Since Windows is the most popular operating system around, most of the games and software that are out there are available only for the Microsoft-made platform. While Mac has some great offerings to its users in this department, Linux users often miss out on the amazing games and applications its competitors can run.

The Windows monopoly has successfully managed to keep all the best applications to its continually thriving platform, thus thwarting many Linux-curious users from making the switch. That said, it doesn't mean that it’s impossible for switchers to enjoy the same features that their Windows-loving friends enjoy. Thanks to relentless efforts of thousands of developers, Linux has managed to bolster itself using the hundreds of alternative software like GIMP and LibreOffice, thus making it a viable choice for anyone looking for something apart from Windows.

Having said that, not every alternative software suffices the need of users. LibreOffice and GIMP, though good, are not quite up to the mark when compared to MS Office or Photoshop. Moreover, many games that Windows fanboys often boast of aren't available on Linux, thus holding back many gamers who want to make the switch. Thankfully, though, there are some great ways to access those software; that too without dual-booting or punching in cryptic code for hours. So, if you’re looking to make Linux as your one and only operating system, here are some tips that will help you run Windows-based games and software applications without hassles:

Wine is perhaps one of the most popular software on the Linux platform. It’s the good old tool that lets you run all your favorite Windows applications and games on your breezy little Linux box. According to statistics found on Wine’s website, the free software has over 1.5 million users worldwide.


Wine is known for its ability to run famous games like StarCraft, Left4Dead, Guild Wars, and Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. Also, the open-source tool can run Adobe Flash CS3, Adobe Photoshop CS3, MediaMonkey and many other Windows-based software. A good place to know whether your app is compatible or not is to look up the AppDB. To download Wine, simply go to the downloads page HERE and grab the one that works with your Linux distribution.

PlayOnLinux is a Python-based software that helps users run Windows-based games and applications on your Linux computer. The application, apart from letting you play the latest games on your Linux desktop, also lets you install and run many software that are actually designed for Windows. PlayOnLinux uses the aforementioned Wine to run all the needed applications thus providing outstanding compatibility with most Windows-based software.


The biggest advantage that PlayOnLinux has over Wine is the fact that it makes it easy for new users to install their favorite games and applications in a neat, guided manner. In fact, if you are a new user just embarking on your journey to Linuxland, I’d recommend you to go with PlayOnLinux instead of Wine. Though this amazing piece of software can run many of the popular applications, don’t expect it to work well with every software that comes to your mind. Also, as compared to Wine, PlayOnLinux is relatively new, and, even though it is based on Wine, you might encounter some glitches here and there. To install PlayOnLinux on Ubuntu, type in or paste the following commands in your terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T).

If you’re on any other distribution, feel free to head over to the downloads page.

Developed by CodeWeavers, Crossover is a polished version of Wine that is designed for users who are looking for something more solid and professional. The proprietary software lets you run all your favorite Windows-based games and applications on Linux, and it also provides technical support in case you hit any brick walls.


The license for Crossover costs about $60 with which you get 12 months of phone and email support along with upgrades. To download/buy Crossover, simply head over to their main website HERE.

Expected to be unleashed in autumn of 2012, Windows 8, Microsoft’s latest gamble in the desktop market is making millions of eyes turn even before its release. Loaded with a brand new yet somewhat contentious Metro interface, the touch-friendly desktop will not only be seen on laptops and PCs, but will also find its place in the swanky upcoming tablet computers.

That said, the main target group for Redmond would be the desktop, a field that they've been dominating for decades. Windows 8 will aim to obliterate all the competition by giving users an interface that will look and behave the same way across all devices. Sadly for them, and quite obviously too, Metro isn't the first to try out this unified concept. Our very own Ubuntu has been busy for a couple of years trying to polish Unity, its unified interface for computers, tablets, smartphones (see: Ubuntu For Android: Do We Really Need it?), and even TVs (see: Ubuntu TV vs. Google TV: Battle of the Linux-based Smart TV). Some even go as far as to say that Microsoft might have actually ‘borrowed’ that idea from its old penguinian buddy.

