The Dreamworld of Propriety Software

IT professionals are supposed to be knowledgeable about technology. Yet it makes me wonder what world these people are living in when they state their company won’t be changing from Microsoft Office to competing software such as Open Office.

I’ve lost count of the posts on various tech websites where the authors go to painstaking depths to relive their experience of open source or free software. It seems a foregone conclusion among these people competing for their place in the spotlight that they need to agree, rather disappointedly, that they tried the software for a week or a two, a month and although it’s promising and has evolved considerably in the past years, it’s just not ready for the mass market.

After the eulogy they return to their Windows operated workplaces and continue to lock their company in to propriety software, costing the company not only hefty licensing fees but also more for resource hungry hardware. This is the world of Microsoft and it won’t change. Microsoft will continue to sell insecure, badly designed and overpriced software to its clients. When an IT manager suggests to management the company upgrades to the latest Microsoft software, financial managers take a deep breath when they analyse the amount of money the company has to spend.

There is an alternative and one that is quickly becoming more prevalent in the market place and in government institutions. The alternative is Open Office, the open source productivity suite built and supported by a community of developers. Open Office has all features of Microsoft Office but is free of charge and less resource intensive. Perhaps most importantly, Open Office advocates the use of the Open Document Format (ODF), an ISO standard digital format. This format was unanimously approved during the ISO balloting process, a stark contrast to the balloting fiasco which rejected Microsoft’s Open XML format.

The reason why the ODF will increase its prominence is due to the fact that it is an ISO standard. Governments and businesses needing to archive documents digitally and have the guarantee that should they need to access a document in fifty years time they will be able to do so. The ODF format provides this guarantee.

Microsoft does not due to their continually changing formats. Some of their older documents cannot be accessed by the latest offerings of their Office software. Microsoft’s formats, although widely used, are not standards. They are propriety formats which do not allow competitors to create compatible software which can reproduce the format. What this means is if a someone using an application other than Microsoft Office needs to save the document in the .doc format, there is a chance the same document will not be able to be accessed correctly using Microsoft Office.

In essence, Microsoft are holding the users of its products to ransom. If I use one Microsoft format for a number of years and then find out Microsoft plan to alter the format and require me to purchase the latest costly version of their software, I have no choice. I can either upgrade or continue to use the older software but should I encounter problems with it, Microsoft will no longer continue to support it.

To the contributors of tech blogs and IT managers who continue to insist they will never change to open source software because it is inferior to propriety software; try to keep your financial directors away from technology websites, as one day you will be required to explain why you have not considered a cheaper and in a lot of cases, better alternative to costly propriety software.

Photoshop for Linux Campaigning Needed

It would be great news if the recent moves by Dell to listen to the requests of consumers and sell computers installed with Ubuntu Linux may have paved the way for other companies to do something similar.

A large number of Linux users would extremely happy if software manufacturers such as Adobe decided to port their software to Linux. They have released Flash for Linux, but more is needed. What Linux users need from Adobe is CS3. I’m not suggesting there aren’t any good alternatives, there are, but nothing comes close to the high quality products produced by Adobe such as Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, which are literally the de facto standards in their respective categories.

Why haven’t Adobe released CS for Linux?

1. Demand, despite lively discussions on blogs and in web forums, are there enough people using Linux who want Photoshop?

2. Opposition from open source enthusiasts who would only accept Adobe if the code was opened up.

3. Would Linux users, who are used to low cost or free software be prepared to spend $1000 on software?

4. The serious users of CS are already using Mac, once again demand comes into question.

5. Is Linux ready for the mass market and does it have enough share to warrant software manufacturers to invest time and money designing software for the platform?

My thoughts:

1. Yes, and according to this article (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/06/photoshop_on_linux), a lot of people agree.

2. Possibly, but software is about choice, unless you’re Microsoft, and should people be willing to pay for closed source software they have the right to do so.

