Jason Brooks

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Scribus 1.0 Although early in its development, Scribus 1.0 provides Linux users with a solid desktop publishing option with good PDF export capabilities. Scribus is licensed under the GPL and available for free download, making it a very affordable choice for small-scale desktop publishing projects. More information is available at web2.altmuehlnet.de/fschmid. KEY PERFORMANCE […]

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Sparcle 650SX Tadpoles Sparcle 650SX can mobilize 64-bit Solaris workstation users by offering them a solid laptop option with a size, weight and feature set that compare well with Intel-based desktop replacement laptops. Ranging from $3,000 to $6,000, Tadpoles Sparcle line is an affordable, convenient way to untether the developers, engineers and consultants […]

Last month, Lindows.com began shipping version 4 of its consumer-focused LindowsOS Linux distribution. This edition has a lot to offer newbies, and some things for power users, too. The $50 ($60 if you want physical media) LindowsOS starts users off with a Flash-based tutorial that describes, with sound and animation, the functions of all that […]

Lindows.com Inc. is out to become the face of Linux for the average home user by sanding down the spots on the Linux desktop where new users tend to get splinters. I recently took LindowsOS 4.0 out for a spin, and I think that Lindows.com has done a good job with it. While its unlikely […]

When the first batches of handheld computers running Microsoft Corp.s Pocket PC software hit the market, it was the Compaq Computer Corp. (now Hewlett-Packard Co.) iPaq that best stood out from the crowd. eWEEK Labs tested the iPaq H5550, which began shipping last month with the launch of Microsofts Pocket PC 2003. The $649 H5550 […]

Almost every Linux user encounters certain Windows-only applications that they must or would like to run. There are workarounds, however. One such option for running Windows applications within Linux is Netraverses Win4Lin Workstation Edition 5.0, which Ive recently been testing. The $90 product enables Windows to live within an auto-resizing window on your Linux desktop. […]

Although Linux tends to grab most of the open-source operating system spotlight, its hardly the only solid free software option. eWEEK Labs tested one open-source alternative, FreeBSD Version 5.1, which started shipping last month. The FreeBSD Project describes Version 5.1 as a “new technology” release, intended to enable users to check out new features, such […]

The state of software support for Linux has gotten pretty good—for me, its gotten good enough that the only Linux-unfriendly application for which I pine is the Launchcast streaming music service Ive mentioned in previous columns on Codeweavers Crossover Office and on app interoperability in general. However, my own business computing needs dont stray too […]

If youve had a hard time wrapping your mind around The SCO Groups intellectual property campaign, I dont blame you. Getting a handle on just whats at issue and on what it all means has been particularly tough because the body of SCOs allegations has swollen in number and scope since this all began in […]

Public 802.11b wireless access points, or hot spots, can provide a fast and convenient way to access the Internet and corporate network resources while away from the office—provided you can find an access point when and where you need one and can brave sometimes-confusing setup and payment procedures. eWEEK Labs tested three services designed to […]

For connecting to the internet while away from the home or office, users can increasingly choose between cellular data networks, such as GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) and 1xRTT, and 802.11b-based wireless hot spots. Each connection method has its pros and cons, but the best solution may be a mixture of the two. T-Mobile is […]

Software pricing and licensing have always been something of a black art. The question of whether to scale costs by user, CPU or some other concocted measure, such as Oracles ill-fated Universal Power Unit, is a query that belongs in the category of “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?” Now, […]