Rumors apart, we at TechSource believe that Ubuntu 12.04 'Precise Pangolin', despite its meager market share, is cool enough to give Windows 8 a tough time. And so, here we are pitting the mighty pangolin against Redmond’s latest desktop gamble.

Metro kind of leveled the playing field for Unity. Earlier, critics made some biting remarks about Ubuntu's new interface; however, Shuttleworth, by making some much-needed changes in it, managed to silence most of the detractors.

Windows 8 on the other hand, can’t manage to play such big a gamble. People pay to buy their products, and for them, another Vista could end their relationship with Microsoft.

Metro, when compared head-on with Unity, feels a lot like a touchscreen interface. Unity, however, retains many features of a traditional desktop thus blending the best features of both interfaces. The apps, or rather tiles, show up readily on the main desktop and are quite interactive. Ubuntu, on the other hand, features a rather simple desktop with a big fat launcher at the left. It’s hard to be objective for a regular Linux user while comparing these two interfaces, but I think that Metro is perhaps the most ugly user interface around. No matter how much you hate Unity, Metro kind of makes Ubuntu look 100 times better. Though you can easily switch back to the default Windows interface, it still makes you wonder why Microsoft would want to do such a disastrous thing.

When it comes to app switching, Windows 8, be it Metro or the classic interface, steals the show. Though the Metro is a usability catastrophe on the desktop, it still has some great features to keep Windows lovers hooked to the Redmond kingdom. Switching between apps on Unity is not only difficult but also a bit tedious. Even more so if you've opened multiple instances of the same application and you click on its icon in the launcher, you get this expose mode that is completely unnecessary. Windows 8 however, makes switching easier by sticking to the traditional app switching. Even in Metro, you can switch app much like you do on the iPhone; that is, hit a single button (Windows key here) and go back to the main screen. So, summing up, when it comes to overall ease of use, we've got to hand it to Windows 8 (sans Metro).

Ubuntu has featured online integration for a long time now. Ubuntu One is blended perfectly into the Ubuntu desktop and it serves as a great backup tool for many users and as one of the best Dropbox Alternatives for Ubuntu. Windows 8 has stepped up the game by integrating their SkyDrive online service within the upcoming operating system. Since both of them come with almost the same amount of features, it’s hard to pick a winner here.

To sum it all up, both operating systems have their own share of flaws. While Metro struggles to please a regular desktop user, Unity still sports that unbaked, clumsy look that many traditional Linuxians despise. That said, Metro is quite ahead of Unity when it comes to the interface. Unity, though ready for the desktop, is still quite unfinished to make itself popular in the tablet and phone arena. Windows 8 however is already showing itself up on various tablets across the market. So that is quite an advantage Metro has when compared to Unity.

Only time will tell whether Windows 8 will be a hit or another Vista moment for Microsoft. Ubuntu 12.04 on the other hand is cruising swiftly towards perfection.

Thanks to the hard work and vision of Steve Jobs, Apple has managed to evolve from a mere cult to a mainstream phenomenon. Fanboys, celebrities, politicians and geeks who adore their products have exalted the billion-dollar company to a technological pseudoreligion. A silent witness to Apple's magnificent ascent from failure to stardom has been Microsoft.

Though Microsoft has been the traditional bad guy of the Silicon Valley, Apple has stealthily usurped that spot by its recent actions, most of which are a bit on the dark side. As a FOSS enthusiast I believe that Microsoft is overly competitive but so is Apple.

If you think that Apple is much less evil than Microsoft, read on as we give you 7 reasons that will make Redmond look slightly better than Cupertino.

Apple has been busy building a walled garden with big white shiny walls. The Cupertino-based company makes sure that you buy or download apps only from their store and not from anywhere else. Yeah, we know there's an app for everything, but you can't get it if it's not sold by Apple.