3. Yes, like any product, its quality determines its value.

4. True. It’s unlikely to see people changing from Mac to Linux. Where there will be a change is from users who no longer want to use Windows, especially Vista. A large portion of these users would like to use Photoshop on Linux.

5. Yes, definitely. I’ll say it again, definitely. Once you’ve become used to using an operating system such as Ubuntu Linux, you’ll find Windows clumsy, antiquated and insecure in comparison.

What can the Linux community do to encourage Adobe to release CS3 for Linux? Start by contacting Adobe and requesting they do so. Second, encourage others to do the same. Third, start an online campaign, we’ve seen how successful they can be.

Switching to Ubuntu – 6 Month Review

About six months ago I discovered Ubuntu Linux totally by chance. I did some research and decided it was worth a try, so I downloaded and installed Ubuntu 6.10 Edgy.

With change comes resistance and I encountered my fair share of frustration trying to set up and tweak Ubuntu. The first problem I had was with the fonts which appeared out of focus and caused eye strain. I managed to resolve this but why the developers still release versions of Ubuntu with this problem surprises me. The next problem was trying to play streaming video and radio. This is a propriety codec issue but a search in the Ubuntu forums and in the supplied on-line documentation helped me resolve this. Open Office, a perfect replacement for Microsoft Office, had several bugs in it in Edgy 6.10. Resolving this required a lengthy work around and installing a later version of Open Office.

Ubuntu Edgy 6.10 was my first Linux operation system, but it was clearly a work in progress and as one user put it ‘Ubuntu’s problem child’. I enjoyed using it but due to the numerous bugs would rate it 5/10.

Enter Ubuntu Feisty 7.04 and the problems and bugs in Edgy 6.10 have been ironed out for the most part. Since this was my second time round, I was a lot more familiar with Ubuntu, by no means a competent Linux user, but I was able to install Feisty 7.04 with ease and although the user interface has changed somewhat, installation was trouble free and soon I was up and running.

What has really impressed me about Feisty 7.04 is the developers have taken a good look at previous versions of Ubuntu and made a lot of necessary changes. The fonts still look awful, but this is easily resolved once the xml files and MS Core fonts have been installed. The media codecs are easy to install using the ‘Ubuntu Restricted Extras’ application. The support for wireless and graphics cards is a lot better as well, although I don’t use wireless and have not encountered any problems with my graphics card.

I have found Ubuntu Feisty 7.04 incredibly stable and it is slick and refined and ideal for the average home and business user. The wealth of software provided free of charge is incredible. The accessibility of available software is easy through the Ubuntu repositories and users are guaranteed quality open source software free of viruses, adware or spyware. Once again, I emphasise the software is free of charge and in most cases is capable of exactly the same functionality of commercial software.

Gamers may find they have been left out by Linux, I won’t go into details (I’ve done so before in another post), but developers are not likely to allocate funds to developing high end games for the Linux platform.

At this stage Adobe have not released the Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, etc) for the Linux platform. Photographers and graphic designers will find this a compelling reason not to make the switch from Windows or Mac. There are Linux applications which can do a reasonable job here, but nowhere near the quality in terms of what Adobe provide. This is not a criticism, but rather stating the facts. Hopefully in the near future Adobe and other software manufacturers will realise Linux has become a market which can no longer be ignored.

At this stage in the life cycle of Ubuntu, I believe Feisty 7.04 is ready for the mass market. My rating for Ubuntu Feisty 8/10.

While there are people who may disagree about Ubuntu not being ready for large scale adoption, these are often tech journalists who complain Ubuntu won’t install properly on their laptops. Yet, they never seem to comment on just how challenging it is to install any Windows operating system if you are a new user.

With a change in mindset and the willingness to learn a new operating system, adopting Ubuntu is rewarding and a system designed to make computing easy and stable without the expense and security issues of Windows. But best of all, Ubuntu is a serviced by a world community who believe in helping each other and embracing something new, something not tainted by Microsoft.

