You may not have heard much about it yet, but some people are already discussing Windows 7, the operating system that is currently being developed to replace Windows Vista some day.

Even though I’ve been using Linux full-time instead of Windows since July, 2006, I’m still mildly curious about the growing body of speculation regarding Microsoft’s next OS.

Whether you’re a Windows user or not, if you like to keep an eye on new developments, you’re going to want to read a Linux user’s viewpoint: How Windows Can Save Itself: Three Things We Want to See in Windows 7.

I first created this web site more than 10 years ago. Judging by the email messages that I receive, its approximately 4,000 visitors each day represent a wide range of computing experience, from Windows newbies to Linux veterans.

But no matter where you fall on that continuum, I’ll bet that you can benefit from — or know someone who would benefit from — reading 7 Common Online Computing Mistakes.

If you’re pretty computer savvy, you already know something about how Windows, Linux and the Mac compare to each other, and why you’ve chosen whichever operating system that you use.

But unless you’re more computer savvy than I am, I’ll bet you’ve never heard of most of 10 Amazingly Alternative Operating Systems And What They Could Mean For The Future.

AmigaOS is the only one that I had heard of before. In fact, [more...]

It’s ironic that even though Linux is much more secure and reliable than Windows, Linux users can choose between several free and open-source backup and cloning programs, while Windows users — whose data is at a much higher risk for being infected or destroyed — don’t have any really good backup and cloning programs that are free.

Norton Ghost is probably the most capable and popular Windows backup/cloning solution. Unfortunately, Ghost retails for about $70.

The good news is that [more...]

Anyone who’s read How I Lost More Than 100 Pounds knows that one of my favorite healthy snacks is air-popped popcorn.

Since air-popped popcorn isn’t cooked in oil, it’s incredibly dry and salt doesn’t stick to it very well. That’s why I used to spray my popcorn with Smart Balance buttery spray before I salted it. It tasted great, but Smart Balance’s pump sprayer sprays large droplets that get the popcorn “wet,” causing it to shrink to a smaller size.

In an effort to find a solution to that problem, over a period of several weeks, [more...]