Have Laptop Will Travel

Switcher lets you use Mac OS X Exposé on Windows

Originally posted on March 2, 2010 @ 7:39 am

I have to admit, I like playing around with my computer’s settings whenever I get myself a fresh install of Windows. Since Windows XP’s default blue Luna theme isn’t really much to look at, I usually install the Zune theme first before anything else. However, Windows 7 was so amazing that I actually decided to keep it vanilla for the longest time.

Until now I haven’t tweaked Windows because I actually love how the Superbar and all the other changes work. I can say that this is the first version of Windows I was practically very satisfied with. [Read more…]

Chrome OS pre-release on Marvell Armada 510 chipset

Originally posted on January 24, 2010 @ 9:42 pm

marvell-chromeWhile I can’t say that I’m really excited for the Google Chrome OS (look, guys, based on what I’ve seen so far, Jolicloud’s a way better cloud OS), I can’t deny the impact Google Chrome OS will have once it comes out. We all know that this cloud-based Linux flavor is being back by no less than Google, so I think Windows has reason to be scared at least in the netbook market.

On smartbooks, however, I think Chrome OS will be more than a threat. I’m pretty sure Chrome OS will become the de facto OS for smartbooks in due time, since smartbooks can’t run Windows. Speaking of smartbooks, we can see a pre-release version of Google’s OS on a Marvell Armada 510 chipset.

More from Liliputing:

Google has already stated that its upcoming Chrome Operating System can run on x86 or ARM-based processors. But it’s still pretty nifty to see a pre-release version of the OS running on devices with low power ARM-based operating systems.

We’ve seen Chrome OS running on a tablet prototype from Freescale using the company’s i.MX515 chipset. Now Charbax from ARMdevices.net has posted a video of a prototype device from Marvell using the Armada 510 chipset running Chrome OS.

There’s no support for Flash yet, and Marvell is still just testing the operating system. But seeing as how the Marvel Armada 510 platform is powerful enough to run Ubuntu 9.10 Linux with support for 1080p HD video playback, I can’t imagine why a light weight OS that’s basically a glorified web browser wouldn’t run smoothly on the same hardware.

[via]

Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 now available for download

Originally posted on November 1, 2009 @ 6:09 am

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If you haven’t heard yet, Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 is now available for download. To be honest, I’ve stayed away from Firefox for some time now because of the darned 3.5 version. It’s just too crash-happy on my Asus Eee PC.

I’m using it, and so far so good. Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 incorporates the following new features:

  • Users can now change their browser’s appearance with a single click, with built in support for Personas.
  • Firefox 3.6 will alert users about out of date plugins to keep them safe.
  • Open, native video can now be displayed full screen, and supports poster frames.
  • Support for the WOFF font format.
  • Improved JavaScript performance, overall browser responsiveness and startup time.
  • Support for new CSS, DOM and HTML5 web technologies.

Web developers and Add-on developers should read more detail about the many new features in Firefox 3.6 for developers on the Mozilla Developer Center. For the full list of changes since the alpha release, see this list (it’s big).

Please use the following links to download Firefox 3.6 Beta, or visit the beta download page:

Since this is a beta release, the usual caveats apply of course. For those using netbooks, how is Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 doing so far for you?

Opera Mobile 10 Beta Ready For Download

Originally posted on November 7, 2009 @ 6:09 am

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I know, I know, this isn’t laptop related news at all, but I would just like to let you guys running Symbian S60 on your phones know that Opera Mobile 10 Beta is out.

The new mobile browser borrows a lot from its java-based sibling, Opera Mini 5 Beta. However, from using the two browsers side-by-side for a while now, I can say that Opera Mobile 10 is the snappier of the two. It obviously benefits from being a native Symbian app. It features touch screen support, speed dial, and a password manager. However, it’s still a bit buggy. (Just now, Opera seems to have misplaced the upper half of mobile Plurk’s screen.)

Either way, when I’m on the go and I don’t have a laptop with me, I’ll just grab my E63 and open Opera Mobile. It’s awesome that way, really.

Download it here.

Google Chrome OS: First Look

Originally posted on November 20, 2009 @ 3:43 am

500x_sdres_0001_app-menu_01

I’ve been totally excited about Chrome OS for some time now, and I was eagerly looking forward to the big yesterday. But the screenshots that came out left me with a feeling of “that’s it?!”

Okay, I knew all along that Chrome OS will be cloud-based and that you won’t be able to do much with it without an internet connection. Fair enough. I just wasn’t expecting that they’d turn out this uninspired design that looks no different from Chrome, the browser. [Read more…]