Ubuntu 9.10

The new version of Ubuntu was released on 22nd Oct, and as usual I've had a play with it on the EeeBox to see if it is a viable replacement for Windows XP (which I'm getting a bit tired of to be honest).

For the last few versions, it's been possible to install Ubuntu side by side with Windows without having to repartition your drive. It stores all its files in a special dedicated file on your windows drive but otherwise runs dual-boot with windows. When you've decided you've had enough, you just boot into Windows and uninstall the application and Ubuntu is removed. Performance is not exactly the same as running it natively, but it does let you test your hardware more realistically than with a virtual machine. On the EeePC video can very slightly jerk when the motion is too fast, but it's still watchable.

This 9.10 version seems to be even better than previous ones - and many of the small irritations I've seen appear to have been removed (trouble playing Dolby Surround AC3 through the S/PDIF port for example). As a result, I am seriously considering it as a replacement for windows for the first time. I've been through all my key applications and at the moment I can't find anything that I can't do on Ubuntu as well as on Windows XP.

I've also been playing with Windows 7 and MS have made some definite improvements. It's considerably less irritating than Vista was, and although I've not tried it personally, it will apparently run on an Atom N270 processor (EeeBox) without too much trouble. From my first impressions, I'd be happy to have a Windows 7 machine in the house where I resisted Vista completely. The problem is, it's £60+ per machine and I have four. This is why the new Ubuntu looks so attactive!

As usual the longer term issue with Ubuntu is what I do with my TVGuide application - do I rewrite it to be cross platform or not? This time I've decided to go the web route - looking at how advances in web technology might allow me to "draw" the guide without having to resort to Java or Silverlight.

My first experiments look pretty good, so I'm going to continue with them. The aim is to produce all the functionality in the existing Windows TVGuide through a web interface, allowing it not only to be cross platform, but also to be accessible from anywhere in the World. Once I get it working sufficiently well, I'll post some images to demonstrate it.