Windows 7 Beta has expired...What can I do?!

As some of you may or may not know, I dual-boot with Ubuntu on one partition and Windows 7 Beta on the other. I am usually using Ubuntu to do the most of my work but alas, at times I do need to use Windows for applications I use that will only run on Windows. If WINE would run these apps, I would be much happier but certain programs like, Photoshop CS3, Dreamweaver CS4 and the like, refuse to play nice with WINE or even an amazing program called Crossover.

Short & the long of it is, I need a Windows machine at times and I prefer speed over using a Virtual Machine.

So, imagine my disdain when I was reminded a few days ago that the Beta version of Windows 7 I was running was expiring on July 1st.

Well, July 1st has come and gone and thankfully the expiration hasn't done anything too drastic.

So far the changes are pretty benign; you get an annoying pop-pop that tells you ," This Beta version of Windows 7 will expire in '0' days. Please install any version of Windows 7 Ultimate', then after approx. two hours, the machine will shutdown trashing any unsaved work, messing with the registry, yadda-yadda-yadda.... From what I've read, the PC is only supposed to reboot every two hours but mine has been shutting down.

So this presented me with a problem; it tells you to "install any version of Windows 7 Ultimate...which won't be out until October.

So, I have a long-term [1 year] solution thanks to John Baker over at John Baker's Brit Blog. He points out that Microsoft is still offering free downloads to the Windows 7 RC [Release Candidate] version until August 15th!

What this means is that anyone with a Windows Live ID, [MSN, Live.com, Hotmail, etc.] can download the RC ISO, burn it to a disc and replace the beta version. The good news is that this version is good until June 1, 2010 which gives users like myself time to decide what to do.

Bad news is, if you already have a version of Windows 7 installed, you have to back up all of your data because the upgrade will perform a full format of your hard drive. This frustrates me to no end as Ubuntu, ever since I first installed it back in 2005, releases an upgrade, for free, every six months like clockwork.

When you perform the upgrade, you never have to back anything up as Ubuntu just works and makes sure all of your important data won't be destroyed.

Anyway, here are my options;

1. Keep using Win7Beta & keep an eye on the clock so I know when it's going to shut down. [This isn't really viable as I hear that it will completely cease operation on August 15th.]
2. Back up my 455+GB of data, then perform a full wipe while installing Win7RC.
3. Giving the "finger" to MS and performing a complete install of Ubuntu 9.04 -Jaunty Jackalope knowing that my data will be safe.

Well, I'm more than likely going to go with number 2 as I have the means to do it and also due to the programs I mentioned above. [I know there are Open Source alternatives like GIMP and Kompozer but I'm very good with the Adobe products...plus...I actually paid for these apps instead of boot-legging them like some other "unsavory types." As a software developer, I realize that we "gots to get paid" so if software is meant to be purchased, I buy it rather than downloading keys or cracks. Now it the software is offered for free...then heck yeah I'll use the free option and if I like it, I'll donate a few bucks to the cause.

So if you're in the same boat as I am, or something similar and you were wondering, "WTF! Expired!? What do I do??."

Just head on over to Microsoft's Windows 7 Release Candidate page and follow the instructions to back up your data and install Win7RC over the Beta.

Also, I am indebted to John Baker's very informative article and without it, I would have been caught off guard, stuck & Googling from my Android device attempting to find a solution, so jump on over there after reading this and make sure I haven't missed anything. ;-)

He also has an article regarding the release dates of the Official Windows 7 versions including pricing and it's definitely worth the read.

So until next time, post any questions as a comment or send them on over as an email to qanda@Krubuntu.com and if we have or can find a solution/answer for you, we will not only send you the solution, but if it's a good question or solution ro a previous one, we will use it in an article!

Thanks for reading as well as you re support and watch soon for our series on Getting Android to run on an OLPC XO-1 Laptop! Should be interesting!

Cheers,

~Matthew Krum

Another Hiatus

I know, I know, this blog rarely gets updated as it is and I have to take a hiatus due to having no job. I don't know if that's good or bad for the three people that read my updates but the good news is, I will still be updating, just not about Android or Linux.

I am going on a trip with my mother-in-law to Eastern Oregon, Eastern Washington and Western Idaho. What she does for a living is kind of weird, she collects Barn Owl Pellets. So we will be driving into places in the middle of nowhere and climping cliffs to get into caves to get pellets and going into old barns and climbing old (and new) silos and graineries. You know, places that barn owls frequent.

The good news is, I will be posting my progress here and also at Twitter.com/Krubuntu.

So please check it out, it can actually be something interesting to read and we will be back to our normal discussions in a week.

Now Open Source Sundays will still happen so stay tuned for our review of Microsoft Word 2007 vs. OpenOffice.org v. 3.1 and why I find myself using Open Office more & more eveyday.

Well thanks for reading and please continue to come back!

~Matthew Krum

"He who is without Newbness, may cast the first stone" Matthew 4:86

Aaand.... we're back.

All apologies to anyone that may have checked out our site in the last five months but we had a number of issues to clear up in our social circles, financial circles and dealing with a family pet's death. :-(

But we're back and we're ready to rock!

So as I stated in the first post as well as other places in the blog, we are dedicated to teaching people about alternative Operating Systems for computers as well as Open Source or free software options for various functions, businesses, devices and people. During our hiatus, my wife and I discussed what direction we wanted to go in with Krubuntu and what we felt we were best at teaching people and had the most resources to educate users.

