Running EXE applications on Xandros Presto? No problem!
WINE is an applicatin that creates compability layer to execute Windows applications on systems from Linux family.
Many users of Ubuntu, Fedora and other linuxes use it to create Windows-like environment “inside” their system.
The idea of WINE is to “emulate” (since Wine Is Not an Emulator) crucial parts of Windows needed to use apps from that system directly in linux.
So, when You right-click on .exe file and select “Open with Wine Program Loader” it’s opened just like it was Windows (the only difference is that You can not harm Your system when You open a file containing a virus )
WINE is evolving fast and if an application is not fully compatibile with it, developers try to find workaround.
And it is worth using…the trick is that WINE gives You only those part of Windows that are needed to run apps. So, when You run .exe file under WINE (in most cases) it works with better performance! One of the best exaples is Adobe Photoshop family. You can open more files in the same time, filters work faster and the program is more stable. I use Photoshop 7 on WINE only – the difference is huge (20 photos opened simultaneously under Windows and 80 (!) under WINE). According to WINE WIKI “Photoshop 5 through CS2 and CS4 install and work pretty well on wine. Photoshop CS3 has some issues but most things work.”
You can find WINE in the “Desktop Enhancements” category in the Xandros Presto Application Store.
This post comes from our old blog (check it out here) from Cory, a well-read if not exactly optimistic soul, posted in June 2008.
I recently read a book entitled “The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives” by Leonard Mlodinow, who was co-author with Stephen Hawking on one of his many books about the great cosmos. The title refers to a pattern that molecules follow when they’re bouncing around and how despite it’s erratic look, it’s actually a fairly predictable movement when you take into account all the natural laws and mathematics that govern supposedly random behaviours. The basic gist of the book was this: ability and talent are pretty much irrelevancies-successes and failures in any arena follow a simple probability. Life is pretty much a coin flip either way and the outcome is pretty much unknown. It could be heads or tails. a film could bomb or be a huge hit. stock X could make you a ton of money or bankrupt you. There’s no way to truly know. But the way people are wired to assess means we *think* that these things are predictable and that there are reasons beyond randomness for the success of Energy Drink “a” over Energy Drink “B”, for instance. What really works in these trials isn’t as mentioned above necessarily talent or ability but simple perseverance. Keep trying and you’ll succeed. The simple law of probability guarantees it.
Leonard Mlodinow, author of "The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives"
So what does this have to do with wine ratings? well, Leonard Mlodinow, besides being a mathematician, is also a wine geek and he devotes one of the chapters in the book to the example of wine ratings. He discusses the creation of the 100 point scale that virtually every wine publication now employs to judge its wines and how inherently flawed that sytem is, based on one really simple fact: your tastes are different from anyone else’s. Your opinion of any wine is just as valid as any magazine’s. He cites a nice example of how one magazine named Wine X (i forget the actual wine) their absolute best wine of the year and and awarded it a 100 point score but a rival publication named Wine X one of their absolute WORST wines of that year, awarded a mere 32 points or so (which is an abyssmal score, BTW). Same wine, same year, same everything, ASIDE from the panel of people assessing the wine’s supposed quality. If it truly was an “exceptional” wine, then the scores SHOULD have been the exact same across the board (in every wine magazine that rated it.) But there were tremendous disparities.
The sad part of this is that as a society of consumers, we need those ratings to feel like we’re making the “right” choice. I see this so many times. People are afraid to buy something that isn’t well-reviewed, or are really afraid that there’s a huge difference in quality between a chardonnay that scored 90 points and one that got, say, only an 88. But there isn’t. I used to think that way as well. If someone tells you something is good, you’re more inclined to think that way as well. Simple psychology, simple human communication. But we need to throw that way of thinking away. It’s defeatist. YOU know what YOU like better than anyone else. We can’t be afraid to try new things. It’s hit and miss, like tossing a coin. sometimes you’ll like the weird $8 wine that catches your eye, sometimes you’ll despise it. You might end up pouring out the $85 bottle you bought and going with a $10 “backup” that you had on the rack ( i’ve done this myself!) When i help people with wines these days i always try to impart the fact that tastes are radically different and unique, and that a wine that i love may be a wine that you end up hating, and vice versa. I try to make people aware of that and hopefully to have a little more confidence in just trying something to try it. Reinforcement of YOUR opinion isn’t really all that important, because it’s YOUR opinion.
don’t be afraid. the magazines and the ratings aren’t the law. they’re almost nonexistent.
