[Lancaster] Re: Help -- Video importing/processing software

[Ken Hough]

Ken Walton wrote:

> I've been reading this exchange with interest, and wondered what your 
> views are on Freespire...
>
> http://www.freespire.org/

It sounds good on paper, but I haven't tried it so am unable to make any 
meaningful comments about freespire.

There are a lot of Linux distros about (hundreds!) which claim to be the 
answer to various problems. Many fall by the wayside through lack of 
user and/or developer support.

>
> Personally, while I approve of the politics of open source, I also 
> want a computer that works now, rather than after the revolution, and 
> would rather not be using MS products, though I need to be compatible 
> with them in my work (copy-editing) and study (undergrad at Lancaster 
> Uni). Ubuntu is doing fine, now that I've got it set up, but the idea 
> of Freespire, which will run DVDs and other media out of the box, 
> seems like a step in the right direction. (I don't have a DVD player, 
> TV or hifi, so the computer is my only form of media entertainment).

Great! A free thinking undergrad with a sense of pragmatism. There's 
hope for the world yet. ;-)

This is the kind of user attitude/need the need that I've been banging 
on about.

AFAIK, the situation concerning the use of DVD enabling software under 
Linux is still open to question. Have a look: 
<http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/5644>

and

<http://developers.videolan.org/libdvdcss>

I use SuSE (currently versions 9.1 and 10.1) which for the most part 
work well for me, including most multimedia requirements.


Ken Hough