World of Warcraft runs well in Ubuntu.
(Credit: Screenshot by Dong Ngo/CNET)
If you are looking for an operating system that offers the best values, none can compare to Linux.
First of all, it's free. Most Linux distributions can be downloaded gratis from the developers' Web site and you can install it on however many computers you want. Secondly, it comes with a lot of things, such as office tools (word processing, spreadsheet, presentation), audio and video playback, Internet and e-mail, instant messaging, and so on. Basically everything a general user would want to use with a computer is there when the installation is done. For those applications that are not there, chances are you can download them for free.
Wine is more than just an emulator; it makes Windows applications run in Linux much like they do in Wndows.
(Credit: Screenshot by Dong Ngo/CNET)There's also a Linux application called Wine that allows you to run Windows software within Linux. What is special about Wine, however, is the fact that it's not a traditional virtual environment and therefore runs Windows applications very much the way Windows does, without much overhead. Unfortunately, not all Windows applications work with Wine and even if they do, you might not be able to install or run them the way you do in Windows.
Wine, which was developed in 1993, is a recursive acronym for "Wine Is Not an Emulator," though this doesn't make it true that it is not an emulator. Rather than acting as a full emulator, it implements a compatibility layer, providing alternative implementations of the DLLs that Windows programs call, and processes to substitute for the Windows NT kernel. The Wine project has run into a lot of difficulties, mostly because of the incomplete and incorrect documentation of the Windows API. For this reason, after 15 years of development, the first version of Wine (1.0) was release in mid-2008.
Over my Christmas break, I decided to try out the latest version of Wine with my most frequently used Windows application, which is called World of Warcraft (or WoW). Just so that it's clear that I am not antisocial, this didn't take away much time spending with friends and family, as it actually took me less than an hour to do the whole thing.
I started out with getting an ISO image of the ever-popular Linux distro Ubuntu version 91.0. After that, I burned the image onto a CD and started the installation from it.
If you have ever installed an operating system, such as Windows, the installation of Ubuntu is very similar to that. You just need to insert the CD into the optical drive, boot the computer from it, and follow the instructions. The installer will do everything for you, including configuring the hard drive and setting up dual-boot if you want to use it on the same computer that also has Windows installed. In this case, make sure you pick the amount of hard-drive space you want to use for Linux carefully, as this can't be changed once the new OS is installed.
You need to launch the Windows executable file using Wine Windows Program Loader to run a Windows-based application within Linux.
(Credit: Screenshot by Dong Ngo/CNET)Note that in case there's no free space on the hard drive, the Linux installer will automatically shrink the partition used by Windows and free some space for Linux. This process, apart from making the Windows partition smaller, doesn't change anything else and your Windows should work like normal. However, a good rule of thumb is to make sure you back up important files prior to installing Linux.
In my case, I installed Ubuntu 9.10 on the same Core 2 Dual machine with 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive that runs Windows 7 into a dual-boot setup and the whole process took less than 30 minutes. After that, at boot up, I have the option of booting in either Windows 7 or Ubuntu.
Once the installation is done, though Ubuntu runs fine, chances are not all the hardware components, such as video or sound, have their optimized drivers installed. You need to manually do this by running the Hardware Driver utility (System -> Administration -> Hardware Drivers); this utility will list the hardware components that require proprietary drivers and you just need to install (or activate) them. In my case, I needed to do that for my video card, which is a budget Geforce 8300GS with 510MB of RAM.
Wine can be installed for free and the process takes just less than a minute via a broadband connection.
(Credit: Screenshot by Dong Ngo/CNET)The next step is to install Wine. You can do that via Ubuntu Software Center (Applications -> Ubuntu Software Center). Here, you select "Get Free Software" then search for "Wine." In my case, I found two versions of Wine: Wine Microsoft Windows Compatibility Layers and Wine Microsoft Windows Compatibility Layers (Beta Release). I picked the beta release. (Obviously newer is better, right?) The installation of Wine literally took a few seconds with the Internet connection I used, which was really fast. If you use a regular DSL, this might take around a minute.
Now it's time to install WoW. I did it the way I've always done in Windows in the last couple of years: copying the whole "World of Warcraft" folder over from another computer. This is because installing the game from scratch would take hours, considering all the updates and the almost 20GB of storage space that the game requires. With Linux, however, you might not be able to install WoW from scratch anyway. The WoW installer that I tried refused to continue, citing that the computer doesn't meet the game's requirement. This is probably because it could read the computer's hardware via Wine.
