Another ebook reader for your PC

Amazon's Kindle is probably the most popular ebook reader. This PC application helps them stay on top. One of the best features is synchronization between devices, so the reader is always on the correct page when you go from your Kindle to reading on your PC and then to your iPhone. I've been using the excellent MobiPocket reader for both my PC and my Palm Centro, but the Kindle may be a better choice for many.

Kindle for PC Ships, Hints At Future Color Kindle | Gadget Lab | Wired.com:
"Kindle fans now have one more place they can read their e-books: A PC. Kindle for PC joins the equally well-named Kindle for iPhone and, er, Kindle for Kindle in the list of ways to read Amazon’s DRM’ed content. A Mac version is “coming soon”.

The application does pretty much what the iPhone version does: your place is synced with other devices by Whispersync, and there is support for your bookmarks and annotations. You can browse and buy from the Kindle Store, but you can’t access blogs, newspapers or magazines. This isn’t a problem, we guess, as you’re sat at a computer with a web browser anyway."

FYI - DRM = Digital Rights Management

Ubuntu revisited

I've mentioned my tribulations getting Ubuntu working on PC with the BioStar P4M900-M4 motherboard before. Recently Ubuntu v 9.0.4 downloaded an update (or I installed new software) that corrupted a bunch of files - to the point where the system wouldn't work well enough to repair itself.

With a nuke & pave of the hard drive, it is working again today - I tried 5 different ISO CDs burned on at least 2 different drives, and I tried both the CD & the DVD on the host PC - I could never get a clean install. Sometimes GRUB would fail during the boot-up process, and sometimes I would get the GUI installed, but FireFox wouldn't run (preventing downloads of of updates etc.).

In the end, I got a system working well enough to get a command line (terminal mode) and used that to download some updates. They repaired the install well enough to boot into the Ubuntu desktop (GUI) with a working FireFox, and from there it has been busily downloading and installing fixes and software that should have installed from the CD.

Next, I get to go through 10 pages documenting installation of the required BioStar video drivers, and then I need to figure out a backup strategy - I don't want to be without this PC for multiple weeks the next time I download an update...

PS: this motherboard now boots from the SATA drive as long as it is the only hard drive installed. Probably time to start looking for another PC or motherboard before it flakes out again.

BTW - this update was created using FireFox 3.0.12 within Ubuntu 9.0.4 :-)

Pre-Order Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade: $49.99

The most reliable PCs in our house run Windows XP SP-3. We skipped Vista, but at this price, I think I'll upgrade a couple of them to Windows 7.
Update - the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor ran for hours before I canceled it - maybe I'll pass on Win-7 until I get a new system after all.

Note that this price is only good until 11 July, 2009.

Windows 7 Home Premium Pre-Order, $49.99 Upgrade, $199.99 Full | PCMech:
" . . . if you pre-order Windows 7 as an upgrade, the Home Premium Edition (which is what most people would go for) is just a tick under $50."

Ubuntu up & running (again)

I had Ubuntu (version 7.04) running 18 months ago, but when I upgraded that desktop PC with a new BioStar motherboard (P4M900-M4 - socket 478) Ubuntu seemed to have incurable problems with the on-board video. I tried version 8.04 without success and gave up on it for a while. (It runs fine with Windows & IDE drives. . .)

I recently installed Ubuntu version 9.04 and it seems to be running very well. I guess they finally incorporated workable video drivers for this chip set. I still need to install video drivers that take full advantage of this chip set (S3 Chrome 9HC IGP), but at least now I can use the system to connect to the Internet, use Open Office, and learn about Linux.

On the other hand, I have a Seagate SATA drive that won't boot with this or another BioStar motherboard (P4M890-M7 TE - socket 775) - perhaps the drive itself has a problem - more testing required. Oddly, the drive was only recognized on one of the 2 SATA ports (now that one doesn't recognize it either), leading me to wonder about the board itself.

If you're building your own PC, take care to read the motherboard reviews before selecting one.