RealPlayer on Ubuntu Feisty and BBC Radio

I live in Japan and at times need some familiar radio stations to provide a conduit to the English speaking world. Broadband and internet radio have made this possible.

I’ve had a few problems with streaming radio using Ubuntu, but thanks to RealPlayer for Linux I can access international news and music from the BBC and another favourite, Virgin Radio.

I tried half heartedly to install RealPlayer a while back, but for some unknown reason could not enable it. Recently I was browsing the Ubuntu forums and found a post where a user was having difficulty in using RealPlayer to listen to BBC Radio. I did some searching, found the Linux version and installed it.

This is a guide on how to set it up. Before continuing, ensure all the media codecs are installed, see this link for more information http://opensourceroolz.wordpress.com/2007/04/20/a-quick-customisation-setup-guide-for-ubuntu-feisty-704/

Download the Linux version from http://www.real.com/linux (I would suggest not downloading it to the Desktop, as after the installation, a ‘locked’ icon appears on the Desktop and it’s quite difficult to move if you’re not familiar with Linux commands). I have a folder called ‘Downloads’ in my Home directory, so I downloaded it to that folder.

Right click on the downloaded file and click Properties>Permissions and check the Execute: Allow executing file as program box.

Open a terminal, click Applications>Accessories>Terminal and type in cd Downloads (or the folder containing your downloaded RealPlayer file).

Copy the paste this command into the terminal, line by line (chmod… press enter, then do the same with the next line).

chmod +x RealPlayer10GOLD.bin

sudo ./RealPlayer10GOLD.bin

Follow the instructions in the terminal and RealPlayer will be installed. If you encounter ‘enter the prefix for symbolic links [/usr]‘ press enter and the installation will continue.

Enabling Firefox to stream audio requires the Media Connectivity Plug in. Install it from https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/446

Run the configuration wizard and ensure RealPlayer content points to /usr/bin/X11/realplay. Close the wizard and reboot Firefox. Go to the BBC radio website http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/ or other websites which have to the option to stream audio using RealPlayer and click on a ‘Listen’ link to tune in. When you click on a link a small window will open up with what looks like a grey film reel in it. When you move the mouse pointer over it, it will turn into a play button. Click this and RealPlayer will launch and the content will start streaming shortly after that.

Source:

http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Feisty#How_to_install_Multimedia_Player_.28RealPlayer_10.29

Slow boot time in Ubuntu

A recurring blind spot some software developers have is excluding new users by omitting easy to follow setup guides.

A few months back I commented on a problem I was having, as a new Ubuntu user, with Mplayer. I spent hours unsuccessfully trying to set it up in order to play streaming video and other media. Fortunately I found another solution using the VLC media player.

Recently I came across a useful application called ‘Bootchart’ http://www.bootchart.org. This application gives a detailed analysis of the boot sequence of your computer and provides the information in the form of a chart. If you believe your boot time to be too slow or have any other questions, you can attach the chart image and post it on the superb Ubuntu forums http://ubuntuforums.org and ask for assistance.

Setting it up is easy enough, getting to know how it works requires more unnecessary searching, something which the designers could avoid by pasting these simple lines on their website.

In Ubuntu Feisty 7.04, Click on:

1)System>Administration>Synaptic Package Manager and search for and install bootchart

2)Reboot

3)Access the boot sequence file by clicking on: Places>Computer>Filesystem>var>log>bootchart

The charts are stored in the ‘bootchart’ folder as .png images. Double click the image to view the details of your boot sequence. As I mentioned earlier, you can paste the image into a post in the Ubuntu forums where you can get advice on boot configurations.

Something I find frustrating with some software is the designers don’t seem to take first time users into account when they publish their products. Instead they make the assumption everyone using their software is already familiar with using Linux commands and terminology. This is a flawed assumption and could hinder the deployment of open source software. I’m speaking from experience here, despite the tips and encouragement I’ve had from the Ubuntu community, if I have a frustrating experience with software due to insufficient or complicated documentation, I’ll look for and use something else. It’s that simple. The implications of my actions? Minor perhaps, but should one hundred people have the same experience and tell other users the same thing, the fallout could be exponential.

