Not surprisingly, I'm recommending the non-Windows version found at Extreme Tech. Excerpt:

Now that we've heaped that glowing praise on this modern computing wonder, we have to throw a rock or two at it. A number of distributions like Xandros, Linspire, and Lycoris have made very big strides toward making Linux easy to install and use by less technical users who just want to get their stuff done, and not twiddle with source code, .conf files, and kernel modules. Linux has also made some good strides toward being an interesting alternative to Windows Media Center Edition (MCE). But obstacles remain—lots of them.

So, before you embark on trying to build a Linux-based Home Theater PC (HTPC), you have to ask yourself a question: "How much time do I have to dedicate to bringing up a Linux-based HTPC?" If the answer is "not much," then a Linux-based HTPC is probably not something you should build. Assembling the hardware is pretty easy, and the physical assembly process takes a half-hour to 45 minutes. Installing the OS can be a very straightforward affair as well. But installing extra drivers as well as installing and configuring a PVR media application (and its required packages) are not trivial tasks, and the road ahead is laced with hidden potholes.

Oh, to be retired and rich.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 03:31 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Do you like beer? Does the Blue Screen of Death™ from Microsoft make you want to throw your PC out of the window? Have I got an operating system for you: BEERnix. While it's still BETA, you can still download it, burn it to CD and then boot directly off of the CD. A small little distro, about 400Mb, it will still give you a frothy taste of Linux, to help you make the move away from Microsoft.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 02:33 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Google has partnered with OpenOffice. Cool.

That sound you heard was Bill Gates sphincter tightening.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 04:41 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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