Linux Archive

Is Windows 10 right for libraries?

The last week of July Microsoft released Windows 10. This began the countdown clock for the free upgrade for the next year. I’m sure there are a lot of libraries in the process of upgrading. Free certainly is appealing. But is it right? With technology it is best to try and stay up to date

Can you use Linux on public access computers at a library? Yes!

I have long believed that Linux could be more widely used in the library, especially on public access computers. It’s another thing to actually experiment with a Linux OS on public access computers. Would there be push-back from patrons and staff? A few months ago I had the opportunity to actually try it. My library

When technology fails

We’ve all been there. The computer that dies or becomes infected with spyware, printers no longer printing, power failures, equipment damage due to power surges, or the internet goes down. I’ve dealt with all of this the last few weeks at the library. The initial reaction is to panic which invariably makes the problem worse.

The Fitbit in the library – maybe

Personal devices are the hot new consumer electronic trend right now. Some show really great promise at solving certain medical problems. Others just further propel people toward increased internet connectivity and socialization. These devices present problems for libraries in many of the some ways that tablets, ipods, and laptops do. There is the increased bandwidth

Raspberry Pi

What is it? The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It’s a capable little PC which can be used for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. It also plays high-definition video. We want to see it being used

Trials and tribulations with the Coby Kyros tablet

I was actually anxious to get my hands on the Coby Kyros tablet in the gizmo garage and give it a try. These tablets are android based and retail for around $100 or less. I wanted to see if these inexpensive tablets can do just as good a job as a more expensive iPad, and