Who hasn’t had problems with Windows XP? Even people who rarely use it have to deal with its many problems, deficiencies, and quirks. But what happens when your problems go beyond the ordinary, into the realm of system failure? It’s Never Done That Before covers the broad space between “it works” and “it doesn’t work,” giving excellent methods for solving computer problems. However, while generally quite useful, this book suffers slightly from a lack of real-world experience on the part of the author.
Writing analysis
The writing quality is generally good, but the author loses points for using the corporate-created term intellectual property in the section on Windows XP product activation. Overall, though, this book is easy to read, follow, and navigate.
There are many screen shots, all of which appeared to be relevant to the topic being discussed. I do have one specific gripe about them, though: the author uses a non-standard Windows theme that has the most obnoxious, oversized font. It’s not a big deal because the window titles and message text are still legible, but people who are following along in the book should see the exact same thing in the pictures that they do on their computer screens.
Putting the book to the test
It’s Never Done That Before is comprehensive in its approach to computer troubleshooting. If problems extend beyond Windows XP to your actual computer hardware, no problem — the book has three whole chapters dedicated to hardware troubleshooting and replacement. I find the book’s focus to be spot on, though — most computer problems have a basis in Windows, not the actual hardware.
I’m tempted to say that the majority of your computer problems can be solved in the very first chapter because it superbly explains how to troubleshoot computer problems on your own. Subsequent chapters zero in on specific problems and solutions, which theoretically you won’t need if you can solve the problem on your own.
Most of the book’s Windows-specific content applies to both Home and Professional editions of Windows XP, and to the OEM, retail, and corporate license programs. However, It’s Never Done That Before is probably most practical for those who have purchased a retail box edition of Windows XP. OEM users are limited in what they can do with reinstalling the operating system because they are generally not provided with a proper Windows CD — they get a system restore CD instead, which formats the hard drive and writes a preconfigured disk image to it. Corporate users don’t generally have permission to reinstall their operating systems, and wouldn’t have access to the license key anyway. I don’t have the figures in front of me, but I know for a fact that the majority of the English-speaking world’s Windows installations are either OEM or corporate. This means that about 10% of It’s Never Done That Before is going to be useless to the majority of Windows users.
I used to work as a full-time and part-time computer technician. If I wasn’t sleeping, I was using, building, or fixing a computer, and that was what I did for about five years. My experience tells me that the author is either purposefully ignoring the issue of illegal software copying (“software piracy” is what it is generally called in popular media, though the term itself is silly and inappropriate for the actions it describes), or isn’t aware of its pervasiveness. In my time as a computer tech, rarely did any customers have their license key because at least half of all of the computer repair customers who walked through the door (manufacturer’s warranty work aside — we did Packard Bell, Compaq, and Sony) were using someone else’s copy of Windows. A friend or relative installed the operating system for them, or lent them their Windows disc, and used the Windows XP activation crack or a key generator if necessary. It’s Never Done That Before totally ignores this elephant in the room, mentioning only in the section on Windows product activation that it exists to prevent illegal copying, and that if you don’t like it, you should switch to Linux.
It’s Never Done That Before does not mention the Windows Genuine Advantage program, which has crept from the corporate world into the consumer realm. It’s a hassle to deal with if you have an illegal copy of Windows, as many do, but the real problem is that it’s a hassle to people whose software is totally legitimate. I think the author should have dedicated at least a section of a chapter to WGA.
Another major omission in the book is the fact of how malware gets onto a computer. Let’s face it — unscrupulous pornography Web sites and warez downloads are two extremely popular ways of getting your Windows computer irreparably infected with undesirable software. It’s Never Done That Before only mentions false ads for PC tune-up applications and filesharing programs like KaZaa, Morpheus, and BearShare. The author also fails to mention that the source of the infection must be discovered before putting anything back onto the computer after the operating system has been reinstalled. When I was a technician, I saw many instances where people brought back a repaired computer the very next day with all of the same software problems that I just fixed because they didn’t realize that a porn site or some warez application was causing the damage.
