audio capture

Keeping with the linux theme of the previous post, I just got my mic to work on linux after trying different solutions and almost giving up, but persistence prevailed.

One of the issues i knew i would have when i decided to switch to ubuntu linux is the issue of sound and video compatibility problems. I had no problem with my sound output and i've not tried video output but thats probably another post but audio-in have proved to be a challenge.

I went full circle, from not knowing the manufacturer of my audio driver, to checking through forum posts to downloading and installing tarballs that didn't really fix the problem. Benq does not have support for linux drivers and intel is no good either so to make a long tiring story short, i found this site that offered a simple effective solution to my audio capture woes and in so doing deepened my understanding of my new os.

What started the frantic search for a fix to my audio capture problems was the announcement of skype 2.0 for linux with video support. And in good time too, i can video chat this weekend. Yay! I only wish yahoo messenger was better supported on linux then there would be one less reason to switch back to windows.

Can't wait to try it out, let you know how things turns out.

~shalom~

the matter of choice

Choice
1. Act of choosing; the voluntary act of selecting or separating from two or more things that which is preferred; the determination of the mind in preferring one thing to another; election.
[1913 Webster]

Its not always fun when we have to choose between two or more things/situations. Last week my computer was acting up, the browser kept crashing, my antivirus didnt tell me anything was wrong but it was so annoying that i decided to reformat. This choice gave me the option of installing linux as the main os on my computer which I did. I've used ubuntu linux before and it worked fine on a dual boot arrangement before i did something stupid and had to take it off. This time my intention was to use linux and nothing else. Kind of like saying talk to the hand to microsoft.

The good
I love linux and all the customisations you can do on it. Its just sweet. Plus its free, you dont have to worry about breaking any laws and there are great apps supported and since most of my school work is done on linux it seems to be the perfect solution.

The Ugly
After using ubuntu linux and spending hours customising it to my hearts desire, i have begone to find certain limitations especially with the software support. For example, i can us pidgin which is a multi-platform im client as my main im client but it does not have features like video and audio calls supported. There's a solution to this which is to run windows in a virtual environment, but that will require hard disk space i dont have and RAM i'm short on. There's also the possibility of running windows apps natively on linux using wine but only certain apps are well supported which brings me to the point i'm in now.

The choice
I want the ability make audio and video calls using skype and y!messenger but like i said its not supported to linux. A possible solution would be to scrap the linux dream and go back to windows or get another computer. The latter is a tempting proposition because if i want to get another computer then i will have to let go of the other things i want to get (see my wishlist) and i don't want that. Besides these there are other needs i need to plan and take care of that all require $$$.

Another interesting dream is to get a mac. I've been toiling with the idea for a while now and i decided that for now my mac dreams will remain dreams. I simply cannot afford to get one now, hope they drop the prices soon.

So is it back to windows or will i be sticking with linux for a while longer? I really dont know at this point. Any suggestions?

~shalom~

i want a mac

I mean don't we all want a mac? I know i do. I've been seriously considering the possibility of owning a mac, maybe replace my barely existing computer with a macbook. Why? Well a couple of reasons.

Macs are based on Unix. Unix is a very old operating system written in c. I'm doing a lot of c programming now so it would be easier for me to open a terminal and work straight with the vi editor or the upgraded vim editor.

But there are not many programs that run on a mac. True but there is the possibility of running windows on a mac on a separate partition so all the programs you want to run on windows can just run. There is also a VmWare solution where the windows installation can work on a virtual machine. Besides these there is a number of softwares being written for the mac.

Another thing i'm considering is the problem with viruses and spyware and all that rubbish. You simply don't get that on a mac its clean.

You've got to love macs for the visual effects and the customisable desktop.

However there are a few concerns. I watched steve jobs recent keynote on the new mac OS - leopard and it was really, really good. I'm thinking, why get a mac now and upgrade later when you can wait for leopard to come out and get it then. So this is another setback.

Macs are expensive. True, the macbook i have my eyes on costs about RM4199 but you can get a mac mini for less than 2k granted you need to buy your own keyboard, mouse and display. The new imac are a lot cheaper too except for the really big screen display models.

Hey linux is based on unix and its free why not get that instead. Ah linux, i installed ubuntu feisty fawn on my laptop and it was all good until i started to get problems with connection to the internet. I like linux, the fact that is freeware is enticing but its still not as user friendly. Of course linux would be the obvious solution since thats all we use in the labs maybe i'll give it another try.

The main problem still remains, i need new hardware, something with a dvd writer and better screens and graphics. Something that is stable and free from BSOD's something i would love to use for a long time coming. Do i really need a mac?

Oh btw heroes season 2 is out, not sure if people follow heroes anymore but thought you should know.
~shalom~