Bootchart is a great product and could be made easier to use by taking new users into account.

Desklets for Ubuntu

Need a quick weather update on your desktop? Want to know if you have mail but don’t want to open your email client? Desklets are what you need.

The more I use them the more I like them and setting up desklets is now part of my check list after a new install. The desklets I currently use are to check weather, email on Evolution (the default Ubuntu mail client), a calender and an analog clock. Setting up desklets is simple:

System>Administration>Synaptic Package Manager> Search for and install gDesklets.

Once gDesklets is installed it should be located in Applications>gDesklets.

Open the application and search for the desklet you would like to appear on your desktop. Once you find the required desklet, double click on it, it will appear attached to mouse pointer. Place it on your desktop with a left mouse click.

Some of the desklets in the gDesklet shell don’t work, but there are usually several desklets performing the same function, so if one fails to work, try another. Once the desklet is on your desktop, it may need to be restarted in order to work. To do this, right click on the desklet and click on ‘restart desklet’. There are numerous ways to change the appearance of desklets, right click on the desklet and click ‘configure desklet’, to edit these.

A troublesome desklet I couldn’t get to work was the weather desklet. After some searching in the Ubuntu forums, I found the soluion.

Open gDesklets, Applications>gDesklets. In the left window (the category window), scroll to the bottom and click on ‘uncategorized’. Next, open your browser and go to this website: http://gdesklets.zencomputer.ca/

Scroll down the page until you see ‘GoodWeather’. Click and drag the link with the green check next to it into the open gDesklet Shell. The gDesklet Shell should appear at the bottom of your screen, when you drag the link into it, it will open up and the desklet will install. It takes a bit of practice. Double click on it and when the desklet appears on your desktop, right click on it and click on ‘configure desklet’. For the location code, you can find the required code at www.weather.com. Search for your city, my city is Chiba, Japan. In the web browser address bar it lookss like this:

http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/local/JAXX0006?from=recentsearch

The code I need for my desklet is JAXX006. When I enter the code, the desklet displays the weather information for my city.

For the desklets to appear on start up, click on System>Preferences>Sessions, click on ‘new’, type in ‘gdesklets’ (without the quotes). If you asked for a session number, type in 50. The gDesklet shell icon will appear on one of your desktop panels, if you want it to disappear, right click on it and uncheck the option which tells it to appear in your panel. After a restart the icon will disappear.

Install and Configure Ubuntu

The iso has been burnt, it’s been installed and Ubuntu Feisty 7.04 is up and running, but you need to do some fine tuning.

I downloaded Ubuntu Feisty 7.04 and burned a CD with the iso image needed for the installation. The installation went smoothly as ever, this was to be expected from Ubuntu. After getting used to some minor changes with the installation configuration, Feisty was up and running in around 30 minutes. When I rebooted, Ubuntu downloaded some updates and I then went about the task of customising Ubuntu the way I like to see it.

Some useful tips for new users:

Make the fonts in Ubuntu appear similar to the Windows XP fonts (less strain on the eyes)

Install msttcorefonts (System>Administration>Synaptic Package Manager> search for msttcorefonts and install these.

Next, download the xml files and save them to your desktop: xml files

Open a terminal: Applications>Accessories>Terminal

cd Desktop sudo tar xvjpf fontconfig.tbz -C /etc/fonts/

Remember to reboot for the settings to take effect.

Multimedia codecs

Something which caused anguish in the past has been made simple.

Click on Applications>Add/Remove Applications>search for Ubuntu Restricted extras, install these. You will now have most the of the codecs needed to play streaming video and audio. In the same application, search for and install the Flash plugin. Search for and install the VLC Media Player, I found this the most useful and reliable media player to use, especially for streaming.

