Does it annoy you when you want to check something, but Windows boots too slow? If yes, then you should dual boot your PC with Ubuntu. Ubuntu is an open-source operating system, meaning that it is free. It is a distribution of Linux. You can run it alongside Windows. You might be wondering, “What’s the advantage of this?” Well, first thing’s first. This boots up, I have to say 5x faster than Windows. This is great if you need to check your email before heading out somewhere. Secondly, the installation is quick, taking less than 10 minutes on a laptop with 2GB RAM. Also, the OS is not targeted as much as Windows. Finally, this OS comes packed with the newest version of Firefox and has an IM client ready at hand. There is one disadvantage, though. You can’t access your Windows hard drive, unless you do a clean install of both Windows and Ubuntu and create two partitions, which could take a long time to do. If you store your data on an external drive, then this doesn’t really affect you. To get started, go to http://www.ubuntu.com/ and download Ubuntu, burn it on a CD or use an image reader, preferably Daemon Tools Lite, and boot it in Windows (not BIOS)
Monthly Archives: January 2010
Assignment Week 4: Apple’s iPad
Just a couple of days ago, Apple announced the release of their new product, a touchscreen tablet called the iPad. It runs on software that is similar to the iPod Touch and iPhone, and the touchscreen is quite big, at 9.7 inches. The iPad not only does everything of the iPod Touch/iPhone, but it also is an eBook reader with iBooks. Applications that work for iPod Touches and iPhones also work with this iPad. The starting price is good, too. It starts at $499 USD for 16GB (WiFi Model) and $629 USD for 16GB (3G + WiFi Model), but as of right now, they have not shipped it out to any retail outlets. It will be a while until the iPad shows up in Canada!
Assignment Week 3: FUN DAY!
Today was a lucky day for me and others in middle school. We had a Professional Development Day (Pro-D Day for short) for all our middle schools in our district. Before hand, I suggested to some of my friends that we should hang out, so we did. I headed over to my friend house, whose name is Franklin, at 10:30AM. That’s when we began to play some Wii. Franklin and I played a number of games, including WarioWare, New Super Mario Brothers, and Super Smash Brothers Brawl. They were all fun and entertaining games. At around 1PM, we decided to go to IGA Supermarket to buy some candy. That’s when my other friend, Andrew, called, saying he was coming too. We met him up there, and ended up buying some popsicles. We headed back to my friend’s house and ate pizza, which my friend, Andrew, brought with him. It was delicious. After, we continued to play some Wii and computer games. At around 3PM, we headed back to my house, where we threw a frisbee around. The fun ended when they had to leave at 4PM. Anyways, it was fun. That’s all that matters today. Tomorrow, it’s back to doing homework!
International Baccalaureate
In half a year, I’ll be finishing Grade 8. It’s the time when I will move on to another school. This school could be a regular school, or a school that has a programme that explores the world in depth, called International Baccalaureate (IB). I went to a meeting today, and found out that it is a programme that helps you explore your strengths and weaknesses, and how you can fix them. Here, it’s not all about marks; it’s about the desire to learn about the world around you, not just about your community (narrow-minded). It really sounds like a great programme to go to, because I could learn more. In February, I will go and take the exam to see if I can make it into IB. One of the things that needs to be completed in the IB programme is a 4000 word essay. To me, it sounds difficult, but that’s because I’m not prepared for it yet. I feel that if I am accepted into this programme and show a desire to learn, then this won’t be hard at all.
Learning is a powerful tool.
~Lui
Assignment Week 2: A Book Called “Zoobreak”
This week, I just finished reading a book by Gordon Korman. The book is called, “Zoobreak.” It is a book about a girl named Savannah who has her monkey mysteriously stolen from her backyard. Zoobreak is filled with suspense and problems, and is also a sequel to the book, “Swindle.” Anyways, if you like any of Gordon Korman’s books or enjoy suspense, then this book is good for you. I like this book so much that I have to give this 5 stars. If you buy the book, I can guarantee you that it will be worth your money!
Soccer Game!
Today, I had a soccer game. I woke up pretty early, somewhere around 7:30AM. I got myself out of bed, brushed my teeth, and went to my kitchen to eat my donut. After, I got dressed and left my house at 8:50AM. I got there just on time: 9:15AM. My team and I warmed up for the game, which was at 10AM. Then, the game began. We weren’t hustling at first, but eventually it came. This helped us get a goal by Spencer Pooghkay. Half time. We ate oranges and discussed game tactics. The second half started. Soon, another goal was scored by our midfield, Andrew Li. After that, the other team picked it up a bit, but in the end, we won 2-0.
Assignment Week 1: Poser!
I found this video on YouTube, called “Poser!”. It is a “mockumentary” about the peace sign and how it has evolved. It is by Wong Fu Productions, which has been on YouTube for a long time. It is quite funny if you ask me. So sit back, relax, and enjoy!
~Lui
Assignment Week 1: My Winter Break!
This year’s winter break was nice. By this year, I mean the last 2 weeks of 2009. Before Christmas, I spent most of my time sleeping in and playing video games on my computer. Once in a while, though, I would go out to Rocky Point Park and take a nice nature walk. It’s actually pretty nice there with all the trees, water, wildlife, and friendly people. Anyways, I also went to and hosted a few parties. They were all fun. The best part about this winter break was probably the countdown to 2010. Almost the whole time, we were playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on Xbox 360 at my friend’s house. Overall, this winter break was great!
~Lui
An Assignment!
Starting today, I will be using my blog for a school assignment for the next 7 weeks. During this time, I will only be posting blog entries for my assignment. After this assignment is over, I will be publishing all my other drafts that I might have saved during my school assignment period.
Make some new year resolutions!
~Lui
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Oh my god, it’s so late, but HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you!
Have A Safe Night For The Start Of 2010!
~Lui