the website the software originates from for downloads instead of making you jump through hoops.

64x Software

64x Software is for both users and developers, so if any 64-bit coders have managed to slip upon this post then there’s a little added bonus for you.

This website can be a little confusing at first and I’m not crazy over the design and listing layout, but it’ll get the job done. The site is used best when checking their top software listings, or their categorical ones:

• CD/DVD
• Communication Software
• Developer Tools
• File Management
• Graphic Software
• Internet and Network Software
• Security Software

Software display pages are a little bit “meh” but again, gets the job done. Never been a fan of websites that allow open comments and a bleak rating system, but 64x Software does have a vast range of 64-bit compatible software.

X 64-bit Download

X 64-bit Download has that Download.com feel to it and I’d suggest it for the more novice user. My recommended landing pages would be at their featured and top pages (though I’m unsure of the difference). I’ve used both to find some of the better software listed here.

The site has a lot of information per software, and just as many ads. Gets a little annoying, but this is a safe website.

They’ve got software separated by category and from my experiences I do believe this is a website that features only Windows software. Sorry guys. Downloads are hosted on their servers so consider my warning earlier. Again, safe site but don’t mind me trying to condition you to be a paranoid downloader!

You can find some of the 64-bit architecture’s best software using these websites, but remember that dabbling in the world of 32-bit applications isn’t going to harm your system either. We’ve got a whole lot of articles that can help you find the software you’re looking for.

Leave a comment and let me know some of your favorite 64-bit compatible programs to use!

Mandriva isn’t considered to be a major player in the Linux world anymore, but it used to be back when it was still called Mandrake Linux. Even more surprising to some, it’s already been different from all other distributions for a while now, as seen in previous reviews of Mandriva like this one.

A couple months ago, Mandriva let loose their 2011 release, providing another impressive experience. Let’s take a look, why don’t we?

Get It

You can get Mandriva by going to their site and downloading their ISO file. You can then burn it to a DVD or write it to a USB stick, then boot your computer from that media. When you first load Mandriva, it will ask you a few questions to determine language, time, and keyboard layout. Once you answer those questions, Mandriva will finish loading and then present its clean desktop.

Desktop

Mandriva uses KDE as its default base, although Mandriva mixes some Gnome applications in as well (and quite well, as the exact same theme is used for both types of applications).

The theme, while we’re at it, is beautifully made, even if the red close button serves as a reminder to Windows.

Taskbar

There’s not much you can do in Mandriva without having to go to the taskbar at the bottom of your screen, where a lot of functionality and hidden features are stored. The star button on the very left seems to act like the Start button in Windows, but when clicked it opens what Mandriva calls the “Mandriva Smart Desktop”, where you get a Welcome screen with shortcuts to recent applications and folders, an area to search for all applications to launch, and then “TimeFrame” which shows what you’ve worked on over time.

Continuing along the taskbar, you’ll see a few shortcuts to major applications like your browser, chat program, email, music, and settings. On the right side of the taskbar, not only do you find the icon tray, but some strange little folders. Click on them, and you’ll see that they’re stacks. The idea is similar to Mac OS X‘s stacks, except with a different design.

Synchronization

Mandriva includes it’s very own synchronization tool as a replacement for Dropbox. While it’s not quite as advanced as Ubuntu’s “Ubuntu One” service, it still looks nice and should get the job done. It integrates very well with the distribution and includes 2GB of storage for free.

Settings

Personal settings in Mandriva can be configured through modules in KDE’s System Settings application, but actual system settings need to be taken care of via the “Mandriva Linux Control Center”. Mandriva’s settings application is quite appealing, and includes some nifty features such as Parental Controls, which is lacking in most other distributions.

Other Good Stuff

Of course, compared to the previous version of Mandriva, many programs and behind-the-scenes services have been updated to include new features, gain stability, and be more secure. The newer versions should constitute make for an enjoyable time with Mandriva.

Conclusion

Mandriva is still a great distribution, and offers a refreshing choice compared to Ubuntu and other popular distributions. While it’s no longer the king of Linux distributions, it’s definitely not out for the count. Who knows, maybe Mandriva can even stage a comeback and rise back to be top of the pack.

What do you think about Mandriva? Is it something that you might use? What does its future look like? Let us know in the comments!

Such has been the critical acclaim for this user interface that Microsoft has since opted to roll out Metro across its other consumer products. First was its introduction on the Xbox 360 and later this year it will play a big part in Microsoft’s story as a key element of the Windows 8 operating system. But is this the best use for the UI? Surely a mobile phone user interface should stay on such a device? After all, don’t computer users want to be able use their mouse and keyboard and quickly launch their chosen apps rather than scroll through tiles?

