Two big move from Sun

Can't fall at sleep at late night so read some IT news. Two big move for Sun: work together with IBM on Java, JDS (Java Desktop System) focus on Solaris only, not (emphasize) on Linux anymore. IBM play 2 role on Java, on one side, they are Java supporter. From Websphere and Eclipse, you know it. On the other side, they are sun's biggest competitor on Java Application Server (Websphere vs Sun ONE Application Server) and Java IDE (Eclipse vs Sun ONE Vision Studio). IBM and Sun announce work together on Java on Sun Java One conference, this is a good news. JDS is Sun's Desktop environment base on gnome, which base on Linux originally. recently Sun announce JDS will focus on Solaris only. Sun always so proud of their Solaris operating system, the up coming Linux did have some impact on Sun's solaris, because they both are unix like base operating system. Earlier Sun have dangling opensouce policy for the pass few years, finally they have made up some decision, is not a good news for Linux community, but seems like is a unavoidable move for Sun.

openedhand, yet another small open source company

After working on matchbox project(originally host on matchbox.handhelds.org) for some times(about 2 years(?) ), matchbox finally catch Nokia's eye. Nokia funded the creator Matthew Allum to continue working on the project.

Matthew started a new company--openedhand to work closely with Nokia, take a look at Nokia Internet Tablet. Matthew told newsforge, his company currently employ 4 full-time developers, and hiring more.

Matchbox is a very well written piece of software, it has a right goal and design in mind, small, light-weight, no dependency of other libraries but xlib only, simple and clear. When I found this window manager on handhelds.org, I just love it.

The Nokia N770 Internet Tablet seems like a interesting small device which run Linux OS. It came with WiFi and bluetooth support, seems like it is not available in the market yet. If this Nokia device is continue in the future, it will direct compete with Palm's LifeDrive.

Nokia 770, internet tablet.

Sun Fire V240

Is hot, the weather. Almost a week I didn't surf the net, spending the saturday to read my email, and catch up with the IT news. Finally I saw the V240, is a 2U affortable Sun machine. Is about USD 7k, it says pre-install with solaris 9 on the website, the one I am using now is installed with Solaris 8. Those program that I compile on the old Ultra sparc 2 take me 5 to 10 minutes, when I compile on the V240 is just about 20 seconds, wow!. gcc (ver. 2.8.1) just take less than 5 minutes to compile. There is a cheaper version of 1U server, V210 about USD5k, good enough for many user, or you want the AMD Opteron processor, there is V20 series 1U server, you have the choice to choose Solaris, Linux or Windows operating system, selling about RM10-13k. Who says that Sun is expensive? Sun is expensive if you compare it with intel hardware, but since sun machine came with its stable solaris operating system, you pay for the stabality and services.

Linux command reference

My friend is going to take a Linux certificate examination, he print out some documentation for reading purpose. I just glance through, it look so familiar to me. I take a search on the internet. Yes, those Linux command documentation is taken from linuxfab.cx, which some of those command description are written by me, just a few, I don't really remember which one is really done by me, I think 'compress' is just one of those. Rollaned not really make linuxfab a success, but what he have a right goal in mind, and he really make it happen. He want to write a linux command reference ebook, many writer (I am one of those people) on the website did constribute their part, now it is every where. link:- cngnu.org compress

Sad or happy?

As almost everyone predicted and expected, Apple is going to switch to Intel processor, announce by steve jobs' keynote in WWDC (World Wide Developer Conference), there is a report from MacNN. Steve jobs keynote for WWDC. WWDC will continue for 5 days.

before 6th June

There is a lot of rumours/news around, Apple computer is going to use Intel chips and to drop PowerPC in the future. This is another update from CNet.

I don't have much concern about Intel chips inside an Apple computer, I am more interested on Mac OS X on intel chip. What is the different? If Apple computer really put a Intel chip inside, they would make it so different that OS X still can't install on normal Intel base PC. Most likely on the other way, Microsoft Windows will run on Apple computer. If people are so interested with Windows, most likely they will not buy an Apple computer but other brand like Dell, HP, Acer for others. If OS X can be installed on Intel machine, that's targeted for another 95% (or more) of users which potential will switch to Apple machine.

One interesting fact is, Micorsoft XBox (so do PS2) is using PowerPC cpu, so any combination is possible these days. I have an Apple iBook using a IBM (PowerPC alliance) cpu, but the IBM note book is running a Intel cpu.

Local apple fan in Malaysia, since 10 (Mac) or 20 years (Apple II) ago, is switching to Wintel long before Apple does, main reason is pricing issue. Heard some of them switch back to apple because they buy iPod, so they switch to Apple for OS X is possible.

There are many possibility reasons why Apple switch to Intel, one of them is low power consumption technology, they just can't put a G5 cpu into a notebook now. IBM should have acquire or license some technology from some other company like ARM or Transmeta, but IBM might not be so interested as well, IBM never put a PowerPC cpu in a notebook, IBM already sold off its PC department (to Levono, old name Legend (China) ), they don't have a better reason to do it now.

PowerPC alliance have a hard time get together, they suppose to be a great alliance, Apple on personal computer and operating system, IBM on cpu chip design, Motorola on manufacturing. For some reason Motorola can't get license from Apple computer, and finally they withdraw from PC business plan (they should have try Linux at that time). I though they are going to put PowerPC cpu in their mobile phone (just joking at that time), but I didn't know that the CPU consume too much of power to put into the mobile phone, they should start researching and developing lower power consumption cpu since 1991.

We are not sure what Apple computer (or steve jobs) is going to say on monday (US time) announcement, personally I would like to have competition in the market, so normal user like us to have more choice and have cheaper product.

Apple product announcement twice a year, is a good way to keep people remember of apple computer.

link:-
Power PC Alliance on last legs, By Richard Morochove, 18 September 1997.

Palm in the mist

Look at the PalmOne LifeDrive (with 4GB storage) and PalmOne (spending 30 million) to use back the Palm name again, they are loosing their direction. Palm(One|Source) lost their direction on hardware and software roadmap. link:- CNet, "PalmOne spends $30 million to drop 'One'", 24 May 2005.