TooMuchGreen

This is the winning entry from last years Linux Foundation “We’re Linux” SuperBowl Ad video contest (the combative tag-line against the “I’m a PC” & “I’m a Mac” individualism)..

The video was created by Amitay Tweeto who lives in Bet Shemesh, Israel. The 25-year old freelance graphic designer and UI consultant entered this contest because he thinks Linux is suffering from bad PR and when people think of Linux they think “technical,” gray stuff for programmers only. Amitay wants to let people get to know the other side of Linux, the flexibility they can get with no technical background. I think he did a good job  Read more... (estimated reading time 29 secs)

Check this out, it’s a Windows XP themed Ubuntu distro from China. Microsoft are “apparently” not going to take any legal action against the producers (Ylmf), although I’ll wager that’s said through clenched teeth

So, what’s the lowdown. Well, Ylmf is built on the latest version of Ubuntu (9.10) and includes all the standard goodies + a few extra niceties to compliment the blend. Here’s a brief run through of the install and a few added shots from the end desktop..

Initial splash, already nicely themed..

 Read more... (estimated reading time 2:05 mins)

TooMuchGreen has officially regressed to it’s former blog status, it likes being a blog and we enjoy blogging through it.

The “business” side of things is now fully re-branded as the wonderful MEBBI™ Solutions.

MEBBI™ Solutions provide all the services previously offered by TooMuchGreen plus a few new additions, why not visit our lovely new website and have a look around..

http://mebbi.net

Sector awareness for the benefits of open source adoption is rapidly growing amongst the forward thinking enterprise. An open source solution provides not only a comprehensive replacement but delivers added security and performance boosts to existing systems whilst offering huge reductions in immediate expenditure and long term cost of ownership.  Read more... (estimated reading time 47 secs)

One of the easiest and most popular cost saving routes into Open Source is a simple “Open Office >  MS Office” replacement. Open Office is a free and completely compatible alternative which even across a relatively small enterprise network can contribute substantially to major reductions in T.C.O through negating one area of software licensing expenditure. Compatible as it is, though, reluctancy for change at operational level is a big one, even more so at the user end as they’re the ones who like (?) to complain about the minutiae (of document formatting?).  Read more... (estimated reading time 1:55 mins)

With more and more SPAM eMail being created each day it’s increasingly difficult for many SME’s to not only manage their incoming flows but in many cases to communicate with clients increasingly tightening SPAM filters at the other end. If your website and eMail platform emanates from a poorly managed and resultantly blacklisted host you quite quickly find yourself cut off with an inbox full of “mail delivery failed” messages, not at all conducive to fluid business.

So what’s the answer?  Read more... (estimated reading time 1:18 mins)

Open Document Format – it’s the way forward, I have no doubts, and neither it seems do the United States..

They have a great website too – http://opensourceforamerica.org/ (I do think they missed a trick though, I’d have gone for “opensourceforus”, much more fun)

Obviously the UK are correspondingly on the ball (!). For information regarding open source in relation to the “Digital Britain” report you’ll need to download the PDF, you’ll find open source mentioned under chapter 8, section 19. However if you can’t be bothered (which of course you can’t, who would) here’s the extensive and inspiring text (yawn) >  Read more... (estimated reading time 1:09 mins)

For any business network security at the client end is the most vulnerable area and the most difficult to “police”. Even with a rigid and up-to-date AD policy & virus checking software update system implemented you’ve still got the userbase to “manage”. Running an I.T department is certainly not just about fixing computers and making sure eMail flows smoothly, this is something I know all too well from many years of experience (or should I say “exposure”).  Read more... (estimated reading time 2:29 mins)

TooMuchGreen are not only staunch advocates of everything Linux and open source, we also firmly believe in superior solutions from our other favourite computer company – Apple. The above table illustrates one such shining example.

The Apple OSX operating system is far superior to Microsoft Windows in many ways (security, stability etc) and as this comparison chart clearly highlights, the perception that Apple products are expensive is simply not true, in fact quite the opposite. Aside from licencing costs the TCO drop resulting from reduced admin overhead* further adds to the equation, also bear in mind that here we are comparing the Mini Server to the lowest spec PC available, PC based server class hardware is substantially more expensive.  Read more... (estimated reading time 47 secs)

So, another government organisation was brought to it’s knees on New Years Day by the W32 Conficker worm virus (professional etiquette prevents me from revealing my source and the institution in question), nice timing, and a happy new year.

The result of the attack was a 100% national lockout of all computer user accounts & till systems, quite something and a nice introduction to 2010 for the poor I.T staff who had to drop their games consoles to tackle a major security breach whilst the rest of the UK were sat finishing off the Christmas chocolates and watching TV with their feet up.  Read more... (estimated reading time 2:22 mins)