What Is Metro? Microsoft’s Signature UI Explained

From a personal point of view, I’m a big fan of Metro on the Windows Phone. It is fast, slick, functional and logical and it has been instrumental in turning Microsoft’s mobile fortunes around. Additionally it has provided the mobile industry as a whole, a much-needed kick in the rear to pull it out of the mire of iOS cloning into which it was readily sinking.

A design language established initially for use with Windows Phone, Metro features the uniform use of the Segoe WP typeface, tiles and a general grouping of similar functions and features under a single tile. For instance, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are grouped with contacts under the People Hub on Windows Phone devices. The tile-based Start screen interface on a Windows Phone can be adjusted to suit your preferences, with users typically placing their most-used apps and hubs at the top.

Additionally the fresh approach to presenting information, available by scrolling left and right, enables app designers plenty of space with which to present menus and options and discards the need for a dedicated menu button. All in all, Metro works well on Windows Phone and you can see why Microsoft is so enthralled by it. But is it suitable as a “signature user interface”?

Success On One Platform Does Not Guarantee Success On Another

The beta release of Windows 8 demonstrated how the Metro UI had been redeveloped for use on larger devices, specifically tablets. While Microsoft’s focus in this area is admirable – after all, they started the tablet computer market, yet thanks to Apple’s iPad find themselves several years behind – it can be argued that most Windows 8 users don’t want or need a finger-friendly user interface.

After all, Metro is intended for use by fingers rather than a mouse and keyboard. While it might be an ideal UI for the rumoured ARM-based Windows 8 tablets, the presence of Metro as a key element of Windows 8 for desktops and high-end tablets is puzzling.

While it is possible to navigate around the tile-based Start menu in Windows 8 with a mouse and keyboard, it is a little unwieldy, much like playing a piano while wearing gloves. There is also the matter of just how important using a touch-focused user interface is to the standard user.

As things stand, Windows 7 is a perfectly good operating system that is enjoying strong user take-up and has a good reputation, particularly among corporate users. Conversely Windows 8 is being designed specifically for business users and yet there seems to be a gap between what users want from a UI and what Microsoft is planning to offer in 2012.

Although there is the ability to switch to a version of the traditional desktop view in Windows 8 – ideal for legacy and office applications – office-based users are likely to discard Metro entirely, reducing it to little more than an overlay UI. Overlays were great for Microsoft 3-4 years ago when they needed to extend the life of Windows Mobile, but we really should have moved away from that era.

Too Much Metro Too Soon?

Why does Microsoft want to replace Windows 7 so soon? More importantly, why is it pushing Metro as a user interface so heavily?

Some might argue that Microsoft’s reputation has improved in recent years and that Metro is an embodiment of this change. While their great rival Apple has grown into a monolithic retirement fund for lawyers, Microsoft has been embracing user communities, for instance helping them to set up ways of legally unlocking its new phones.

This positive pull is mirrored in the clear typography and ease of use found in Metro, but to spread the UI across all of Microsoft’s consumer platforms is potentially dangerous. Windows 8 could founder based on its very presence; so soon after the Vista debacle this is something that Microsoft could well do without.

Image Credit: Wikimedia

All of these Linux distributions use .rpm files as installable packages rather than the .deb files which belong to the Debian family. So, let’s get started!

Fedora

Fedora can be seen in many respects as the big mother of the RPM family, just as Debian is the big mother of the Debian family. This is in part because Fedora is made from scratch and isn’t derived from another distribution, and a good number of distributions are based off Fedora (although not nearly as many that are based off of Debian). Fedora is almost entirely controlled by the community, sponsored and funded by Red Hat. Through personal experience, Fedora is probably one of the easiest distributions to join and get involved in.

Fedora is highly focused on providing only free software. This applies to literally everything. If some software or any piece of it doesn’t have the right free license, either the software is completely removed from the repositories or the violating piece is removed.

For example, MP3 and similar codecs are nowhere to be found in Fedora’s official repositories, so out of the box you can only play Ogg files. With the help of an additional repository, however, you can get those restricted codecs. Some people find this a pain to get a “working” system, but others appreciate the work Fedora puts towards free software and accepts that an additional repository is needed as a temporary workaround until the world is more accepting of open standards.