Firefox media streaming

Search for and install the media player connectivity add on in Firefox:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/446

When it’s installed use the wizard and configure VLC to play all streaming video.

*Note I encountered a problem which resulted in degraded quality when I stream video from Yahoo using VLC, fortunately I found a fix; this may or may not work for you. When you open a link to streaming content from Yahoo, click on ‘Video Quality’, the option next to ‘help’ (your current preference / detected streaming rate is displayed). Mine is 300k. Click on 100k, then ’select’, an advert may reappear, when it’s finished, click on ‘Video Quality’ again and select your original settin (mine was 300k so I clicked it again), then ’select’. When you click on the small ‘play button’ the quality should be greatly improved.

Mount Windows and enable write access to the Windows partition (for users dual booting between Windows XP and Ubuntu).

Open a terminal Applications>Accessories>Terminal:

sudo mkdir /media/windows

Still in the terminal, Back up your disk configuration file:

sudo cp /etc/fstab /etc/fstab_backup sudo gedit /etc/fstab

In the text editor, append the following line at the end of the file:

/dev/hda1 /media/windows ntfs umask=0222 0 0

This is taken from the Ubuntu documentation https://help.ubuntu.com/6.10/ubuntu/desktopguide/C/ch10s03.html

The instructions indicate they are for Edgy 6.10, but they work fine in Feisty 7.04.

Next, click on System>Administration>Synaptic Package Manager> search for and install NTFS CONFIG (an application which enable write access to the Windows partition).

When NTFS CONFIG is installed, click on Applications>System Tools>NTFS configuration tool, check ‘Enable write support for internal device’, if you share Windows and Ubuntu on the same hard drive.

This basic guide should help to set you up with some minor, but important features, made a lot easier with Ubuntu Feisty 7.04. More to follow shortly.

Sources:

www.ubuntu.com

www.ubuntuforums.org

Innovation and Ubuntu Feisty 7.04

Hype is contagious and with the imminent release of Ubuntu Feisty7.04 I found myself checking the net every ten minutes to see if the latest release was available.

For Ubuntu Linux users the eagerly awaited Ubuntu Feisty 7.04 is about to be released and the buzz is palpable in the forums. Hype it seems is contagious. I checked the Ubuntu website this morning as soon as I woke up, hoping to be one of the first to be able to download the stable version, since I live in Japan and April 19 happens in Japan earlier than most places in the world. Unfortunately Ubuntu haven’t specified when exactly when Feisty 7.04 is going to be released, it could be any time during the day – or night.

I keep updated with most major events and I watched closely as Sony botched the launch of the Playstation 3 and Nintendo claimed an early victory with the Wii. Microsoft drew as much excitement with the launch of Vista as a cup of stale coffee. Maybe it’s because users are bored with Microsoft or because blogs have created an awareness of the underhanded way in which Microsoft are attempting to force users to use software and hardware Microsoft approve.

I can’t pin it down, but something about Feisty 7.04 has got me really excited and I’ve joined the hype, clicking to the Ubuntu website every ten minutes to check whether it’s been made available to download. I started using Ubuntu about four months ago and currently use the Edgy 6.10 version. I’ve experienced some problems but now I’m a full convert and won’t return to Windows or anything else related to Microsoft.

The Linux environment offers flexibility and the opportunity to innovate, something seriously lacking at Microsoft. The open source nature of most of the software on Linux provides an affordable, stable and secure operating environment. Linux is free of spyware, adware and viruses which continue to plague Windows. The nature of the Linux platform means it is inherently more secure than Windows.

I’ve been satisfied with Ubuntu Edgy 6.10 but I have encountered some minor problems I would rather do without. These include the flawed default version of Open Office 2.03 in which the fonts are broken. This can be remedied by installing version 2.2, but it’s a time consuming process and has some disadvantages. Other problems include the problems installing multimedia codecs. While this is not in any way the fault of Ubuntu, it can be tricky to install the codecs, although third party software such as Automatix simplifies the process.