Because WoW wasn't installed from scratch, I couldn't launch it from Wine's Start Menu (which resembles that of Windows'). Instead, I need to call the game's executable directly. The trick is that you need to call it via Wine Windows Program Loader by right clicking on the Wow.exe file and choose "Open with Wine Windows Program Loader." It won't work if you just double-click on it.
(Credit:
Screenshot by Dong Ngo/CNET)
And that's it, the game loaded and worked just like in Windows. I could run it in full-screen mode, Windows mode, using the add-ons, etc. The performance was decent. At the recommenced settings, I had consistently 20 frames per second in Daralan, the notoriously slow and laggy area of the game. In other areas, such as dungeons, I was able to get up to 45fps, which was really impressive considering the budget video card.
Overall, it was a really interesting and exciting experience. However, WoW crashed during start-up a couple times; this could be solved by simply restarting the computer or reinstalling Wine. This is probably where the "beta" notion of Wine is to blame.
Other than WoW, I tried a few other Windows applications, such as iTunes and QuickTime, and they worked, too. however they didn't always work the way you expect in Windows.
All in all, Wine will not make an alternative to Windows, but the fact that now I can run my favorite game in Linux makes me believe that Linux is really an ideal operating system for savvy users. So if you think you are one, make a backup of your Windows computer and try it out. It's a lot of fun and doesn't cost anything.
Where's the "All of the Above" option?
(Credit: AT&T)Before we get into the stories on today's episode of CNET's The 404 Podcast, let's spend a moment on the magic of Lady Gaga. In this morning's pre-show, Jeff admits he's finally fallen for the incendiary pop star, and it's all because of her newest video, "Bad Romance." We all agree that the diva is definitely the most talented pop star, but the nerds inside of us have to ask: does she have to constantly pimp her Monster Heartbeat headphones in every single music video?
Wilson also shows us a "no duh" iPhone app from AT&T called "Mark the Spot." The app gives AT&T customers a chance to vocalize and report their poor service complaints. It even lets you note your current location and the frequently of the issue. Anyone else think it's ironic that you have to use AT&T's servers to access this complaint software? How are we supposed to use it if the network is struggling?
We've been patiently waiting for Space Beer to come out ever since the debut of Space Beer Guy back on Episode 109, and it's finally here! The beer made with barley grown in space is finally available for the low price of $113, which actually isn't that much when you consider the shipping fee. Unfortunately, there are only 250 boxes of the stuff available, so you might have to fight us to get your hands on a bottle.
Finally, we've received so many new theme song submissions that we've decided to play a new one every day for the rest of this week! Today's entries include two 8-bit versions from Callum and Adam and a synth-y remix from Mad Dogg. Keep listening to the rest of this week's episodes for more submissions, and thanks to all the talented folks who are taking the time to help out this podcast. We owe you all a Coke!
EPISODE 482
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It feels good to let the poison out every once in a while, so today's episode of CNET's The 404 Podcast is all about human vices, starting with a story about a controversial secret love scene in Dragon Age: Origins between two gay elves. While conservatives are up in arms about the cut scene, Wilson and Jeff stand by the Mature rating and hold parents responsible for making the final buying decision, but I have to play devil's advocate and ask why it's necessary to have sex scenes in video games in the first place; are there really gamers out there actually getting a kick out of seeing it, or is it just creating more trouble than it's worth?
While we're on the subject of nerds, World of Warcraft players are rejoicing at Blizzard's "ever-expanding line of merchandise" that now includes customized posters featuring your in-game WoW character. It's called Print Warcraft, and it's already so popular that the Web site is apologizing for its overloaded servers. We have a few problems with the idea of the service, so be sure to listen to the whole episode for our breakdown.
The last vice of the day might change the way you party on the weekends: a researcher in Russia has found a way to solidify your favorite liquors into pill form. Evgeny Moskalev of the Saint Petersburg Technological University has figured out how to turn alcohol into powder and pack the concentration into a "dry pill." We seriously doubt party animals in Russia will be able to measure out the exact vodka dosage needed to get blotto, but we'll raise our pill box to it anyway.
(Credit:
Otterbox)
We've also got two new user submitted theme songs thanks to PA Stubbs and David, and DON'T FORGET! It's not to late to enter for a chance to win one of ten Otterbox cases for your iPhone 3G or 3GS. All you have to do is leave a comment on yesterday's episode and wait to see if you win! The contest runs until noon tomorrow, December 4, so don't forget!