Fedora is made to be all-purpose and can be used perfectly on any system, but Fedora is better known for testing enterprise environments. Fedora is also highly cutting edge compared to other distributions that run on a regular release schedule, and the community prides itself on that. Despite Fedora being a cutting edge distribution, it is still surprisingly stable.

openSUSE

Enough about Fedora, next we have openSUSE. If people don’t think about Fedora when they think of an RPM distribution, then they’ll more than likely think about openSUSE. This green distribution isn’t nearly as cutting edge and has longer development and release cycles. Therefore it is arguably among the most stable RPM distributions available, with a decent array of available software.

openSUSE is known for making an important change compared to other Linux distributions by using the KDE desktop as its default desktop environment rather than GNOME. openSUSE also includes a lot of free software, but they do not have a powerful focus on it as Fedora does. Note that although both Fedora and openSUSE use .rpm files for packages, if you find a package online meant for Fedora, it won’t necessarily work in openSUSE, and vice versa.

CentOS

Last but not least, we have CentOS. CentOS is short for Community Enterprise OS. This distribution is actually made from Red Hat Enterprise Linux, which is a distribution that can only be bought via a support package. CentOS allows people to use RHEL without having to pay for the support package and with CentOS branding instead of RHEL branding.

CentOS is therefore binary compatible with RHEL out of the box, so any packages made for RHEL will work in CentOS. As the name suggests, CentOS is an enterprise distribution, and although RHEL is based off of Fedora, it’s package selection is much reduced to “enterprise” software. Therefore, lots of desktop tools and games that regular desktop users might be accustomed to won’t be available. On the good side, which Fedora’s release cycle only lasts for 13 months, CentOS releases have support for at least 7 years. So, CentOS is highly advisable for servers.

Conclusion

The world of distributions in the RPM family is quite interesting to explore, especially with so many distributions having a leg in enterprise affairs. Whether that means that the distributions are complicated or that they’re more reliable than “regular” distributions, that is up to you. Either way, if you choose to go the RPM way rather than the Debian way, hopefully this article will help you figure out what each distro is all about.

What information did I miss out on? Why one do you like the most and why? Let us know in the comments!

Chrome OS will fail — not by going down in flames, but by being quietly folded into Android. In fact, Android is already absorbing Chrome OS as we speak. R.I.P. Chrome OS; you were too far ahead of your time.

Offline Just Isn’t There

People use computers offline. It’s a simple fact, but Google struggles with it. When Chrome OS was announced, HTML 5 was all the rage. Surely, HTML 5 would bring strong offline support to Chrome OS. It wouldn’t matter where you were, you could still use your computer.

June 15, 2011: Chrome OS launches and the first Chromebooks start shipping out. Can users read their email, look at their calendar or edit documents offline? Nope, not yet.

The first stages of offline support were rolled out in August, 2011. Currently, you can view your calendar offline, view recent documents and – drum roll – there’s even offline Gmail!

Wait, I thought Gmail worked offline. Oh, that’s right – there’s a special app for offline Gmail. Google bolted offline support onto Gmail’s tablet interface instead of making it work properly with the regular Gmail app.

It’s now 2012 and offline support is still incomplete at best. You can’t create new calendar events offline. Google Docs has viewing capability offline, but you can’t create a new document or edit an existing document without an Internet connection. I’m a big Google Docs user and whenever there’s a connection hiccup and I can’t continue writing, I reconsider that choice.

Android Is Absorbing Chrome

Google expects Chrome OS and Android to “converge”. Does that mean Chrome OS is going to run Android apps? It doesn’t look like it.

Android is already absorbing Chrome OS. Android 3 brought a Chrome-style browser interface and Chrome bookmark sync to tablets. Soon, Chrome itself will run on Android and you’ll tap a Chrome icon on your Android device to open the default web browser.

When Android smartphones and tablets have the full Chrome browser experience, does it really make sense to have a more stripped-down system for notebooks? Google was once considering Chrome OS for tablets, but it’s now betting on Android tablets.

The Windows 8 Problem

Microsoft is dragging Windows into the 21st century with Windows 8. Whether you love the Metro interface or hate it (I’m skeptical about Metro on the desktop), Windows 8 will include native support for first-class HTML 5 apps.

Is it any question that Windows 8 will have Metro apps that work offline? Imagine a full-featured Hotmail app that works offline. Or a Microsoft Office suite that synchronizes online with Office web apps and SkyDrive. Dramatic boot speed improvements and an integrated app store will bring many of Chrome OS’s features to Windows.

Microsoft’s offering will always have the legacy Windows desktop to lean on, even if it doesn’t have perfect support for web apps. Unless Chrome OS evolves quickly, it will be completely outclassed on its own turf by Windows 8.