From what I’ve found out about Feisty 7.04, the operating system is more streamlined and has evolved substantially from version 6.10. I have to admit, I can’t wait to install it and see just how much the latest version of Ubuntu has changed.From the past few months, seeing the many changes I have in a short space of time, my money is on Feisty 7.04 being another very good reason to change to Linux and steer clear from Windows.

Open Source is Freedom to Innovate

It can be pulled apart, twisted and manipulated, resulting in a final product somewhat similar but more innovative.

Free software is the tool and with code that can be stretched, twisted and manipulated, an original application can be made into something resembling the old product but with possibly more innovative features. For some applications this may not mean a lot to the end user, but for others it may be the deciding factor in a changing operating systems or replacing the software applications of an entire company.

It’s a daunting experience changing from the relative comfort of Windows XP to a new operating system such as Ubuntu Linux. The initial challenge of learning a new operating system is frustrating at times. In the early stages of changing, whenever I encountered a problem I couldn’t solve I was continuously asking myself if I needed the hassle when I could continue to use a system I was used to. I told myself I did; Microsoft’s vision of the future looks like a murky blue swamp, stagnant and uninviting.

For users who use Linux but also need Windows applications unavailable in Linux, dual booting is currently one of several options. When installing Ubuntu, it’s easy to set up your partitions with the Ubuntu Live CD and when you finish installing Ubuntu the Windows partition appears on the desktop. The next step is to mount the Windows partition, once again the process is relatively straight forward:

A lot of users who keep the Windows partition need write access (the ability to transfer files from Ubuntu to folders on the Windows partition). NTFS-3G ( http://www.ntfs-3g.org) is a tool that allows write access to the Windows partition. When I first started using Ubuntu I was afraid of trying out applications which required entries using the command line in the terminal, but thanks to the help of the many users in the Ubuntu forums, I was able to mount my Windows partition and enable write access to it using NTFS-3G.

I recently re-installed Ubuntu and when I was looking for instructions on how to install NTFS-3G once again, I came across a new application called NTFS-config (http://flomertens.free.fr/ntfs-config). This application, once installed, enables write access to a mounted Windows partition with the click of a button, instead of editing the partition configuration using the command line.

Step 1. Download the file ntfs-config_0.5.5-1_i386.deb and install it by double clicking on it and following the instructions.

Step 2. Click on Applications> System tools>NTFS configuration tool, check ‘enable write support for internal device’.Now write access is enabled and you will be able to transfer files from Ubuntu to Windows.

The implications of this tool are significant. For new Ubuntu users, asking them to use several command line entries to edit fstabs and change hda1 lines may be too daunting. We’re all too familiar with the Windows way of installing and changing software. New users are in unfamiliar territory and may have visions of their data being destroyed by an incorrect command entry. Ntfs-config eliminates part of process, thus making it easier for new users to successfully enable write access to Windows.NTFS-3G is a very useful application and has been changed and molded into something a new user could use relatively easily. If NTFS-3G was not open source it is doubtful whether modification to its code would have been allowed. Most software manufacturers forbid code manipulation using their software. They believe they have the right to do this as they believe they are protecting their intellectual property. Companies who produce high quality software, have no reason to be insecure about open source software. Users will continue to pay for something they perceive to have value and can justify the expense.

Open source will lead the development of software for many applications in the future. It is only by opening the software coding where developers will see innovation at its best. Sometimes it is the simple solutions which are so easily overlooked, and as many past experiences prove, simple solutions are often the best.

XP on Ubuntu using VM Ware? Microsoft doesn’t agree

Yawn…another blog having another dig at Microsoft. But sometimes it takes a decisive moment for the absurd reality about Microsoft to finally sink in.