EPISODE 479
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Parental Advisory: Explicit Content!
(Credit: Jeff Bakalar/The 404)If you've ever sat around with friends and mourned the death of the mixtape, you'll certainly appreciate the first half of today's episode of CNET's The 404 Podcast. While Jeff was at home for the break, he stumbled upon a a collection of old cassette tapes including the Cool Side/Awesome Side mix you see up there. It's got a solid collection of '90s hits including "Mr. Jones" by Counting Crows, Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun," and, of course, "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
I spy "Crazy" and something that starts with "Livin...," which I can only assume to be Britney Spears and Ricky Martin. Just kidding, Jeff, but seriously--we've all pulled some pretty embarrassing stunts in a pathetic attempt to win a girl's heart, so stick around to witness the humiliation.
(Credit:
Tech Crunch)
Speaking of death, we're (kind of) sad to see the demise of the CrunchPad. The brainchild of TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington and Fusion Garage, the CrunchPad was supposed to be an aluminum tablet computer with a 12-inch LCD screen running Ubuntu Linux and Webkit browser. Unfortunately, Arrington reported today that the CrunchPad project is officially dead. We're disappointed that we'll never be able to test the product ourselves, but we're sure that Arrington has something else up his sleeve.
We imagine that a lot of you guys will be traveling by plane for the holiday season, but what if you were forced to hand over your iPod to security agents to check it for pirated music at the airport? Sounds like a nightmare, but Wilson tells us that the Australian government is apparently proposing a plan to search iPods and other MP3 players for illegally downloaded songs, punishable by heavy fines or even jail time!
From a technological stand point, we're not even sure how the government plans on checking for purchased vs. bootlegged music. At the end of the day, it's always comforting to know that you'll NEVER get busted for listening to The 404, and isn't that the most important thing?
EPISODE 477
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No one wants to be Zaboo'd...or do they?
(Credit: The Guild)What effects do Facebook, other social networking sites, and today's media on have on young people? We have no idea. Neither of us have been young for a very long time. I think we think we know and like always, we're not afraid to discuss it.
Dong goes in for a job interview. Did I say job interview? I meant guild interview. Dong is evaluated and dehumanized in his attempt to join a new World of Warcraft guild.
Dong and I talk more about Windows 7. Dong spouts his first impressions--kinda weird, seeing as he's been using it for months. I don't know. We attempt to make it interesting.
Also, before I forget, contest! Listen to the episode to find out about the rules. Listen quick though!
To subscribe to this podcast, visit us at our main page and click the podcast link on the right. Don't forget to leave us voice mail at 1-800-947-6399 or e-mail us at insidecnetlabs@cnet.com.
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Time is money, friend.
(Credit: Blizzard Entertainment)Well, BlizzCon 2009 came and went quicker than a Death Knight murders a "clothie"--especially when said "clothie" is me. While I'm a fan of all of Blizzard's games, I was most excited about the World of Warcraft announcements from the event.
Yes, of course the new expansion was "revealed" at the event, but thanks to leaks days before, many of the overall details were already known.
Luckily, Blizzard took some time this weekend to dive into more detailed changes and additions to WoW. Remember that all of these details are subject to change. Here are my favorites. Enjoy.
... Read MorePretty much exactly as predicted, Blizzard Entertainment announced the next expansion for World of Warcraft Friday afternoon during the opening ceremonies for its annual Blizzcon convention in Anaheim, Calif.
(Credit:
Blizzard Entertainment)
Called Cataclysm, the next expansion will, among other features, raise the character level cap to 85, introduce two new playable character races, and involve a wholesale refresh of Azeroth, the setting for the original World of Warcraft game released back in 2004.
Specifics were hard to come by during the opening ceremony. As is customary, no release date or pricing for Cataclysm was mentioned. Blizzard did detail the new player races (goblins for the horde, the werewolf-like worgen for the alliance) and listed a few new race and class combinations that weren't allowed previously. And of course players can expect new dungeons of varying sizes to explore. You can read GameSpot's live blog of the official presentation, which includes more details about Cataclysm as well as Blizzard's forthcoming Diablo III. Blizzard will also be hosting numerous panel discussions as Blizzcon proceeds throughout the weekend, and we expect more information will emerge.
We'll let GameSpot do what they do best and handle the nitty-gritty details of Cataclysm, Diablo III, and Blizzard's other in-development game, Starcraft II as they're revealed, especially since, unlike us, they're actually at the event. We'll keep an eye on the big picture stuff, and report back accordingly.