Lastly, I strongly disagree with the author’s assertion that a computer-savvy friend or family member should be willing to help you for free. Believe me, the last thing a technician wants to do after 8 hours of wrestling with intermittent hardware failures and stingy customers is to get a phone call from a needy acquaintance or relative with a lengthy computer problem. The author should admonish every such person to firmly and clearly offer money or some other meaningful compensation to computer professionals who are willing to help after hours.
Conclusions
I’ve spent much of this review pointing out the flaws in It’s Never Done That Before, but really it is an excellent book that can help nearly anyone who has a Windows-based computer. The only major fault that it has is that it is too squeaky clean — it ignores the silent but significant number of people who acquired their copy of Windows XP through a friend or family member (presumably the same one the author wants to fix your computer for free in their spare time), and it doesn’t recognize porn and warez sites as major sources of spy/malware. Ignoring reality doesn’t make it go away.
The good news is, It’s Never Done That Before has relevant information that is easy to follow, and the procedures and advice actually work. I even learned a couple of things from it, and I thought I knew everything when it came to Windows troubleshooting. If you’re beyond such books, you might consider giving it as a Christmas present to all of those annoying relatives that bother you with their frequent computer problems. The price of the book is nothing compared to the time you’ll save doing free computer repairs.
| Title | It’s Never Done That Before |
| Publisher | No Starch Press |
| Author | John Ross |
| ISBN | 1593271395 |
| Pages | Paperback, pages |
| Rating | 8 out of 10 |
| Tag line | A guide to troubleshooting Windows XP. |
| Price (retail) | U.S. $19. Buy it from Amazon.com |
Copyright 2006 Jem Matzan.
|
|
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.
|
We don’t need no stinking graphics
Stop and ask yourself this question: how do the Aero Glass, XGL/Compiz, and the candy-like bouncy/trouncy OS X interfaces make you more productive, or make games more fun? Forget how “beautiful” or “sexy” your computer or software is for a moment — a computer is neither a person nor a work of art, after all — and think about what you’re really using your computer for. What does a host of 3D effects add to those uses?
My answer is: nothing — in fact, the 3D effects of XGL/Compiz ruin my work environment because they’re so distracting, and they reduce my frame rate in 3D games. Aside from that, XGL has been known to cause system instability, and can be difficult to properly install and configure. So why on earth would I want this?
Graphical effects only seem to be useful when it comes to evangelism, when you need to show your friends all of the fancy tricks your computer can do. It’s the veritable equivalent of stupid dog tricks — they don’t improve the animal’s disposition, and they don’t make them more fun to play with, but boy are they good for impressing your friends.
It’s about the programs
What the desktop GNU/Linux (and *BSD) realm truly needs to increase its usefulness and viability is not stupid tricks, but specialized and competent programs that make the operating environment an indispensable tool. Right now GNU/Linux is where the coolest software is, and as a server OS it’s the first choice for many sysadmins, but it’s not really indispensable. If GNU/Linux disappeared tomorrow, most of the people who rely on it could switch to FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, or Solaris without a great deal of trouble. For the most part, all of these operating systems share the same benefits as GNU/Linux — good security, a large collection of ported applications, system administration tools built in, and access to the source code. You could probably even keep most of your scripts and other custom GNU/Linux hacks, or at least only have to modify them slightly.
OpenBSD and NetBSD have well-defined and focused niches: security and portability, respectively; no other operating systems fit these niches as comfortably. FreeBSD used to have a reputation as a Web server, but it has lost that focus and is now sort of the “Linux” of the BSD world — and that says just as much about GNU/Linux as it does about FreeBSD. They both do so much that they don’t really do anything at all. Specific GNU/Linux distributions do introduce a small amount of focus, but aside from a handful of desktop-oriented GNU/Linux distributions, I haven’t found any that really hone in on a specific use. For instance, I’d like to see a distro that is totally dedicated to serving Web pages, with the option to add FTP, rsync, and other Internet services. The kernel, the command line tools, and the graphical interface (if there is one — and there should be) would all be totally dedicated to configuring, delivering, and monitoring these Web services. Right now all that we have are gigantic, wide-ranging distros that we pare down and customize for our uses.