What is it about AMAZING cheese and sublime wine that makes me want to roll around on the floor giggling like a schoolgirl? This weekend I had my sister (a sommelier and my brother in law… a “bama” fan) in town. Yes they spent some time at the rose bowl guzzling beer and yelling insults at the longhorns, but we also had some killer food and even a special bottle of wine from just down the road. Prior to having them over for dinner we had to take them to the Beverly Hills Cheese Store, which is not only my favorite store in the world, but a disseminator of all things heavenly. Beverly Hills is not the place to head for any sort of soul growth by any means, but this store saves the entire zip code. As the door cracks open the hit of funk is horrible for the uneducated, but warming and safe for me. Layers of cheese are holding you back from the counter and the well versed mongers stationed behind. A hint at your curdled goal will lead you down a path that will crisscross countries, ages, textures, tastes and terroir and end up with a hole in your wallet, but a full belly and a big smile. They are well versed not just in cheeses but cured meats, wines, and other epicurian delights like truffle salt. After about an hour of tasting and talking we wandered out the door with some beautiful cheeses and some Bellota Pata Negra. If you have never given your dominant arm for a taste of Pata Negra, please do. Imagine the finest acorn fed cured ham in the universe and then multiply it by 100000000000. The softness of the mouth feel is only surpassed by the fat that sticks to your lips…but that is where the high priced flavor is! The bag in my hand was heavy with La Tur, Epoisses, midnight moon, romano coated in rosemary amongst others. Epoisses is my all time favorite cheese. The stink can drive some people off, but I flock to it like no other.
These cheeses and a super bottle of 2003 Beaune 1er Cru Les Vignes Franches from Domaine Rebourgeon-Mure, a pinot that just made the cheeses sing, got the juices flowing and the conversation jovial. Dinner was some thick juicy pork chops that i brined all day and finished with a mustard cream sauce, pureed carrots with thyme and butter, roasted sun chokes and crispy kale chips. This was super yummy, but the local vino was amazing. A 2005 Moraga estates red, that comes from right here in Bel Aire (more on Moraga later).
Regardless of the sublime food and drink, it is the people that share it with you that make the meal. Having family come West is always a treat, and I am lucky to have one full of people who love food.
A very easy to drink Pinot Noir. Soft on the palate, with very fine velvet tannins. A strong raspberry and plum taste yet delicate enough to announce a subtle oak flavour.
Not outstanding, but an easy to drink Pinot.
Tasted Feb 2010
Twin Islands Pinot Noir
http://www.twinislandswine.com/
Marlborough Twin Islands Pinot Noir 2007
First released in 1992, Twin Islands Marlborough Pinot Noir offers excellent
full flavoured wines at great value. Fruit is sourced from selected vineyards
in the Marlborough region which enjoy excellent ripening conditions for
flavour-development in Pinot Noir.
Twin Islands Marlborough Pinot Noir 2007 is bright ruby in colour with a vibrant aroma of
raspberry and spicy plums. The palate is medium bodied with soft tannins and a subtle oak
influence. This wine is ready to drink now but can be expected to gain more complexity over
the next 12-18 months.
This wine is great drinking now or over the next two years.
Winemaking/Viticulture
This wine is produced from 100% Marlborough Pinot Noir fruit, grown on selected vineyard
sites in the Wairau Valley. All the fruit was processed in our specialised Pinot Noir winery
using principles of minimal handling and gravity flow. A period of cold soak prior to
fermentation allowed extraction of only the soft water soluble tannins. After fermentation
the wine underwent a period of oak maturation prior to blending. This wine is made with the
Twin Islands philosophy of producing fruitful, ready to drink wines with immediate appeal
and impeccable pedigree.
Technical Information
Vintage : 2007
Region : Marlborough
Winemaker: Clive Jones
Alc/vol : 13.5%
Titratable acidity : 6.8
What can I say? I just love the wines coming out of Châteauneuf-du-Pape! The 2007 vintage will last for a very long time in the bottle, but they are very approachable now. I invited my friend Geoff over for dinner to get his opinion on this incredible wine. It was decanted for an hour. We ate steak au buerre rouge (A.Bourdain’s recipe) cooked in a cast iron pan. I also cooked porcini mushroom risotto. The combination released some very interesting flavors. Lots of dark berry flavor, black pepper spice, some licorice on the finish, and hints of herbs.
We received our 2 bottles on Friday! Sorry no pic this time but here’s the info:
Red: EastDell Estates 2006 Merlot Reserve
Winemaker’s tasting notes: A deep purple in colour, this wine exhibits a raspberry and plum nose with bell pepper, rosemary and cedar aromas pushing through in the background. Nicely complex with layers of black cherry, tobacco and tart cranberries and blueberries competing for a full finish. Very approachable now, but given time in the cellar the upfront tannins will soften and this wine will continue to mature.
White: Cave Spring Cellars 2008 Gewürztraminer
Winemaker’s tasting notes: An intensely aromatic nose with scents of ginger, lychee, rosewater, orange blossom and a hint of comb honey; the front-palate is luscious, and just off dry, rolling in the middle into rich, expansive spice and marmalade flavours that carry into a lingering, cleanly balanced finish of orange peel, clove and ginger.
We already opened the red. It was just OK…we’re still dreaming about the 2006 Merlot from Ravine and when we attend the “Days of wine and chocolate” in NOTL in February, we’re considering picking up a case…
I’m looking forward to the white – it sounds wonderful!
What can I say? I just love the wines coming out of Châteauneuf-du-Pape! The 2007 vintage will last for a very long time in the bottle, but they are very approachable now. I invited my friend Geoff over for dinner to get his opinion on this incredible wine. It was decanted for an hour. We ate steak au buerre rouge (A.Bourdain’s recipe) cooked in a cast iron pan. I also cooked porcini mushroom risotto. The combination released some very interesting flavors. Lots of dark berry flavor, black pepper spice, some licorice on the finish, and hints of herbs.