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Archive for the 'about Free Biz Ware' Category

Moving on to Ubuntu and Rekindle this blog

It had been a long time since I last blogged here. Since this blog started, I had moved from using Windows XP, to Windows Vista, to MacOS X and now to Ubuntu as my desktop operating system.

And finally I can declare that my desktop is completely free (well almost). When the desktop is Linux, one really breaks free from from the ultimate stronghold of commercial software – the operating system.

Ubuntu 8.10 now runs on my notebook (for those interested, a Chinese made Tsinghua Tongfang K431 with AMD Turion 64 X2 Mobile).

I still have my Mac Mini as the desktop so you can say I’m still a current user of MacOSX.

For the  occassion websites that demands IE (yes there are some, like banks that uses ActiveX),  I have a VirtualBox with XP installed and standing by. VirtualBox is an amazing application that I will share more indepth in furture post.

In view of these changes, the focus of Free Biz Ware will be shifted more towards Ubuntu/Linux focus. However, since many non-technical small business users are still using Windows and the fact that I also use Mac, there will be a preference for free or open source softwares that run on all three platform – Linux, Mac, Windows.

At the personal level, I had also move from have quite a bit of time to blog, to no time and back to having a bit of time on hand now. So here I am, rekindling the urge to share more of my adventure in free and open source software with the reader of this blog.

It has been quite an exciting journey and a personal quest to use free and opensource softwares. There are so much more that I had learned but have no time and energy to put down.

So subscribe to this blog or come back soon.

Welcome to Free Biz Ware

Hello there, thank you for coming by Free Biz Ware. My name is Ken and I am a small business owner. Here I will be sharing my experience in using free and opensource software in the office.

Free Biz Ware is a regular column introducing free and/or open source business softwares. Although the focus is on office softwares, I will also be covering personal productivity softwares and utilities for the desktop.

One feature unique this site is the evaluation of the softwares’ usability in an international, multi-language environment. Since my business is in China, it is a must that softwares support English and Chinese.

Feel free to share any experiences you have too. I’m looking forward to learn from you.