Trying New Things
The new operating system from Sun Microsystems: Solaris 10 OS
Right off the bat, the install process was difficult. This could be because I wasn't prepared. I wasn't prepared in that I didn't have a UFS-partitioned filesystem larger than 16 GBs readily available. At this point, I was half-way through the lengthy process and had to restart back into Windows to make the appropriate partitions. This is when I decided to just install and run this on a virtual machine, under Windows. Ironically, Sun Microsystems makes a virtualization manager for Windows called VirtualBox! After setting up VirtualBox correctly, the rest of the process was long, but not overly difficult.
After telling the setup my name, keyboard configuration and distance from GMT about six times, it started up! I also found out that I had environmental options. The Java Environment is what you see here, the Custom Desktop Environment (CDE) is basically like a Linux distro. What is nice about the OS is that it supports most modern filetypes such as: iso, png, doc, docx, pdf etc... But really, this operating system isn't for everyone, as you can tell by the install process, it is not easy. Neither is finding all your drivers that support your keyboard, mouse, display, speakers.
So far—in my search for a better OS—, Windows still tops them all. Macintosh comes in second and Ubuntu-Linux, third.
Samurize?
Are you willing enough to drop the giggles and gadgets for Samurize? Samurize is custom-interface creation software. This is a warning for those inexperienced in design and visual-programming; It's not easy. This method of interface creation requires a solid understanding of these inner-workings. Samurize gives you the ability to design and impliment whatever data, meters or stats you can possibly imagine. Here's an example of a bunch of gadgets I built:
If you find you're industrious enough to tackle building your own meters and stats, follow this link to download:
Optimize Your Windows!
I know, this is one of the most common tutorials out there, but most of the others don't optimize your XP or Vista, they add too much in terms of feel which clutters up your process list. I can't have that, because this tutorial is for the less-powerful computers like my laptop.
[ HP-Compaq, 1GB /RAM, 1 Core(1.79GHz),
XP Professional /Native OS ]
...and if I can get this 2 year-old, $500 machine looking and performing great, today, it beats the hell out of spending $1500-$2000+ on a Mac Book.
First off—I know it's a hassle for most people to do—backup, format and reinstall your OS. You may proceed without formatting if your computer doesn't have any major problems with it. Optimization means running only what needs to be run. To do that, hit WindowsKey+R and type msconfig and hit Enter. The System Configuration Utility Window should pop up. Under the Startup-Tab, unselect anything that doesn't need to be running when you start up your computer. For example: Google Updater, iTunes Helper, HP Assistant etc... I have Trend Micro, but purposely did not put it on my laptop, because it just takes up too much process. So just don't go to sites that you know are harmful and DON'T USE INTERNET EXPLORER. Most intentionally harmful bugs, viruses, worms, trojan horse programs are written for Internet Explorer. Delete all links to the program, download the newest Firefox, set it default and you shouldn't get any viruses (if you aren't looking).
Now that you have a clean, protected system with a clean process-list, it's time to go for looks! You can do this step in both XP and Vista (a little different in Vista). Right-Click your Desktop and hit Properties. Your Display Properties Window should pop up. Under the Appearance-Tab select the Windows and buttons: drop-down. Select the Windows Classic Style. I know, very bland, right? I like a darker theme by preference, so hit the Advanced-Button in the lower right-hand corner of the window. You can do a lot in terms of customization; Here's what I made mine look like:
Now that it's all slick and dark-looking, transparency is the only thing missing. I use Glass2k to control window transparency. It's a tiny program that takes up very little process memory. Once you have it downloaded, run it and there should be an icon on your task-bar. Right-Click the icon and select Settings. Select your preferences and by default—when you have a window selected—hit Ctrl+Shift + 1 through 0 (number-line above the letters on your keyboard). 0 being no-transparency and 1 being most transparent. You can change this key-combination in the settings. Here's what mine looks like with transparency:
Now that everything's looking sharp, we need a dock to clean up the desktop. I use RocketDock because it's free and easy on the memory. If you're looking for another manageable way to unclutter your desktop, Stardock's Fences works great, as well!
Now restart your computer and, if you've done everything correctly, there should be very little running in your Task Manager. If you want to get rid of your Recycle Bin icon from your desktop and have it on your dock, instead, there's a program for that: TweakUI. Once you have it downloaded, it should be under Start, All Programs, Powertoys for Windows XP. Open the program and select the + Desktop group. It will show you which icons you have turned on, on your desktop. Simply check and uncheck to apply the desired changes. This program does a lot of advanced stuff, so have fun and be careful not to screw anything up too bad (It's a program straight from Microsoft). I can't wait until they make one for Vista, though you don't need it for getting rid of the recycle bin because you can just right-click and Delete it.
Yet, another cool thing you can do for the feel that keeps your windows simple and organized: AllSnap! I just found out about this program not too long ago and it really helps if you're anal about window location and sizes (I am). Once you have it downloaded, there will be a new icon on your task-bar. Right-click it and select Settings and set the window-snap-distance down to the very last pixel of your obsessive preference! This program will run at startup by default and it takes up almost no process memory like the others!
Click to enlarge:
Enjoy your optimized system!
Thanks!
A page of thanks to all who have contributed to Wabuf:
Coming Soon