Jailbreaking is magic pill that helps you evade the claustrophobic App Store and lets you do everything you wanted to do with your phone. Despite the fact that jailbreaking is legal in many countries, Apple insists that doing so will only void your warranty. It's as if you can buy any device from Apple but you've to use it the way they tell you. So, play by Apple's rules or else...

3. Thou shalt not talk about Apple

Let's say you are a popular celebrity, and you point out some of iPhone's faults on national television, just to poke fun at Apple. Guess what, they don't like it; they'll call you up and ask you to apologize. The same thing happened with Ellen DeGeneres when she did a parody of an Apple ad on her show. Later, she got a phone from Apple accusing her of making the iPhone look hard to use. I hope they've heard of the term 'sense of humor'.

On another incident, Apple reproached someone for talking about one of the much-publicized features of the iPhone 4S. The guy who recorded the male voice of Siri got a phone call from Apple telling him not to talk about the recordings. I guess working for Apple must be like working for a secret government project where you have to be tight-lipped about everything that goes on in the facility.

If you're a small-business owner and happen to have an apple – yep, it's also a fruit -- in your company's logo, Cupertino's coming at you. Recently, Apple threatened Apfelkind ( “apple child” in German), a family-run cafe in Bonn that has an Apple in its logo. The logo, which is quite different from Apple's own logo, has a child's face inside an apple. According to Apple, Apfelkind infringes on Apple Inc.'s trademark.

In the FOSS world, a developer who finds a security bug or a critical flaw is revered as a hero. In fact, Google even gave out prizes to users who found out critical flaws in their browser. In Apple's case however, finding a bug in the system means that you'll be disqualified as a developer.

Apple seems to reject apps from their app store for the smallest of reasons. A Print to PDF app was removed from the store because it used AirPrint as a way to print documents to PDF. Moreover, Kindle, Sony and Kobo reader apps were removed too as they used an in-app payment system. While this doesn't affect big companies like Amazon, it does, however, make a hugely negative impact on the lives of thousands of independent developers who make a livelihood out of making these apps. This is also one of the reasons developers flocked to Android instead of iOS. Recently, fearing lawsuits, many app developers have started pulling their apps from Apple store as Google welcomes them with open arms.

A test engineer at Apple couldn't believe his bad luck when he was fired by the company for prematurely demoing a prototype of the iPad to Steve Wozniak. Wozniak, who happens to be one of Apple's founders, expressed his disappointment at Apple's behavior. The test engineer, however, still remains unemployed. On the other hand Gary Powell, who lost an iPhone prototype is still a proud Apple employee. Need I say more?

From the buggy-yet-popular Windows 95 to the god-knows-what-it-is and upcoming Windows 8, Microsoft has come a long way. Unlike the 90’s, they aren’t just making computer software, today they manufacture almost anything your tech-savvy mind can dream of. But after all these years, what hasn’t changed is the fact that Microsoft is still a company full of uptight nerds who think that attacking their competitors is what makes them no 1.

Microsoft’s long war against Linux, Android and all things related to Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) is something that can’t be ignored anymore.

Here is a look at the history of Microsoft's infamous FUD (Fear, uncertainty and doubt) campaigns against Linux and FOSS:

Microsoft initially had no big competitors. Everything was peachy in the rapidly-growing Gatesland. From office desktops to giant servers, Windows was having a somewhat faddish influence on the computer-curios crowd. But soon, in the shadows of this giant monster's trail, a new rival was slowly taking shape. Linux, even though slowly, was getting the recognition it deserved, posing a direct threat to Microsoft's mega empire. Microsoft, as it does with every competitor it faces, was quick to deny Linux's existence. It was only when the tiny penguin started gaining prominence in the server market that Microsoft made its first attempt at thwarting Linux's growth.