We also have gigantic, wide-ranging programs like OpenOffice.org that we fit to smaller uses. OpenOffice.org is the king of bloat and copycatism. Was it designed as a suite of tools that people commonly need in an office setting? No, it was designed to copy what was in Microsoft Office, whether or not it makes any sense to do so. If it were truly an “office suite,” it would have a program for making charts and other business graphics, a program for writing letters on predefined letterhead, an IM client, and an email/PIM program. It has none of those specialized tools.
If you remember the first few generations of Apple Macintosh computers, you probably knew them as desktop publishing machines. That’s what Macs were originally known for — superb desktop publishing, and at the time there were few or no viable alternatives to the Macintosh, especially for a comparable price. These days Macs are just fancy PCs, and although many audio and video recording engineers and artists prefer Apple hardware and software, Apple by no means has those markets cornered. Like everything else in the desktop computing world, the Macintosh has lost its focus.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Like the Macintosh in the mid-80s, GNU/Linux could just as easily establish itself as a must-have platform, but not just for desktop publishing — for a variety of niche groups:
- Software developers. GNU/Linux is already pretty strong in this arena because of the free software movement, but there are still many ways that it could be made more developer-friendly. For instance, there could be a desktop environment (or an entire GNU/Linux distribution) specialized for software development. As it is now, you have to assemble and customize your own development tools and then arrange the graphical interface (if you use one) so that you can more easily access them. The good news is, there are many excellent IDEs for a variety of different programming languages; excellent compilers and debuggers; and decent virtual machine frameworks. Sun Microsystems’ Java Desktop System, which is based on a prehistoric version of SUSE Desktop, does come close to being an ideal software development platform — especially for Java — but it still has a lot of unnecessary extras.
- Professional writers. Obviously this one is high on my personal wish list, but I’m not alone — writers are a large, neglected group of computer users. I regularly get email from other authors and journalists who repeat the same lament: there aren’t any really good programs or specialized environments for writers. We’re stuck with over-featured software like OpenOffice.org, or barebones tools like Vim and Aspell, and we have to modify our work habits to fit the boundaries of these programs. What we should have is a suite of literary-specific tools — one for drafting, outlining, and storyboarding; one for editing (spelling, grammar, punctuation); and one for publishing (page layout and design, etc.). Don’t forget screenwriters, either — they should have tools specific for their needs. Programs like JEdit and LyX can come close in many regards, but we’re still without heavy-hitting English drafting and editing tools on GNU/Linux.
- Graphic designers. The GIMP is good for computer graphics, but substandard for print graphics — or at least, that’s what the graphic designers say every time someone publishes a GIMP review. I’m not sure that appropriately advanced graphic design tools are necessarily absent in GNU/Linux, but they would be much easier to find and use if they were specialized to certain tasks. This is more or less the same gripe as the one above about professional writers — what’s needed here is a suite or collection of programs that each superbly perform a small set of focused tasks. And, like with programmers, a specific desktop environment or distribution would also help.
Many of these things could be accomplished simply by properly customizing GNU/Linux distributions so that they’re already pared down and focused. But who wants to do that? I’ll admit that the occasional late night spent watching Sopranos DVDs while casually setting up OpenBSD or Gentoo on a notebook computer is fun and interesting, but only because I have the technical know-how to do it. Most of the writers I know are tech-ignorant, and are stuck with computer setups that are overpriced and inappropriate for their work.
