The VAR Guy

I left Windows behind when I purchased my Ubuntu PC. But some folks, naturally, want to run both Windows and Ubuntu. The following video shows one way to set up an Ubuntu/Windows dual boot system. The total video runs nearly 14 minutes.

Please congratulate The VAR Guy. He’s made it through this entire week without mentioning that new mobile device from Steve Jobs. And while everyone else focuses on that darn device this week, The VAR Guy would prefer to mention Steve’s other big technical achievement…

Now here’s an interesting read. Microsoft and AMD are promoting a low cost $500 (US) PC in India, hoping to bring computing to the masses. But in India, low-cost PCs actually start around $300 (US), according to AP. Memo to AMD: Maybe you should remove Windows from the system and go with open source to hit that $300 target…

The VAR Guy visited Avaya’s headquarters in New Jersey earlier this week. Sure, he was tempted to take a detour to the local Six Flags theme park or the Atlantic City casinos. But he’s glad he didn’t. In fact, The VAR Guy learned seven key traits about Avaya during the executive briefing.

Wow. That was fast. Less than a month after Dell began selling Ubuntu on selected desktops and notebooks, the company has introduced more Ubuntu systems. Let’s think about that for a minute: Imagine if Dell introduced more Windows Vista systems four weeks after initial launch because customers were so excited? That didn’t happen. But it is happening with Ubuntu.

The VAR Guy tried to keep his mouth shut. For several days he has known that a distribution deal was brewing between Ingram Micro and Google. He promised not to tell anyone — but Google itself spilled the beans on this one. Here are the details.

For those of you who remember the early days of networking, you’ll recall LANtastic — the peer-to-peer networking system that allowed DOS, Windows and OS/2 PCs to share files without a central server. It was pretty cool for its time. The VAR Guy was immediately reminded of LANtastic when he saw a nifty peer-to-peer IP phone system for small businesses from Avaya.

A few days ago, I mentioned that my biggest challenge with Ubuntu involved my son. The only reason he continues to use our Windows PC is because of iTunes support. So I asked readers for some suggestions: Are there ways to (A) make Ubuntu work well with iTunes and/or (B) make Ubuntu work well with an iPod. I got flooded with suggestions. Here are some of the most interesting ones.

A few readers reached out to me, asking whether Dell plans to promote its new Ubuntu systems. For a few days, Dell’s home page promoted the systems on a rotating basis. Now, the PC giant apparently is using Google and Yahoo search terms to promote the new systems.

Well, quite a few folks flamed me for my “Four Reasons to Avoid Ubuntu” post. Some readers said my info was too basic. Others said the info should have more clearly focused on Ubuntu limitations rather than broader Linux limitations. I accept the criticisms. But I also want to point out: This blog was launched to help everyday PC users — millions of consumers who are frustrated with Windows — consider a move to Ubuntu.

Forgive The VAR Guy for his silence today. He was on a road trip from New York to New Jersey, visiting Avaya’s channel team. The VAR Guy is still organizing his notes from the two-hour meeting. There’s a hefty amount of info to boil down — but three key words come to mind: Small business software. Surprised? So was The VAR Guy. Check back on June 27 to get a complete recap of the Avaya visit and an update on the networking company’s channel strategy.

There’s growing speculation on several forums that Hewlett-Packard Co. plans to launch PCs with Ubuntu pre-installed within the next few months or even the next few weeks. I need to get some sleep for some business travel on Tuesday June 26. But I’ll be sure to follow-up on this lead sometime late in the day. Stay tuned.

Sure, Dell is new to the Ubuntu PC market. But plenty of smaller PC suppliers have long supported Ubuntu. One prime example: ZaReason Inc., a PC maker made up of volunteers. I reached out to Cathy Malmrose, CEO of ZaReason, to get a feel for the company’s customer base and market position, and to get her views on Ubuntu’s longer-term prospects. Here’s a look at our conversation as it occurred over email.

Cisco CEO John Chambers is a tough act to follow. Unless — of course — you spit blood, host a reality TV show and wear more makeup than Michael Jackson. In the ultimate sign of unexpected convergence, KISS has signed on to headline Cisco’s Networkers event in late July.

I’ve spent recent days praising Ubuntu’s simplicity. My $1,400 investment in a screaming Dell machine running Ubuntu was money well spent. But I also realize Ubuntu won’t appeal to all users. In fact, I can think of at least four key reasons why many Mac and Windows users won’t want an Ubuntu PC. Here they are.

Earlier this year, The VAR Guy spent considerable time blogging about Zimbra’s open source email platform. He suspected that the collaboration suite would gain momentum with colleges. Boy was he right. In recent months, Zimbra deployments have more than doubled in higher education. For Exchange and Lotus Domino/Notes VARs serving higher education, it might be time to give Zimbra a look.

Imagine buying a Porsche and getting a free Harley-Davidson. Here’s a similar offer — though on a much smaller scale — from Apple to college students.

It’s time to put an end to bloated software. You know the kind: Big applications, operating systems and utilities that consume gobs of memory and slow down your PC. In a refreshingly honest statement, Trend Micro — the security software provider — concedes that its software is too fat and needs to slim down.

A few hours after setting up my new Dell Ubuntu PC, my wife jumped onto the system. You know her kind: She is an Apple Mac OS fan who uses Windows — but doesn’t really like Windows. So, how did she do with Linux?

I’ve finally had a chance to run my Ubuntu PC from Dell. I can see why the systems aren’t quite ready for all users. But I’ve got to tell you, folks. It’s clear to me that Ubuntu will be able to serve a large segment of the consumer population. In fact, Ubuntu is better than Windows in at least five areas. Here they are.

The VAR Guy finally received his Ubuntu Linux PC from Dell today. He hasn’t had time to test the system yet but it sounds like power users are generally happy with the new systems. Here’s some initial feedback from Len Sandy, lead blogger at All About Ubuntu.

The VAR Guy has been trying to book a flight to Ziff Davis Enterprise’s first-ever Channel Summit, scheduled for October 3. But he’s not sure where his chartered jet should land: Los Angeles, San Francisco or Chicago? Apparently, all three cities were in the running to host the event.

To paraphrase Yogi Berra: “Nobody goes into the managed security market anymore. It’s too crowded.” That’s no joke. Each week, another tech company launches a managed security service for VARs. The choices are becoming overwhelming. How will the market shake out? Here’s an educated guess from The VAR Guy.