My Micu

I am blogging because I want to brag about the “katas” of my work at UP. When I worked for PeopleSupport, I was able to purchase two cellular phones, but they were purchased one at a time, and using credit card of my co-worker. When I worked for Convergys, I was able to get a mobile phone—cash this time, but it is worth 6K including the extras. It is a China-made phone with dual active sims. Those were good buys, I must admit.

My latest electronic device, however, is worth blogging about as it is really a good buy in terms of what it does and what more it can do.

My laptop is an Acer 4730Z, T3200 processor, 2GB of memory, total of 160GB storage. It also has a DVD-RW, 5-in-1 card reader, 2 USB slots, Crystal Eye web camera, and wifi (According to the ad, the wifi has 802.11 b/g/N-Certified... Wow!). When I bought it, it had Linpus Linux.

Linpus Linux is a text-based operating system... or maybe, I just don't have an idea how to add a graphical user interface like GNOME or KDE to it (I actually don't know what those are.). So when I bought it, I was not able to use my laptop immediately.

I had it installed with Windows XP SP2... the popular XP version (that I know). I still have to use it because most of my classmates at my masters classes and even my co-workers at UP Manila still have Windows. I have to stay compatible with their systems.

I am, however, very much interested and drawn to the Ubuntu Linux operating system. My teacher in Management Information Systems, Prof Ariel Betan (who is Assistant to the Vice President for Administration of the University of the Philippines), introduced the idea of dual operating systems last semester, so I had that interest in dual operating systems to suit my needs and the needs of my friends.

Ubuntu (and Linux, in general) seems difficult. When I try to get instructions on how to install OpenOffice.org 3.0 (which is easy to install in Windows), I had lines of text commands that—not only was it difficult to understand—difficult to follow. For example, when I tried to use the su - command, and entered the password, I got an “Authentication Failure” error.

I asked Professor Betan about it and, at the same time, Googled for instructions on how to install the office suite in my Linux. I got an article on how to use the Synaptics Package Manager. I was afraid to use it because I read earlier (and followed the article) that I had to uninstall OpenOffice.org 2.4.1 before I install 3.0. That means I uninstalled 2.4.1 and had no office suite for one day.

Professor Betan gave me the article that I found. I followed it. And voila! I have OpenOffice.org 3.0! I actually used it to type this article at home (before I uploaded it to this blog).

Now, I know how to install applications in Ubuntu easily. Look for Debian file URLs and add it to the list of Software sources. And that is how easy it is.

It is so easy to change desktop images. It is as easy as creating an image using OpenOffice.org 3.0 Drawing application.

The effects are way better, and with the swap that the IMS staff has done, I have 4GB of memory to use!

I am really proud of my laptop that I have decided to give it a name: MICU, or Mobile Information and Communication Unit.

I first thought of giving it MX, from the book that I was writing. I find it difficult to think of a reason for the acronym, however, so I had to change it to something that can reflect what it is for.

There were about five names, but the only other contenders were MICE, or Mobile Information and Communication Equipment, and Information Operations Unit, or IOU. Neither was acceptable because the idea that is conjured from those do not reflect the effect I intend them to have.

I also thought of MICA, for Mobile Information and Communication Associate/Assistant. I thought, however, that MICA is a female name. I think computers are male, because you have to turn them on to make them work (this is an anti-male joke :).

MICU (or Mobile ICU also), on the other hand, may be related to intensive operations in the hospital. I believe that my information needs and operations reflect this.

With that long explanation, I am now giving my laptop a name: MICU (pronounced mee-ku).

I hope we can work together well and for a long time. MICU is my Information Operations Assistant.

Here are pictures of the hardware and screenshots of Ubuntu (There is nothing new to see at my Windows XP.).