Going further with this idea, a particularly creative company could design hardware to go with a specialized GNU/Linux distro, thereby creating niche-specific computing appliances. I think the majority of computer users really want more of an appliance anyway — something they don’t have to mess with, fuss over, or spend a lot of time maintaining.
Even though pundits and programmers alike seem to disagree with me, I think the future of GNULinux desktop computing does not lie in making existing programs more feature-packed and graphically entertaining. The future is where it has always been — in achieving a higher degree of usefulness to the people who use computers for more than just programming. Recently, software developers have become shortsighted and distracted by “feature envy” in the months leading up to the Windows Vista release. I can’t wait until that’s over; maybe then I can look forward to some truly innovative software, rather than workalikes and lookalikes of programs I left the Windows world to escape.
Discuss this article or get technical support on our forum.
Copyright 2006 Jem Matzan.
|
|
|
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.
|
Writing analysis
The actual writing in Ajax Hacks certainly won’t win any awards. At times I found it difficult to read because of a mismanagement of words. Fortunately, the author doesn’t have to say much — the code speaks for itself.
The book’s screen shots are descriptive, but Apple-centric. I doubt the majority of Web developers are on Macintosh computers, and people like me tend to think of every Apple product placement as a secret advertisement for a kind of computer that we already know we don’t want to buy or use. Basically, I don’t want to see what OS you are using when the book is supposed to be focused on Web coding, and doubly so when the window decorations are as distracting as they are in OS X. Anyway, the screen shots are pretty evenly split between Firefox and Safari, which I found strange considering the special attention Internet Explorer needs in implementing Ajax, and the gigantic difference in global browser usage between IE (between 80 and 90 percent) and Safari (between 1 and 3 percent). Again, this is the machination of an Apple-centric author.
Speaking of browsers, the book covers Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera, and for some reason Netscape, with little mention of Mozilla and no mention of GNU/Linux browsers like Konqueror or Epiphany (though they use the same rendering engines as Safari and Mozilla, respectively).
Putting the book to the test
Ajax Hacks is able to zero in on actually using Ajax on Web sites in realistic ways, and that’s why I like it. Whatever you want to do with your Web site to make it more dynamic, this book has a tip that can be directly used, or easily modified for use (“Hacking the hack,” as the author calls it). All of the code samples in the book can be used in production Web sites without royalty or restriction, so you can more or less copy and paste the code as it appears in the book.
Ajax Hacks is split into topical chapters: Ajax basics, Web forms, validation, power hacks for Web developers, direct Web remoting (DWR) for Java jocks, hack Ajax with the Prototype and Rico libraries, work with Ajax and Ruby on Rails, savor the script.aculo.us JavaScript library, and options and efficiencies. Each chapter contains roughly ten hacks on each subject, along with an appropriate explanation and some advice on implementation.
In terms of content, the only thing really missing from Ajax Hacks is security. There’s only a passing mention of the fact that you need an SSL connection for a credit card validation form, and the example shows a standard, unencrypted form. I’m of the opinion that you shouldn’t even think of writing a credit card validation page without SSL.
Conclusions
If you’re trying to make your site more responsive and dynamic with Ajax and you’re already familiar with JavaScript, XML, and the document object model (DOM), Ajax Hacks will be a tremendous benefit to you. It can also be of use to you if you’re a competent Web developer who wants to figure out if Ajax will benefit your sites. However, if you don’t have any JavaScript experience and don’t know much about HTML, XML, or object-oriented programming, you’ll probably want to stay away from Ajax Hacks. This is definitely not a beginner’s text, or an “introduction to Ajax” or anything like that. It’s strictly for helping you put Ajax into production use. Not only does it do that well, but it also does it in the shortest amount of time imaginable.
Considering what you can do with this book, it’s a steal at $20.
