Another step towards disaster

The decision to allow FDI (foreign direct investment) in Indian retail sector is going to kill all small scale store businesses in a few years. Corporate retail giants like Walmart will not think twice before opening their acre long stores in every nook and corner of India as the customer base is so enticing. No matter what they invest, the are going to make a profit - such is the the Indian consumer base and greed to certain extent.
Memories about the "main road" back in my home town is associated with a long array of small individual stores that sells only stationary or house hold items or grocery or vegetables etc. Once the big retailers open their "everything-under-one-roof" style stores, all these stores will be out of business and the whole "main road" is going to look like a zombie strip.
On the positive side, those who have money can plunge themselves in to shopping bliss for hours in those retail stores. There may be an initial price discounts to help such businesses catch up. Hopefully the government will introduce some regulations to these big retailers that they can not operate all over the place and kill local businesses.
Thinking about this, India is emulating that is bad America - like the saggy pants that show your under pants - like focus on celebrity personal life etc. In India, it is capitalism mixed with "license raj" and corruption at each level. We do have all the ingredients to head to an economic situation similar to what USA is in right now. To a worst kind where the poor and unemployed will be a great part of the population and 90% of the wealth will be with nation's 5%.

Linux thoughts

I closely follow updates happening in Linux desktop software releases. Especially Ubuntu, which has reached 11.10. It is hard to believe that I had been using - or trying so to speak - Ubuntu since 5.10 - the breezy "badger".

Good stuff - things that improved along the way :

• Font rendering (anti-aliasing) - Current on-screen font rendering beats Windows and OS x by miles.
• Speed - yes most of the OS's had been focusing on this and Ubuntu also has improved it constantly. Currently 11.04 boots up in 20 seconds in my Intel Atom based Netbook.
• Multimedia/flash - Nothing to credit Ubuntu, but these work better in Ubuntu than other (Fedora) notable distros. Also plenty of free tools to manipulate all kinds of media.
• Updates - If you like living on the edge, Ubuntu can offer you about two OS releases every year.
• Gnome2 - The Gnome user interface and applications were maturing in a nice way.

Now to the bad stuff.

Do you remember the days of Compiz vs Beryl days ? Gnome vs KDE arguments?

If not, don't worry, it is all stories from the past. Welcome to the Unity, Gnome Shell and Gnome2 melting pot. The confusion around next big user interface is definitely going to impact popularity of Linux as a desktop operating system. Most of the Linux fans dislikes   It is going to be more of an OS for "interest groups".

Big names like Linux Torvalds have already despised these.

Since this is my blog, I am going to air my opinion. Gnome Shell and Unity were a bad move. It not only discourage new users but slows things a bit too. All the applications (such as Nautilus, Ubuntu update managers etc) looks really armature and confusing. Compatibility is completely broken between Gnome2 and 3 themes. There are great theme engines and themes that were created since 2006 - all will go waste unless someone spends time porting those. Instead, more focus should have gone in to improving performance of Gnome2 and polishing already existing applications.

I just hope that Ubuntu spends more time in fixing quirks of Unity and making all over user experience better in the platform. As long as Gnome Shell is concerned, I have serious doubts about its future unless it undergoes some radical changes.

Goodbye Chrome OS - Wiping CR-48 off and installing Ubuntu

After 7 months of trying out Chrome OS on google's generously distributed CR-48, I am totally disappointed in the software. It is probably because I am not the casual internet user that google expected. After latest software updates, the touchpad became so 'non-usable'. The user experience was beyond annoying.

Considering that I had uploaded at least twenty bug/usage reports, I guess my part in evaluating Chrome OS was done. So the decision was to wipe chrome OS completely off and install Ubuntu.

First, let me warn you that if you do not like to crack open stuff, do not attempt this. First step is to flash CR-48 with a custom BIOS(InSyde H2O). For this follow steps here. Note that it involves opening up the back casing of CR-48. So make sure you have philips screwdriver set handy before you start.

Once the custom BIOS (InSyde H2O) is installed, you are basically ready to install any operating system. For optimal performance, consider Ubuntu desktop, netbook editions or Jolicloud (ChromeOS's better cousin)

I chose to go with Ubuntu Desktop edition.

Things you need :

A USB Stick with at least 2GB storage

Internet access on a Windows/Mac/Linux System

Step1: prepare USB Ubuntu bootable/install disk

Download Ubuntu. Now keep in mind that InSyde H2O some how fails to load newer Ubuntu OSs(Meerkat and Narwhal). That means you need to download Lucid Lynx(10.04) and follow steps here

Step2: Plug in the USB stick to your CR-48 and power on

With custom BIOS on, CR-48 will boot from the newly prepared Ubuntu USB drive

Step3: Once ubuntu started, click on the desktop icon to Install the software

During the install, you will be presented options to retain existing OS's. But I chose to completely erase my SSD. That means if you change your mind and wanted to go back to ChromeOS, you need to restore BIOS and have ChromeOS restore disk handy.

Step 4: Installation completes, as system reboots remove the USB drive and the system boots in Ubuntu Lucid Lynx. At this point connect to Internet (wireless or otherwise - everything works out of the box) and update your system.

Step 5: Fixing the "touchpad" - Touchpad acts crappy under Lucid Lynx. So upgrade Lucid Lynx to "Maverick Meerkat" by enabling release upgrades on your Synaptic Upgrade manager as described here.

This will not only upgrade your CR-48 to Maverick Meerkat but will install necessary software for configuring the touch pad. The touch pad can be configured by "Touch Pad" tab on System->Preferences->Mouse. This lets you enable double finger scroll, disabling tap click etc. ( very important for usability)

I am totally enjoying my CR-48 now, with great free software, iPod integration and about 10G free SSD space to store things locally.

