I am a newbie to Ubuntu - just upgraded my old laptop* from Windows XPSP3 to Ubuntu Desktop Edition 10.10 this weekend - and am enjoying it but have a few questions
System:
1. On startup (of the desktop), a message appears saying something like your battery appears to be broken. At seven years old, the battery only lasts an hour so I think the message is not wrong but I don't want to see it every time. How do I disable this message?
2. Network transfers are slow. Unfortunately, I did not note the transfer rates I was getting prior to loading Ubuntu on this machine but transfers now feel slow. I was copying a folder of videos (so, a few big files) from my Win 7 desktop to the Ubuntu laptop via WiFi and was getting a rate of 200-300 KB/s (as reported by Ubuntu's file copy dialog). I plugged in ethernet cables (connecting both machines to the router) and it was no faster.
To the internet is also slow. I used Speedtest.net for comparison of download speeds of the machines, both on WiFi. Ubuntu laptop: 1.5 Mbps; Win 7 desktop: 14 Mbps. Are there any tweaks I can do to Ubuntu settings that could boost the speed?
Software applications:
1. DVD playback is slow. Using the default application (totem movie player), the playback hesitates every few seconds and then continues. Is there a setting to be tweaked or a better app?
2. I am looking for a media player (local/smb music and video) with a good 10-foot interface, ideally one compatible with a Windows Media Center remote. I tried Boxee but it runs too sluggishly on this computer. Is there anything lighter on resources I should try?
3. Remote desktop. Is there an app that would let me remote into a Windows machine?
4. Palm Desktop. I synced my Palm TX PDA over bluetooth which seems to have worked for backup. (I see a bunch of pdb files in my home directory). I was hoping the operation would populate the Contacts, Calendar, To Do, and Memos in Evolution. I have set System -> Preferences -> PalmOS Devices conduits to copy from PDA as the initial action. Is there a setting somewhere I missed?
* IBM Thinkpad T40 (from 2004): 14" LCD XGA, Pentium M 1.5GHz, 1.5GB RAM, Radeon 7500, 120GB 5400rpm ATA-6, trackpoint, trackpad, CDRW/DVD. All worked out of the "box". The following peripherals are also functioning: IBM port replicator, Creative Audigy 2 NX USB sound card (analog only), TV out, Apacer Megasteno card reader, Epson perfection 1250 photo scanner, HP deskject 960, Brother laserjet 5140, Anycom (Broadcom) bluetooth dongle, Logitech RF keyboard/mouse, Wacom graphire tablet (as mouse only)
thanks,
Sathyan
System:
1. On startup (of the desktop), a message appears saying something like your battery appears to be broken. At seven years old, the battery only lasts an hour so I think the message is not wrong but I don't want to see it every time. How do I disable this message?
2. Network transfers are slow. Unfortunately, I did not note the transfer rates I was getting prior to loading Ubuntu on this machine but transfers now feel slow. I was copying a folder of videos (so, a few big files) from my Win 7 desktop to the Ubuntu laptop via WiFi and was getting a rate of 200-300 KB/s (as reported by Ubuntu's file copy dialog). I plugged in ethernet cables (connecting both machines to the router) and it was no faster.
To the internet is also slow. I used Speedtest.net for comparison of download speeds of the machines, both on WiFi. Ubuntu laptop: 1.5 Mbps; Win 7 desktop: 14 Mbps. Are there any tweaks I can do to Ubuntu settings that could boost the speed?
Software applications:
1. DVD playback is slow. Using the default application (totem movie player), the playback hesitates every few seconds and then continues. Is there a setting to be tweaked or a better app?
2. I am looking for a media player (local/smb music and video) with a good 10-foot interface, ideally one compatible with a Windows Media Center remote. I tried Boxee but it runs too sluggishly on this computer. Is there anything lighter on resources I should try?
3. Remote desktop. Is there an app that would let me remote into a Windows machine?
4. Palm Desktop. I synced my Palm TX PDA over bluetooth which seems to have worked for backup. (I see a bunch of pdb files in my home directory). I was hoping the operation would populate the Contacts, Calendar, To Do, and Memos in Evolution. I have set System -> Preferences -> PalmOS Devices conduits to copy from PDA as the initial action. Is there a setting somewhere I missed?
* IBM Thinkpad T40 (from 2004): 14" LCD XGA, Pentium M 1.5GHz, 1.5GB RAM, Radeon 7500, 120GB 5400rpm ATA-6, trackpoint, trackpad, CDRW/DVD. All worked out of the "box". The following peripherals are also functioning: IBM port replicator, Creative Audigy 2 NX USB sound card (analog only), TV out, Apacer Megasteno card reader, Epson perfection 1250 photo scanner, HP deskject 960, Brother laserjet 5140, Anycom (Broadcom) bluetooth dongle, Logitech RF keyboard/mouse, Wacom graphire tablet (as mouse only)
thanks,
Sathyan
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