In 1999, Mindcraft, a company specializing in testing and benchmarking systems, published a thorough report stating that “Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 is 2.5 times faster than Linux as a file server and 3.7 times faster as a Web Server”. One year prior, a similar whitepaper was published, attacking Novell Netware, claiming that “Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 is 25.5% faster than Novell Netware 5 as a File Server and has 2.7 times better price/performance”.

The reports were convincing enough for any consumer to opt for the 'better' product, which apparently was Microsoft NT Server. Although, the truth behind the report soon came out when it was revealed that Microsoft had paid Mindcraft to create the report. Well, to give Mindcraft some credit, the benchmarking was actually carried out on a Linux server. However, the Linux system used in the test was not setup in an optimal way. Mindcraft had used the best configuration for their NT models, yet they failed to setup a Linux system that was performing to its full capacity. Thus began, Microsoft's long and dirty campaign against Linux.

As Microsoft kept coming out with newer versions of its flagship Windows operating system, Linux, slowly but steadily, started growing bigger. At that time, when Windows NT and 2000 ruled the desktop world, Linux users were seen as hippies or communists by Microsoft's loyal minions. Steve Ballmer, even went as far as to say that “Linux is a cancer that attaches itself in an intellectual property sense to everything it touches”. What the badmouth Ballmer didn't realize then was that this virtually-unknown operating system would be used in cancer research some day.

Post-2000, Linux became a more palpable opponent to Microsoft's giant empire. Now, Linux was not only a server operating system but also a more usable desktop OS. Microsoft, as always, was never going to back down. They started using fear as a weapon in its fight against Free and Open Source Software. They claimed that Linux developers and users (yes you heard that right) violated almost 235 of its patents. Microsoft said that they only 'chose' not to sue Linux for this. Now, this claim by Microsoft may not come as a big surprise for any experienced Linux user, but for users who were planning on switching from Windows to Linux, this was a huge hurdle. Fears and doubts were instilled in the minds of many Tux-curious users and corporations, a fear that he or she might face a lawsuit for installing Linux on his or her computer.

This war took a strange, or rather shocking turn when Microsoft suddenly started supporting open source. They even began contributing code to Linux's kernel. What an altruistic move we must say. But this move was clearly a well-planned scheme by Microsoft's PR department to mend its broken image in the tech world. This is when Gatescorp started playing the game a little more carefully, by avoiding conspicuous maneuvers so that the company's brand image remained intact.

Well, that didn't by any means imply that Microsoft had given up its fight against the penguin. When Linux-based netbooks started taking the world by storm, Microsoft started its ugly game again by claiming that Linux had higher return rates than Windows. The fact was that many users actually chose Ubuntu over Windows XP when it came to netbooks. Well-engineered Linux-based netbooks offered almost everything Windows offered and more. Canonical even exposed Microsoft's netbook FUD in a post on their blog.

When Windows 7 came out, Microsoft started looking for new and innovative ways to continue its FUD campaign. By then, Linux was no longer a geek-only operating system. In fact, Ubuntu had become a popular name amongst developers and casual users alike. What Microsoft did here was not only evil but also something really stupid. In Microsoft's training material for Best Buy employees (called Microsoft ExpertZone), they included a module which taught how to convince customers that Linux was a bad choice when compared to Windows 7.

The talking points mentioned in the course went from ludicrous to absolutely moronic at times. According to Microsoft, few of the issues with Linux were that one couldn't play World of WarCraft or download and install Windows Live Essentials. The most ridiculous part of the module was the claim it made that “Windows is safer than Linux”. Of course, even an inexperienced Linux user would be quick to repudiate that 'claim', but no matter what the facts are, Microsoft keeps pushing its evil propaganda to consumers.