It’s All About The Apps

The Android Market has over 400,000 apps. The Chrome Web Store? Nowhere near that. What’s more, many of them, including Google’s own (which should be flagship apps that show the potential of the platform,) are just bookmarks to websites.

Chrome OS is going up against Windows and Mac OS X – desktop operating systems with extensive application libraries. It’s fine as a niche project if you only want a web browser, but it hasn’t proven its own as a legitimate platform yet. The occasional app that uses Chrome’s technology to provide a rich experience is notable because it’s such a rare exception.

Android Everywhere

Windows 8’s fusion of touch and keyboard interfaces provides an example Google will likely follow. We already have Android tablets with apps designed for large screens; just add a keyboard dock and you have a replacement for a Chromebook that also works as a tablet. By the way, it’s already been done — it’s called the ASUS Transformer.

I’m a big Google fan — I use the Chrome browser, Android and a lot of Google’s web apps. I was even intrigued when Chrome OS was announced. But I’m sad to say, it’s just too ahead of its time.

So what do you think? Will Chrome OS continue to be a niche product until it’s replaced by Android? Or will I regret this post when we’re all using Chromebooks in 2020? Speak your mind in the comments.

Initial Advice

If you haven’t noticed yet, there are only three distributions that are mentioned in the title, while there are thousands of Linux distributions in existence. Instead of sifting through all of them, we’re only going to look at the top 3 players on the Debian side of Linux (the other side being Fedora/Red Hat/openSUSE). Those, of course, being Debian itself, followed by Ubuntu and Linux Mint.

Debian

As the name would suggest, Debian is the big mother of the entire Debian family. Anything and everything that is considered to be in the Debian family is based off of Debian itself or some other distribution that is based off of Debian. In this article, we have both situations.

Debian is created by the open source community, and has two key focuses – stability and security. How do they achieve those goals? It’s actually quite simple. They let new packages come in whether they’re ready or not, and at some point they’ll freeze all packages so that no new versions come in. Then they take at least a couple months to scrutinize every package for stability and security flaws.

Once they finally feel confident that they’ve met their goals for the whole release, they let it out into the wild. It also has a large repository of packages to choose from. So while it’s very stable and secure, the packages can be a little old, especially later on in the release cycle.

Ubuntu

Ubuntu, on the other hand, is made to include a good combination of new and stable. Ubuntu is based off of Debian, and tries to make the distribution more user-friendly through ease of use and convenient features. Some of those features include the Ubuntu Software Center, which has been ported back to Debian without the Ubuntu branding. Ubuntu and Debian are not 100% binary compatible even though they share the same .deb format for packages. Therefore, people have to be careful. Some packages can be used on both distributions, while others are specifically for one or the other.

Ubuntu gets most of its packages from Debian’s unstable branch, so Ubuntu also has a ridiculously large repository. Additionally, there are plenty of other third party sources that make packages for Ubuntu as well that don’t go into the repository. Far more third party packages are made for Ubuntu than they are for Debian.

Linux Mint

Last but not least is Linux Mint, which has quickly climbed the ladder to one of the top spots on the “Most Popular Distributions” list. Linux Mint is based off of Ubuntu (although they also have another version that is based off of Debian, cutting out the middle man), and is binary compatible with Ubuntu, making all packages meant for Ubuntu usable in Linux Mint. While I may be oversimplifying my view of Linux Mint, it doesn’t add a whole lot to the original Ubuntu release aside from a very customized desktop.

Sometimes the Linux Mint team also decides which desktop environment to use (a previous release used GNOME 2 while Ubuntu was on Unity and other were on GNOME 3, and the current release uses GNOME 3 while Ubuntu still uses Unity). Linux Mint simply does what it was meant to do back when it was first created – to take Ubuntu and fix any usability problems that were perceived by users. A more customized desktop and codecs out of the box are a major part of that difference.

Conclusion

So why these long descriptions of what each Linux distribution is like? Picking a distribution isn’t about what’s termed to the the best (although there will be plenty of people who may tell you otherwise), but what works best for you. People can be nice and make recommendations instead of telling you that you have to use the most popular distribution, but at the end of the day it’s still your choice. If the descriptions I provided weren’t very helpful, you can always burn a couple of Live CDs for Ubuntu and Linux Mint, and try out Debian in a virtual machine if you don’t want to try it right away via an actual installation.

Which one out of the three Linux distributions do you prefer? Which do you prefer in general, including the RPM family and beyond? Let us know in the comments!