Which of the following provides the better OOBE installation?:

• Ubuntu Linux 11.10 Beta1, or…
• Microsoft Windows [8] Developer Preview evaluation copy, build 8102

Good question.

NOTE: I write this blog entry under Internet Explorer v. 10.0.8102.0, pre-release.

Ubuntu Linux 11.10 provided a simplified desktop at startup, a la Apple OS X.

Microsoft Windows 8 provided a smartphone app look at startup (a/k/a Metro), a la Apple iPad/iPod.

Now, I’m not biased toward Ubuntu, Microsoft or Apple nor am I prejudiced against them.  All I want is a set of tools to get my job done, which is using technology to improve my quality of life.

The least obtrusive, the better.

The more intuitive, the better.

The lowest TCO (total cost of ownership), the best.

So far, there is no winner.

For simple text blogging, the Amazon Kindle 2 serves me well, allowing me to read books and blog with no monthly data plan costs.

The Windows 8 preview copy found my WiFi hardware and installed the appropriate driver, without my having to search the driver database (a knock against Ubuntu Linux 11.10, in this case).  Then again, this laptop was already preconfigured/approved fur Windows Vista (TM) Basic.

We’ll see how it goes.

I have Ubuntu Linux 11.10 on an 8GB external flash drive or SSD (solid state drive) (actually, two of them, an 8GB PNY and an 8GB SanDisk, to eliminate potential hardware incompatibility problems).

I have Microsoft Windows 8 on a blank 250GB internal hard drive I installed this morning in the laptop (a Compaq Presario C501NR notebook PC).

The Apple iPad and iPod touch, as well as the Amazon Kindle 2, have internal flash drives in their fixed hardware sets.

The Linux build had a few crashes.

The Windows build has displayed no crashes (so far), only security warnings about installing Java.

Back to my social network and the ongoing narrative the characters in my life have presented me to write about [you] here.

Thanks to Barbara and Amanda at Dreamland BBQ; Austin at PetSmart; people who find ways to employ autistic workers; the 5-year old who created a stop-action animated movie.

Is Lagarde your unofficial figurehead world leader?  In other words, how do representative, dictatorial and single-party governments select one person to rule them/us all?  It’s not a question, anymore.  It’s a done deal.  All hail your new overlord, the IMF.

The Committee will keep tabs on how this new one-world governorship is going and directly/overtly manage any extreme problems.  Otherwise, our invisible hands will be herding you on an everyday basis, as usual.