What we've decided is a little off the path we had intended to follow but we feel this blog, (forum coming soon!) will still benefit users that have inquiries regarding their computers.

But...mainly we know that we will be a super-useful resource for individuals that need help with their mobile devices like; cell phones, smart phones, BlackBerry's, Internet tablets and even netbooks.

If you have a question about a mobile device or industry, we can answer it, regardless of OS.

On that note, I'm happy to announce that my wife and I recently purchased two G-1 Touch Screen Phones running the Android OS.

This device was billed by many as the iPhone killer when it was released in September. Now I can't judge the iPhone without being biased. I've never owned an iPod let alone an iPhone, I hate that it's a GSM device and you have to jump through hoops to get it unlocked and use it on network other than AT&T and I don't like the idea of being required to use iTunes to activate and sync your device. So, we won't be comparing this device to the iPhone.

What we will be doing is a video review of the G-1 that's more thorough than the ones that are currently cruising the blogs and a Weekly Review of Apps downloaded from the Android Market.

Now this doesn't mean that we won't be covering new distros of Linux or setting up the forum to answer questions so watch for those updates. Also, tune in every Sunday as they will be Open Source Sundays and we will be posting an article about a popular program or application that is commonly used with Windows or OS X, [like MS Word] and going over the Open Source equivalent or options [like Open Office.org Writer.]

But, as stated previously, we feel this is a better path for us to take and use our expertise on.

So, if you don't know what the G-1 is, check out http://www.t-mobileg1.com/ and if you don't know what Android is, check out www.Android.com and come back for Video Reviews of the G-1 and apps as well as Linux Distros and again, we are a not-for-profit organization and if you'd like to donate using PayPal, send any amount to Matthew@Krubuntu.com with Donation selected and type in Krubuntu where it asks what the payment is for.

Cheers,

Matthew Krum

Welcome...Newbs

Newbie (also said as noob or newby)

–noun

1. A slang term for a newcomer to Online gaming or an Internet activity: John Mccain is a total newb to Twitter.

May also be used for any other activity in whose context a somewhat clueless newcomer could exist: When Columbus set foot on the shore of the New World, the natives secretly thought he was a huge newb.

2. A mispronounced drunken slur describing an exotic dancer and said dancer's obvious state: Holy Cowl! That nady up there is totallry newb!

~Wikipedia

Welcome.

Well hello there, guys and gals, and welcome to the first post of our new blog, Krubuntu dot Com! I’ll cut to the chase and let ya’ll know what we’re about. As our charter states, our mission is to educate people on using applications and operating systems that are outside the norm because, well, basically the majority of computer users don’t know that there are other options. If I had a dime for every time I heard a computer referred to as “Windows” I’d have a butt-load of dimes!

Now there are many blogs, sites, forums, articles, etc. that tackle this issue but I noticed the majority of them were full of elitist L33T Speak, A$$holes that treated people with the simplest of questions like they were idiots. No One is an idiot here. Our motto is “Everyone was a newb at one time.” And it absolutely holds true. I was a newbie when I got my Commodore 64 back in 1979 and my mom was one when she got her Dell Inspiron three years ago. (She’s 64 and can run Excel and Calc like a champ now!) So my point is the majority of these sites and forums hate Microsoft and seem to want people to make the jump to Linux in some form or another, but when they ask a question that may have a simple answer, they’re treated like retards with flaming in the forums and insults all around. If you want people to embrace a different option when it comes to an operating system, you should welcome them and help them in any way they can, not treat them like an outsider. That’s going to push them away and help M$ maintain their monopoly on the PC world.

Our opening post here unfortunately isn't very informative as of yet as my family and I are very busy with some personal issues as well as professional ones at the moment, however...

We do have a video to share with you. Below is a video of one of our former cats, Lucky, the day after Halloween. I caught him playing with his Red Rocket and...well...just watch the video if you'd like to know more and click on it to eventually read a more detailed description.

(BTW, Lucky is one of our former cats but he isn't dead or anything. My wife has a great love of animals, especially cats, and she aspires to one day become a veterinarian. Unfortunately this love sometimes is blind and at one time, we literally had 19 cats living on or around our home. All have found their way into loving families or our local humane society save for one that we kept. He, like Lucky, is a Manx but not a midget and his name is Dingo. He's a pretty swell guy and very vocal which I actually enjoy. Moral of the tale and the video?

Spay or neuter your pets...now!)

Please don't let the tastelessness of the film keep you from checking back with us or subscribing to our rss feed. I promise that there will eventually be footage of Distro Tests, UI demos, and scenes from our daughter's third birthday party which is a riot as we got her a Penguin Blanket as one of her gifts and upon opening it, we asked her what it was and instead of saying “penguin” she gasped, “Tux!” She definitely gets that from my side of the family.

Also, bandwidth ain't free and neither are ICANN fees, (although they aren't too much....yet...) and we will have a PayPal Donation Button here for any kind-hearted souls that feel they would like to help a site that's trying to do some good in the world with some spare change. [or spare dollars...euros...loonies...etc.

So until next time, it has been a pleasure to make your acquaintance and as Google likes to say, “Don't be evil.” and remember, the next time someone asks you why the .exe file they downloaded won't open on their Ubuntu notebook, think twice before tearing into them, I'm sure at some point many of us wondered that.....except for Linus. :)

Cheers.

Matthew Krum