Discuss this article or get technical support on our forum.
| Title | Ajax Hacks |
| Publisher | O’Reilly |
| Author | Bruce W. Perry |
| ISBN | 0596101694 |
| Pages | Paperback, 438 pages |
| Rating | 8 out of 10 |
| Tag line | Tips and tools for creating responsive Web sites. |
| Price (retail) | U.S. $19. Buy it from Amazon.com |
Copyright 2006 Jem Matzan.
|
|
|
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.
|
We’ve got the software and hardware support we wanted
A few years ago, many people became vocal GNU/Linux evangelists because they wanted hardware manufacturers to provide Linux drivers for their products, and software companies to provide a Linux version of their flagship programs. Popular belief was that a higher number of GNU/Linux users would spur these companies into action, giving us the products we wanted to buy. But that was an era when Linux hardware support was spotty and difficult, and many free software programs were unable to compete with their commercial Windows and OS X counterparts.
Today we live in a world where GNU/Linux supports the majority of desktop computer hardware, and has a wider range of more capable desktop software. Some of it is even better than the proprietary alternatives. OpenOffice.org is in many ways equal or superior to Microsoft Office; The GIMP can compete with all but the mot expensive graphics software; Firefox and Opera (though Opera is not free-as-in-rights) are easily the most versatile and capable Web browsers on the market; and proprietary games are increasingly being made cross-platform.
Is there any reason to further evangelize GNU/Linux if hardware and software companies no longer need to be reminded that this is an operating system that matters? Despite the enormous amount of progress that has been made in recent years, there are still a few problematic areas. RAID, sound card, and wireless network card support is not as good as it could be, and high-end design programs like those made by Adobe and Macromedia still don’t have functional free-as-in-rights equivalents. To most desktop users, these are not issues worth worrying about — not like years ago when 3D video card support was just a dream, and sound support through ALSA had to be installed and configured by hand. This progress was mostly achieved through better programming, not by convincing more people to use GNU/Linux on desktop computers. There is evidence to suggest that lobbying hardware manufacturers for proper hardware documentation is an effective method of improving driver support, however.
Unrealistic expectations
In order to get someone to switch operating systems, you have to convince them that the problems they are having with their current OS will not be present in the new one. But when you tell someone that there are no GNU/Linux viruses, trojan horses, or spyware, and that it never crashes, you’re setting up an image of software utopia for a Windows refugee. These unrealistic expectations can create a backlash of anti-Linux sentiment among those newly disillusioned with GNU/Linux.
After more than a decade with Windows, I know what to expect from it — I expect that it will often break, crash, or otherwise not work. This is not a myth; show me someone who says that they have never had a major Windows malfunction and I’ll show you someone who has never upgraded their hardware or software. I expect Windows to malfunction, so when it does, it’s no surprise — just more of the same crap from the same crappy operating system.
GNU/Linux, on the other hand, I expect to work unless I use experimental software; if something goes wrong, more often than not, it was due to my own mistakes. In general, I think many people who are moving away from Windows are going to GNU/Linux with the expectation that it is a software utopia where computer problems don’t exist. That environment will never happen on any architecture or platform, but GNU/Linux often comes close as long as you know your way around it. I see people on forums and mailing lists talk about how “Linux is not ready for the desktop” because they’re embarrassed that they couldn’t figure out something horrifyingly simple, like how to adjust the sound volume or add Macromedia Flash support to their Web browser — things that could be solved by reading the available documentation or searching Google. These same challenges exist on Windows too, but you expect Windows to malfunction, so it’s acceptable. “Oh that kooky Windows! It’s always messing up somehow!”
GNU/Linux, it seems, is never allowed that kind of leeway — one thing doesn’t work as expected and it’s straight back to Windows, where undesired operation is the status quo. Trying to help people who are easily frustrated because their vision of software utopia has been rudely shattered is like being the catcher in the rye — you have to get to them quickly, there are always more of them than there are people skilled enough and available to help in a timely manner, and many of them are going to slip by. Users who expect too much of GNU/Linux often turn into trolls.