In non-Logitech or Microsoft mouse news, we have to hand it to Razer for its ability to read an audience. If you've played World of Warcraft, Warhammer Online, Eve Online, or other MMOs, you've most likely felt overwhelmed by the number of hot keys required to attack, communicate, and manage your inventory.
Razer's new Naga gaming mouse targets MMO gamers by incorporating a 12-button keypad into the side of the device.
The Razer Naga gaming mouse targets MMO gamers with a built-in 12-button keypad.
(Credit: Razer)Aside from the keypad, the Naga looks like a wired version of the Razer Mamba from earlier this year. Like the Mamba, the Naga has all of the speeds and feeds common to high-end gaming mice, including a 5,600 dpi laser sensor and 1,000MHz polling rate. You won't really need those high-precision settings to master the assisted targeting and timed-attack mechanics in a MMO, but it's hard to find a gaming mouse these days without such crazy settings, so you might as well have them.
Razer also boasts in-game configuration add-ons for World of Warcraft and Warhammer Online for the Naga, which will hopefully simplify mapping the various key commands. And if the Naga is reasonably comfortable and intuitive to use, we can see how it might appeal to other gamers, digital media artists, or users of any other hot key-heavy software.
Razer lists the Naga for $79.99 on its Web site, and says it will be available online "soon."
This is the last time we let Wilson choose the show title. Good news--The 404 Wikipedia page is BACK! Edit away, but please don't redirect the page. Today we talk about a fake bus stop in Germany, a "green" iPhone app, the iPhone 4G prototype, the "World of Warcraft" movie, and Jake Gyllenhaal as the Prince of Persia.
That's right folks, our Wikipedia page is back up, and we're praying it's permanent this time! Big ups to our buddy Darth Paxton for helping us out, so go ahead and edit it all you like (we can't edit it ourselves) with inside jokes, characters, guests, etc., but please don't edit the redirections, those need to stay in place. Whoo! We're notable!!!
Also, do not attempt to adjust your monitor, the photo to the left is indeed our first look at Jake Gyllenhaal as the Prince of Persia. With those two swords in his hands and that red sash around his waist, he looks more like a chef at a Chinese restaurant than the video game hero.
Speaking of bad video game movies, we're afraid to see what Sam Raimi has in store for the "World of Warcraft" movie adaptation, although it'd be pretty funny to just have a half an hour of peons mining and chopping wood.
A quick disclaimer: there are two stories in today's rundown that some might deem offensive, but although they're both a little dark, the beauty of The 404 is being able to find a lighthearted (and sometimes tasteless) joke in everything! For example, here's a funny story about a fake bus stop in a clinic that's designed to keep its Alzheimer's patients from escaping. Sounds awful, right? I agree--maybe all the money they spent on building this "net" could have been used to pay more nurses and doctors to determine the reason why the patients are trying desperately to escape in the first place!
Anyway, that's the first story. You'll have to listen to the full episode, which also includes news about an eBay auction for an original Sony PlayStation signed by Michael Jackson and a very "green friendly" iPhone app
EPISODE 387
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Will Arthas make an appearance in the "Warcraft" movie? Probably not the first one...
(Credit: Blizzard Entertainment)Last Friday, as I sat through the lame movie trailers before the latest "Harry Potter" movie, I was saddened to realize there are only a few films in development that I'm anticipating with extreme amounts of fanboy excitement.
As I watched multiple trailers for movies I had absolutely no interest in--like the latest "Twilight" movie--and heard the sold-out crowd lose their freakin' minds for each movie previewed, I felt that other than the upcoming "Hobbit" films, there was really no movie trailer I was prepared to embarrass myself over with an unbridled geekout in front of hundreds of people.
Today, I was reminded of one more reason to stay alive for the next few years.
On Wednesday, Blizzard Entertainment and Legendary Pictures announced that Sam Raimi has been tapped as the director of the forthcoming "Warcraft" movie.
Raimi, who previously directed all three "Spiderman" movies, as well as the "Evil Dead" movies, is a huge catch. He's also a director who's shown he can take a well-established property and make an incredibly successful movie based on it.
That in itself doesn't guarantee a good movie, but listening to the guys from Blizzard and Legendary Pictures talk about their movie plans two years ago--via the video below--it seems they have the right team in place to really do this right. Let's hope so at least.
No release date for the movie has been announced, but I wouldn't expect it before 2011. Lets just hope we get a trailer next year because I can feel my obsession coming on and it will need to be satiated...soon.
