Each time Canonical ships a new Ubuntu release, I'm inclined to reach out to two specific PC companies: ZaReason and System76. Both companies focus intensely on Ubuntu netbooks, notebooks, PCs and servers. Here's a look at ZaReason's Ubuntu 10.04 strategy - according to CEO Cathy Malmrose and CTO Earl Malmrose

ZaReason is preparing to expand its portfolio of Ubuntu systems - including a new server and netbook, according to CEO Cathy Malmrose. But that's not all. US-based ZaReason also continues its push deeper into the European computer market.
I traded email with Malmrose about Ubuntu 9.04 and ZaReason's ongoing business strategy. Here's a look at our exchange...

When attending conferences, working with various open source teams, and generally interacting with people in the open source world, we see women as a small representative minority. The disparity leaves us wondering: "How do we better activate 50% of the population?".

It was time for a new computer for my Grandparents. Their ancient Windows 98 PC had become so slow that it was unusable. The replacement, an inexpensive Acer PC, came with Windows Vista preinstalled. It was up to me to set up the new computer and support it. So I decided to wipe out Vista with a Debian 4 base install and set up an easy to use environment for my Grandparents.

Cathy and Earl Malmrose founded ZaReason several years ago. ZaReason is a Linux OEM that has long intrigued me for a number of reasons: they encourage customers to open their boxes and tinker, they specialize in OEM Linux boxes, and they demonstrate that there is still room for independent shops in the rough-and-tumble world of computer retailing.

"The 30 girls sitting in the Harrington Learning Center at Quinsigamond Community College yesterday were far past VCRs, however. The group of 10- to 14-year-olds was busy installing and configuring the Linux operating system on computers they had finished building. "

I use some common Linux tools to remotely support my Grandparents’ PC. These tools are SSH and X11vnc. X11vnc lets me take over the display, and the VNC traffic is tunneled with SSH.

When we’re kids, we learn stories of the past from our grandparents, often involving their parents and grandparents. How many of you remember those stories? What about the names of the people involved? Those of you with your hands up, are you into genealogy? I’ve been working on it for a couple of years now, and I just love this program, GRAMPS.

A little more than three months after he became leader of the Debian GNU/Linux project, Steve McIntyre is beginning to realise that it can be a little scary at times.