Most people tolerate Microsoft because they have to. For me this was the case because until fairly recently I didn’t know much about other options apart from Mac. My limited understanding of Linux was all it did was run servers well. I had no idea about the limitless desktop possibilities now making their way into the mainstream. Then I discovered Ubuntu Linux and now I only use Windows XP to run applications I don’t have in Ubuntu, by dual booting.

Dual booting serves its purpose well and thanks to NTFS-3G, an application enabling write access to my Windows partition from Ubuntu, I can partially edit digital photos in Windows and complete the process in Ubuntu using Gimp. I can retrieve all my Windows documents and files while running Ubuntu and can transfer files to my Windows partition from Ubuntu.

While searching the Ubuntu forums recently, I came across VMWare virtualisation software. From my understanding using this software would enable me to run Windows in Ubuntu without the need to dual boot. Dual booting works well, but I thought it would be useful and a worthwhile learning experience to try it out. If I got it working I would be able to run Ubuntu and Windows XP without the need to dual boot. In theory it would work but Microsoft had other ideas.

I found an excellent guide on how to install VMWare Player in Ubuntu:

(http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=342631&highlight=howto+vmware)

The installation was simple and soon I was able to boot Windows XP Service Pack one in Ubuntu. I was impressed by the ease of the installation as it was a lot quicker than a conventional Windows XP installation, but at the back of my mind I knew there had to be a catch.

Unfortunately I found the catch too late. Since I was able to set up VMWare Player easily I decided to do a complete system re-installation. I reformatted my hard disk and deleted the Windows partition and re-installed Ubuntu. After the Ubuntu installation, which took about 40 minutes, I installed VMPlayer and added Windows XP to it. I booted it up and then went about the tiresome process of installing the Windows updates. I clicked on Windows Update and was told I couldn’t update Windows XP at the time. I searched for help from Microsoft and was told my Windows XP disc was most likely counterfeit or there was a problem with the installation. It was neither of the two.

I don’t have counterfeit software on my laptop, I have the original Windows XP installation disc and the Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity sticker with the activation key on it. I did some more searching for a solution and found nothing. I believed it could have been a regional issue since I live in Japan and I bought my laptop in China. I contacted Microsoft and tried to activate Windows XP by phone with the same result.

I spoke to an operator at the help desk who took my details and investigated my problem. She told me a while later my problem was due to my Windows XP disc being an OEM version, not a retail version and as such I could only install it on my laptop and not on a virtual machine. She told me the virtual machine is recognised as another computer. I told her I was unsatisfied and she apologised and said there was nothing she could do.

I stand to be corrected, but is this how Microsoft operates?

1) You buy a laptop and pay an exorbitant license fee for the privilege of using Windows XP.

2) Part of the licensing conditions are you may not install your Windows license on another computer.

I have adhered to both of the above but Microsoft are not fulfilling their side of the deal. On my system my primary operating system is Ubuntu. I deleted the Windows XP partition and installed VMWare Player on Ubuntu. I then installed Windows XP and used VMWare Player to run it, but it would not allow me to update my system and install Windows XP Service Pack 2.

If this was a legal issue Microsoft would undoubtedly win in court as they would point out the fine print in the licensing issues I agreed to when I installed Windows XP. I don’t care, I’m not trying to circumvent any laws. All I’m trying to do is run Windows XP license in Ubuntu. I’m not trying to dual boot and run another Windows XP license.

The result of this meant I had to reinstall Windows and revert back to dual booting between Windows XP and Ubuntu. As no one in their right mind would risk running Windows XP without any updates due to security reasons. Installing Ubuntu takes about 20 minutes and its updates take another 20 minutes, so within an hour I’m up and running. Reinstalling Windows XP is painful and takes two to three hours, why I have no idea.

This was my decisive moment with Micrsoft. They may be the world’s largest software manufacturer and have unlimited resources at their disposal, but it baffles me no end why thy cannot take a logical approach to designing their products, instead they try to force their policies on consumers through threats and absurdity. This is one of the many reasons why people hate Microsoft and an even better reason to use alternative software.