I stopped my upgrad e at Meerkat and did not go to Narwhal as it might be a bit slower on CR-48

End result (with awn dock, global menu and Fusion Blue theme) :

Update : Updated to Natty using package manager by turning on release updates, no issues everything working smooth including the synaptic touch pad.

Cricket Thoughts

For those who do not know, there is a Cricket World cup in progress. I had been watching India's matches live and I had some random thoughts in my mind.
Why this series is interesting? Is it because it is being held in the Indian sub-continent? Is it because India has a shot at the finals? Is it because technology and analysis has so advanced that there is an interesting statistics at every ball of the game? No it is because there are two players involved, who are playing their last world cup matches.

Sachin Tendulkar

Well, my writing prowess are not just enough to write about him. And so much is already written an spoken about him! Anyway, to put in my humble way, the only player I like in the current Indian team is Sachin. Also, he has not disappointed me in the recent world cup games. I am just hoping that the rest of the mixed talent (or horribly talented at bowling) Indian team will put their heart out there and give the little master the adieu that he deserves.

Shoaib Akhtar

Plain and simple, raw pace and aggression fitting to a fast bowler. Though he sucks with his discipline and fitness, he entertained us with his superb, sometimes brutal yorkers. He may not be a smooth operator like McGrath or fit like Brett Lee. But the game is alive when he is out there running up like the 'Rawalpindi express'. There are many memorable yorkers and reverse swings from this man that bowled out batting maestros like Dravid and Tendulkar.

Good luck you both!

Where is ChromeOS headed?

About one and a half months with my CR 48 - Thank you google - but I think that ChromeOS is not going to make it big.It is another thing that I use it daily. But I don't see ChromeOS finding too many consumers. It can but only if someone releases hardware below $100.00 for it. Otherwise it is going to go down the drain or end up as an "enthusiast" platform. Here is why:

Good old PC mind set.
We all know, people resist changes. Average PC user has learned the quirks of computer GUI with great difficulty. It will be hard to unlearn start menu, the explorer, folders and files. Then, a radical change in perspective. A perspective that of ChromeOS where you do not have any obvious explorer, no files (yes there are, but you will not see them unless you are ready to tinker with the OS) or the "start" menu. Now whatever I said in terms of Windows applies to Mac users as well - may be in a harder way because Mac users are seem to be more fanatic about the desktop operating system.

I need it and I need it in my disk.

This is again a human nature. Every one wants to "own" things. I will not settle down for the fact that my favourite songs are sitting somewhere in the "cloud", Pandora or youtube.

When I have it on a CD, I have it in my iPod, I have it in a hard disk - I own it! Oh the materialistic world we live in! But that is true. I am not satisfied with my photos that live safely some where in the cloud either - even if it is full resolution on flickr. I still need them on a DVD backup or on an external hard disk. If you already don't know, ChromeOS does not give you an interface to access a CD/iPod or an external Hard disk(at least not now). The operating environment is just not for that. You are supposed to be on the "clouds" always.

Does everyone trust google with their documents?

Well that is another question. Google suggests that you can keep all your documents, spreadsheets and presentations in online "work" softwares like the google docs. I regularly use it, and I am a big fan of it. If you do not use google docs, you are pretty much left with no option to work on documents and spreadsheets on ChromeOS. It even saves certain personal data in the "cloud". But what the skeptics think of trusting google with your data? do you feel comfortable? And note, google is just another company.

Consumers crave for an iPad than a mini notebook when thinking of a "net" device

Just to quote Steve Jobs, 2010 was the year of the iPad. Yes, no doubt about it. Though Android tables were released, none caught up. Some even died an ungraceful death (streak, I am looking at you). But when you picture a "personal post-PC" device of 21st century, it is a 'pad' rather than a 'book'.

ChromeOS netbooks are going to face fierce competition from all the pads that other companies are going to release along with Apple's revised iPads. I think it is a losing battle for ChromeOS even if someone comes up with a ChromeOS pad. It will not be compelling enough on a tablet in comparison to Android or iOS goodness.

Nokia - heading for the cold Atlantic waters?

If you are reading this post, you must have read what Mr. Elop of Nokia had "honestly" stated a few days ago about Nokia's current state of affairs. He compared the company to a burning rig and for life they had to take a plunge that could either kill them or miraculously rescue.
The plunge is to build devices for Windows Phone 7 platform. I had been hoping that Nokia would rather fork or create devices for Android. The strategy sounds just dangerous. In the 90s PC manufacturers such as IBM, Dell, HP etc stuck with Windows and made huge profits/sales. May be the same works for Nokia. But the markets and consumer mindset has changed drastically. During PC days consumers just wanted something cheap and easy to use. There weren't too many alternatives except for geeky or enthusiast OSs. But these days an average phone user wants more of everything. Also, Windows Phone OS does not seem to have the perfect application/developer/platform ecosystem as iOS or the Android. For me it seems that Nokia is heading for the cold waters.. Good luck!

Yay! CR 48 is here!

.. and I am blogging from it. The hardware seems alright. Getting a feel of the operating environment - called 'chrome OS'. So far, pretty snappy and looks good for internet addicts - especially if you use gmail, google docs, google reader, flikr, pandora, facebook and youtube like me :)
More reviews later.
And, yes the tracker website(in my previous post) showed that a CR 48 was being shipped to my area code! so the site seems to be working. However, there was no indication from Google whether they are sending anything my way.