Return to Reviews
TEST DRIVE LINUX
April 2006
Name of book: Test Driving Linux: from windows to linux in 60 seconds
Author: David Brickner
Publisher: O'Reilly Media Corp., April, 2005
ISBN: 0-596-00754-X
Contact: 1005 Gravenstein Highway North,
Sebastopol, CA 95472
Webpage: www.oreilly.com
Price: $24.95 (US), $34.95 (CAN) other: paperback, 348 pages, comes with CD enclosed.
Reviewed by Pierre Houle

Pros:
The book is well written and easy to understand It gives an overview of linux and why you should try it. Then the cd allows the reader to easily and safely try linux.

Cons:
None that I can think of!

Test Driving linux is an excellent linux primer. The author explains what linux is, what makes it superior to Windows, and how to try linux by running a live version included in the book. The book's chapters each deal with various aspects of this free operating system, including how to set up this version of linux from the cd, what applications come with this distribution and how to use them in easy to understand language. By the end of the book, I was ready to do anything on my computer that I could with Windows, only more quickly and more securely with linux.

For those of us tired of paying for an operating system that needs constant security upgrades, this book shows us a painless solution.
Return to Index

SPIN IT AGAIN
SPIN IT AGAIN from ACOUSTICA
http://www.acoustica.com
Trial Period amounts to 3 recordings
Price-$ 34.95 USD
Support at www.acoustica/support.htm
Tutorial at http://www.acoustica.com/tutorial/index.asp
General Information
This software will record a vinyl LP or a cassette tape and burn the sound to a CD in either WAV or MP3 format. You can go from MP3 to WAV or vice versa.
Furthermore, you can reduce clicks and pops from a record and reduce tape noise hiss or hum. Company Information
For whatever reason I was unable to find very much information about the Acoustica company, how large was the file of this software, or if it could also work with Macintosh. I suspect that the file is reasonably small and that it should work with Mac computers.
Unfortunately, I received the disc in a small envelope with no instructions, or literature. Usually an accompanying box has most of the pertinent information. The company has a web site showing what products are being offered but none that I could see about themselves.
Using the Software
I first wish to tell of my attempt to use the software with my laptop.
The software has a very good description on how and where to connect the various wires to a PC. Unfortunately, no mention is made of a laptop that has not the same number of “line In” orifices as a PC. I used the Mic input jack but still could not receive any amount of sound. I notified Acoustica support and had an immediate response that I had to have an amplifier. This I purchased for about $65 but the sound still was insufficient.
Possibly, I have the wrong sound card for this type of software. I did try putting the recording through my receiver and having the output connected directly to the laptop as suggested by the software “help section” but the sound was distorted. . At this point, I gave up on the laptop and downloaded the software to my PC.
Once I put the Spin It Again software on my PC, I had no problem getting down to doing what I wanted to do. The software has excellent description on what to do, how to do it and what to expect. A voice even tells you to put the needle on the record, or the volume should be increased.
One thing that I would like to see is the instructions printed so that as you work with the software for the first few times you can refer to the printed page. I did down load some instructions but they seemed to be scattered throughout the software. I would rather have a neat package (say 20 pages) which could be used for reference.
I had some trouble identifying the various sound tracks from a LP. My first recording identified only one sound track for the entire Album. The software does have a way for the user to identify one sound track (or song) from the next one. I am more familiar with software that does this automatically for you, for example Adobe software.
However, with a little getting used to “Spin It Again” you can come out with a good sounding CD in either WAV or MP3. The ease of selecting WAV or MP3, to me, was very impressive.
Conclusion
I found that the Spin It Again software would do the things it claims it will do. Mind you, the correct setting must be set on your computer and an amplifier is a must to get the things to happen as they should.
As for downloading a LP using a laptop, Well I am still working on that phase, but it looks like I may have to buy a more expensive amplifier (about $150 CDN + tax).
Recommendation
I would recommend this software to anyone who wishes to convert there LPs to CDs.It is relatively easy to use and it does a good job. However I did see at Staples advertised software that would do the same thing, and I did look at it. The one from Staples used Roxio burning techniques but the wording and illustrations were basically the same as Spin It Again. I would say that there are a number of products out there that will do the job, so don’t be afraid to look around.
A word to the Acoustica Company. Please ensure that some basic information accompanies any CD that is sent to a customer. I appreciate that if I had requested information it would have been provided, but as I was doing a review, I tried to work with the information that was sent initially. I thank Acoustical for their initial help and I will keep working with their software.
A SCUG Review
By Bill Colotelo, SCUG Member
Return to Reviews