Greatly Reviewed!

I remember what a my friend said several weeks ago. We were discussing about Linux (through Yahoo Messenger) when he suddenly changed his status from “available” to “when you buy microsoft, you only get windows, but when you use linux, you’ll get a house and lots of maintenance”. I suddenly burst out in laughter. It was funny and ironically right.

Yeah, when you buy software from microsoft, you’ll find ready to use software. You JUST use it. You USE windows with all its consequences.

But, when you use Linux, you get a very mutable thing. You can modify most of its part–if not all. You can even develop your own Linux (only when you think you’re strong enough…. and it’s never impossible to be strong enough, hehehe).

Ya, that’s when you’re good in Linux “language’. You can expect to get anything from Linux. You can even get a vista-like (or even Mac-like) appearance–which is much beautiful that the ADEQUATELY beautiful windows xp.

However, when you’re still a newbie in it, you can expect yourself to STILL miss windowsness :D, you wish you had panel kontrol–> add/remove software when you’re in a position where you need to install a program. As for myself, this newbie end-user, using Linux is quite a struggle.

However, so far I enjoyed its beautiful compiz, visual effects, which I’ve never found in windows xp. And I’m sure, if more people use Linux, it will get better-and better. I’m sure of it. And I’m quite proud to be among its users.

These days, I’m really involved in a book called Ayat-Ayat Cinta (Verses of Love) by Habiburrahman El-Shirazy. This is a very best-selling Islamic romantic book in Indonesia. A movie director has moviezed this book and the movie itself enjoys a very good welcome by Indonesian viewers.

Basically, this book tells about a protagonist that is very straightly religious in  living his worldly life. We can say as if the protagonist, named Fahri, is a true mirror of Muhammad. All his thoughts, moves, and all reflect those of Muhammad’s.

Well, it is a good way of promoting Islam actually, if only someone would volunteer to translate it into English.

From this post on (to about several posts), I’ll be talking about this book, its strengths, its weaknesses, its too-romantic points and too-saintal parts and all…

So, please be prepared, okey?

Man! I just got an information from a friend of mine (who happened to have introduced me to Linux) that on that holy April 24 two days ago, Ubuntu’s server was down several times due to overaccessed. People from around the world accessed ubuntu.com, I think to know more about Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron or because too much people downloaded the iso.

Well, this friend of mine also said that this is the first time that Ubuntu’s release absorbed people’s attention, people-from-around-the-world’s attention. Seeing this phenomenon, it occured to me how people welcome Ubuntu more than they have ever shown. Forums show how people consider Ubuntu as a user friendly Linux, the Linux for newbies (in Unix-based OS), the most down-to-earth Linux, the Linux in which Terminal is (almost) not a must :D. Seeing this trend, we can say that it is impossible that more people will turn to Ubuntu when they find that buying a licensed Windows becomes an expensive thing.

Yeah… let’s wish for the best. I mean, let’s wish that Ubuntu can be as user-friendly as Windows (without loosing its stability) so that we don’t have to spend several hundred dollars only to buy a single compact disc.

These days, amidst all things that keep me busy, I realized how there are lots of free stuffs in the Internet. They include lots of open source software, services, opportunities to earn money and all. At this very moment, I can tell several open source program like AVG antivirus, Linux programs, WordWeb dictionary (one of the greatest invention on earth, a very small but powerful dictionary and thesaurus). From the range of services, we can find free email services, free web log hosting services, free website translation services and free document convert (especially from Office 2007 documents to Office 2000-2003 documents) services.

And now, after getting a free webhosting, I bought a domain called www.4-free.cn to inform people about free stuffs in the Internet. I just hope this site will be helpful for peopele who wish to get the most from the Internet without having to spend lots of money.

Last year (and the years before), April 24 didn’t mean anything to me. I would do all my activities like the other days. But now, April 24 is different. Okay, I think you know the reason now. It’s because since for months ago I have been using Ubuntu (it was Ubuntu 7.10) and I have been informed that Ubuntu is released twice a year, in October and April. And in April, it’s on the 24th.

Since early last month, I have heard from my friends that Ubuntu would launch its newest version, called Hardy Heron, on April 24. I became excited and planned to have the newest version. And this morning, when I arrived at the office, a friend of mine told me that he had already downloaded Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron. Wow! As a newbie in Linux, I was very excited and I wanted to know what difference Ubuntu offers this time (last year, I was happily  surprised to know Ubuntu’s visual effects, called Beryl).

However, because I got some troubles while installing the OS in my office computer, I decided to bring it home. And at home, I installed it in my laptop. And you know what? It worked. Very much. Well, it runs smoothly and faster. Much faster than Windows XP, for me. So, I think I’m gonna enjoy my days with Ubuntu more and more.