Android is killing the iPhone. But in this battle of smartphones Microsoft is nowhere to be seen. Well, that's what many people believe. Here too, Microsoft is playing its evil game, however, this time, by staying behind the scenes. There has been a huge debate whether Android can be considered as Linux but for the sake of the argument let's consider it as a Linux-based OS. Now, Microsoft claims that Android OS, being a Linux-based one, is infringing many of their patents. They are demanding 15 USD in cash for every Android device Samsung makes. $15 looks like a small amount, but considering the huge number of sales the Google-made phones have achieved, it is enough to keep Microsoft happy for years. Samsung on the other hand is trying hard to negotiate a lower $10 fee in exchange for some kind of alliance with Microsoft. Appalling, absolutely appalling.

The Chrome attack

The latest threat to Microsoft's million-dollar empire is Google Chrome OS. Though Microsoft has never publicly acknowledged the browser-based Operating System as a threat to their company, but Google is a competitor they can't afford to be complacent with. I'm quite sure that if Chromebooks start performing well in the market, Microsoft will start some kind of FUD or patent war against Google. Any attack on Chrome OS will be more or less an attack on Linux as it is after all a Linux-based Operating System.

The Future

Linux is not the only threat to Microsoft's empire. Their old arch rival Apple has risen from the ashes to take them head on and it appears that Microsoft has run out of ways to tackle them. iPads and iPhones are selling like pancakes. Gatescorp, which once predicted that 'tablets are dead', are lamenting not being a part of this trend. Linux being open source and free was an easy target for Microsoft's FUD plot, but taking on Apple is not a child's play. Apple has a strong fan base and talking an Apple fanboy into buying something else is a huge task in itself.

Microsoft, under no circumstances, is going to stop its war on Linux. In one-way or the other it is determined to crush the FOSS world to pieces. While this may scare the next-door Linux enthusiast, one must always remember this quote – “First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win” – Mahatma Gandhi

Apple, with the launch of the universally coveted iPad, started a new trend in secondary computing devices. These gadgets, also known as post-PC devices, don't necessarily replace the desktop but they do a good job at complimenting it.

Netbooks, both Windows-based and Linux-based ones were already major players in this market before being overtaken by iPad and Android tablet computers. Venturing late into this domain came Google's highly anticipated Chromebooks, making the secondary device market even more competitive.

Today, let's compare three of the biggest players (excluding Android tablets) of this secondary computing device market --which are iPads, Windows-based netbooks and Chromebooks – and see how they stack up against each other:

The iPad comes with many features like video calling, full touch-screen interface, HD playback and more. These features are the USP of these little devices giving them an edge over standard desktops and laptops. This, however, doesn't mean that tablets outsmart the netbooks or even Chromebooks. Netbooks too have a lot of great features they can boast of. The presence of a physical keyboard is one big plus point. Furthermore, the ability to install any Operating System gives users a lot of choice. Let's take a look at a few features these three devices offer and compare them head-to-head:

Based on the table above, we can see that netbooks, be it Windows-based or Linux-based easily outsmart the iPad when it comes to features. There are some areas where the iPad wins, but it still fails to meet the requirements of a regular desktop user. This is simply due to the locked-down approach Apple has been taking towards its product design.

It cannot be argued that in terms of usability, having a physical keyboard is a huge advantage over a touch-screen UI. However, the iPad makes up for this deficiency thanks to its intuitive and easy-to-use UI. The icons and the applications are well laid-out as compared to the clunky interface Windows-based netbooks provide.

Windows XP and Windows 7 are operating systems designed specially for the desktop and using them on the tiny netbook's screen makes many applications look out of place. On the iPad, applications are specially designed for the device. Hence, they look and behave as they should, giving a huge edge in terms of usability.

Chromebooks on the other hand have the standard browser interface, which works great if you have a working connection, but as soon as you are offline, things kind of fall apart. Nevertheless, Chromebook's User interface is extremely simple especially for new users as it is devoid of any kind of unnecessary settings and options.

It's hard to decide who's the winner in this domain, but I'll have to give this one to the iPad simply for a User Interface that fits like a glove.