Trolls
There are two kinds of GNU/Linux trolls: the distro fanboys and the passive-aggressive assistance seekers. The former are those annoying people whose response to every GNU/Linux question or help request is, “That distro sucks. Just use PCLinuxOS,” or “Get Ubuntu instead.” In a sense, much GNU/Linux evangelism has switched from the general to the specific — people now push their favorite distro (or the only one they’ve ever used) instead of letting others decide for themselves. But disrespecting someone’s distro choice is not going to endear them to your favorite distribution, nor will it solve the problems they’re experiencing. Having said that, when someone chooses an inappropriate distro for their needs, it’s best to calmly explain to them that other distributions may serve them better. If you’re a frequent forum participant, you should have a handful of desktop GNU/Linux distro recommendations at the ready, each with a brief listing of its positive and negative points; let the user make the decisions about what goes on his computer.
The latter breed of troll uses mild threats in order to attract the attention of dormant evangelists. When someone new to GNU/Linux is not happy with it in some way, they find a forum and threaten to stop using that particular GNU/Linux distribution — or GNU/Linux in general — if no one will help them solve their (usually minor and frequently discussed) problem. This often spurs responses from the above-mentioned distro trolls who insist that the only problem is the fact that the original poster is not using the right distro, which reinforces the “software utopia” fallacy.
Many former evangelists are now abandoning GNU/Linux advocacy because they don’t like being pushed into helping, so their response to threats of GNU/Linux abandonment is, “Go back to Windows, then!” This response has become reflexive lately, to the point where non-trolls asking honest questions are attacked with it. In essence, both of these kinds of troll feed each other with their responses, and the only victims are those who are honestly looking for help in a non-aggressive manner.
The tech divide
There is an enormous knowledge gap between low-end computer users, who only understand computers through a series of habits or routines that they have memorized; and high-end users, who understand on some level how a computer works and what it can do. High-end users have little trouble moving to GNU/Linux, but low-end users are totally unable to make the switch on their own, no matter how simple some installation utilities are or how preconfigured they may be. As insensitive as it may sound, some people are just not cut out to use computers.
Linspire and Xandros are the only two distributions that are focused on low-end users, and should be the only two distros that you recommend to them. I don’t care how much you love Ubuntu or Fedora Core; you know how to set them up and add the proprietary extras, but low-end users do not. Ultimately it is your responsibility to provide support for the recommendations you make. Are you willing to field months of questions about how to set up email, or walk someone through a DeCSS installation?
Secondly, it’s hard to explain the benefits of free-as-in-rights software to someone who thinks that all software is already free-as-in-everything because they only have “pirated” programs on their computer. Relatives and friends have given them Microsoft Windows and Office and anything else they need. As far as a low-end user knows, you’re already free to share these programs with others, and they cost nothing.
Changes in leadership focus
The first and most vocal free software proponents — the Free Software Foundation and its founder Richard Stallman — used to concentrate on free software advocacy, especially in the area of operating systems. It’s rare that you see anything by the FSF or Stallman on GNU/Linux anymore — these days it’s all about the next version of the GNU General Public License, or speaking out about digital rights management (DRM), or getting free software into government offices. We, the desktop users, have been left behind.
Perhaps the FSF feels that the above issues are more important, or maybe it’s just that they are newer and more pervasive than proprietary computer operating systems, or maybe they figure that GNU/Linux is good enough now that it doesn’t need anyone to advocate it. Whatever the case, the FSF’s goals and practices have definitely changed, even if its stated mission remains the same.
What’s next?
There is no doubt that GNU/Linux evangelism has changed, but whether it’s for better or for worse is up for debate. Perhaps GNU/Linux has gained so much momentum in the software world that it has moved beyond the need for advocacy. It certainly isn’t because fewer people are interested in it.
Discuss this article or get technical support on our forum.
Copyright 2006 Jem Matzan.
|
|
|
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.
|
|
Copyright 2008. All content items belong to their respective authors.