Apple's app store can boast of a huge number of quality applications, which users can download for a price or for free. Netbooks on the other hand don't have an app store, but are capable of running almost all of the 'essential' software applications that are out there. A Windows-based netbook or even a Linux-based one can help a user complete almost any task, that is, from creating a spreadsheet to finishing a quick drawing, without any compatibility issue whatsoever.

iPad's battery life is around 10 hours, netbooks on the other hand have different battery lives ranging anywhere from 3 hours to 13 hours. Chromebooks give around 8 hour of battery life, which is quite good but not as good as what iPad offers. The winner here, however, are netbooks, as a high quality netbook can give mind-blowing performance especially when coupled with netbook-specific Operating System.

To be honest, there is no real winner here. All the three devices satisfy the needs of different types of users. Even though it is a tie, netbooks slightly edge out both its competitors but their falling popularity may work against them in the future. So, we leave it for you to decide who wins this battle for the best secondary computing device.


Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

If you have not been reading the latest technology news, here is a quick summary of the hottest stuff that just happened in the last few days (be sure to check out the included links for more details):

Google accused Microsoft's Bing of cheating by using, copying, borrowing, stealing (or whatever you may call it) Google's search results. Microsoft denied this by saying, “We do not copy Google's results”. The Bing team also gave an official statement that briefly explains how their algorithm work and admitted that they do copy clickstream data from users, which of course include those from Google.

Here is my quick opinion with regards to this issue:

Google has all the right reasons to complain. Search is their main product and they would do everything they can to protect it. Heck Apple will sue everyone that would slightly copy the name or features of their products, so I think there is nothing wrong about Google's grumble since they have also provided some good and credible facts. Bing simply did a sneaky job of gathering Google's search data and ultimately uses them as basis of its search results.

As stated by the Bing team, they use over 1,000 different signals and features in their ranking algorithm. But the question is, how much influence does Google's search data have on Bing's ranking algorithm?

Because of all the madness that are taking place right now, someone just created a web application that will allow you to build a search engine that 'uses' or should I say 'does a parody' of Bing's search algorithm.

Here is an amazing 3-step process of creating your very-own Bing-like search engine :-)

I now have my very own search engine :-)


Now, you'll be the judge. Google vs. Bing - which side are you on?

Internet Explorer 8 (also known as IE 8) is the latest but not quite the greatest web browser from Microsoft. It offers several enhancements over its predecessor that includes improvements in RSS, Cascading Style Sheets, and Ajax support. It also has several added features like automatic tab crash recovery, suggested sites, web slices, and accelerators (a form of selection-based search).

Although running IE 8 on Linux is buggy, it renders web pages well. So if you are a web developer, you may find keeping Internet Explorer 8 on Linux handy.

Have you ever heard of a cellular phone or smartphone that dual boots Android and Windows Mobile OS out of the box? If you haven't, then you will now. Introducing, the T5353, an HTC Touch Diamond2 clone that has a 3.2-inch touch sensitive display (240*400 pixels) and is preloaded with two mobile operating systems: Android 2.0 and Windows Mobile 6.5. Once you turn on the phone, a bootloader will appear allowing you to choose which OS to boot.

The T5353 is without doubt made somewhere in China and is designed to mimic the look and feel of the HTC Touch Diamond2 smartphone. But you don't have to be Jacky Chan to use the handset as it supports several languages including English, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, and more. The smartphone is powered by a Marvell PXA310 624MHz/XScale-V3 based processor, and is loaded with 256MB RAM and 512MB flash memory, which is expandable to up 16GB in size via MicroSD.

Here are some of the other basic features and technical specifications of the T5353:

With its price tag of only $199.90 at DealExtreme, it's quite tempting to just grab the T5353 because I think it has most of the essential features of a smartphone, plus you get to try and use two excellent mobile operating systems. However, I have never heard or seen anyone using the T5353 just yet so I couldn't say anything about its performance. In case you already have this phone or if you decide to get one soon, don't forget to share with us the experience of using it.

In terms of speed, we can't deny the fact that Linux has an edge over Windows. This is because Linux is more efficient in handling computer resources when compared to the more bloated Windows. Through this speed advantage, it has been utilized on mobile devices and desktop PCs with limited hardware capabilities.

Compared with Windows, Linux desktop boots faster and applications open up quicker and run snappier inside it. Linux servers are favored against those running on Windows because aside from being fast, they are also reliable and secure. I can go on and on explaining about its quickness but since I'm here to teach you how to make Windows faster than Linux, I will now share with you these tips:



2. Remove anti-virus software
I know this will make Windows vulnerable to security threats such as viruses, spyware, trojans, fungus (sic), and worms. But since this is all about making Windows faster, we recommend that you remove your anti-virus software because it's a resource hog and it is one of the key reasons why your desktop is running slow.

3. Disable Automatic Updates
This is another bad idea in terms of security, but disabling automatic updates can help Windows gain some speed. Running automatic updates slows down your system as it uses computer resources to constantly check for updates like security patches. The system also regularly (more regular than normal) checks and hunts down those who are using pirated copies of Windows.

4. Upgrade RAM
Like a good old tech adviser, I encourage you to upgrade or increase your RAM to accommodate the needs of Vista or Windows 7. There's no way that you can beat a Linux desktop using just 1GB of RAM.

5. Buy a new CPU
Buy a new CPU, make it Quad Core Extreme or better. That will surely beat the s%!t out of any Linux distro running on Pentium 3.

6. Downgrade to Windows 95
If you can't afford to buy a new CPU or upgrade your RAM, find a copy of Windows 95 (preferably genuine) and install it. Your Windows desktop will now be faster than any Linux distro made from 2007 onwards.

The Microsoft Office suite takes up a lot of memory, both in hard drive space and in RAM. The full and complete package of Office costs more than some people's mortgage payments. Fortunately, Office is not the only option available to get the work done. Here are ten FREE alternatives to what Microsoft Office has to offer.

Free is a great price to pay for these applications, so give them a shot and see what you like. By the way, Jun has previously written about several free and open source office suites for Linux that you may also want to check out.

World's Funniest Windows Error Messages: We all know how it sucks to see error messages. If you have been using Windows all your life, you have probably seen lots of them already.

Since some people have learned to look at the bright or should I say funny side of life, they have decided to create something out of those error messages. They have Photoshopped or edited some Windows error messages and made them look so realistic to try to tickle our funny bone.

I want you all to sit back, relax, and enjoy our collection of some of the world's funniest Windows error messages:

BSOD must be closed

What will you do now?

Missing keyboard

Just a bug

Too much uptime

Bad Office Assistant

Windows has performed an illegal operation

The operation completed successfully... or not!

Microsoft EULA violation

Deleting data on a free space

Totally understandable EULA

Everything's messed up

Just an Error Reminder

The Missing Tips File

Windows Hardware Update

What would you do now?

Blackmail!

The end of the Internet

Random error

Replace user

Error deleting files

Too much errors

Remind me next year

From a Russian ATM machine

Is the last one real or not? I hope you had fun but if you want more amusing stuff, you may want to check these out:

Do you want to install Windows 7 inside Ubuntu? If your answer is yes, then you will need virtualization software like VMWare Workstation or Sun Virtualbox to setup an operating system (guest OS) inside an operating system (host OS). The process sounds more complicated than it really is so don't worry.

If you are ready, here's a step-by-step instruction on how to install Windows 7 (guest) inside Ubuntu (host). But first, some requirements:

If you want to find out which do I think is better between Windows 7 and Ubuntu 9.10, watch out for my follow-up post (coming soon) from this article: Ubuntu 9.10 vs. Mac OS X Snow Leopard vs. Windows 7.