Tron Lightcycles

Back in 1982, Disney released a groundbreaking movie called Tron.  It was the first time (that I can remember) that a film extensively utilized CGI to bring the story to life.

Well, I loved the film.  Here was something that upped the ante when it came to special effects and visuals.  Up to that time, the only thing audiences saw were the kinds of effects featured in Star Wars and films like it. And while those visuals were quite impressive, the film makers of Tron used every bit of computer technology, film technology, and animation processes available at that time to create a world no one had ever seen before.  A world inside a computer.  Tron brought to life Light Cycles, Flying disks, and other computer elements.  And the final result was stunning!  It was cool.  The film was a big reason why I embraced the computer.  In those early days, I saw the computer as a tool to help me create cartoons and other cartoon content.

Tron’s filmmakers were really thinking outside the box.

In the same way, Linux developers and community members are constantly thinking outside the box and improving the OS.  Linux offers so much more.  Why settle for the same mundane Windows experience when you can be using Linux?  With Linux you can customize the desktop, look, and feel to your own liking.  Once you have Linux on your desktop, it’s yours.  You own it.

You can contribute to Linux in a variety of ways.  You can develop code for it, write about it, advocate for it, help others it Linux, etc.  You can share Linux with friends and family.  Simply burn a Linux disk and pass it on to family, parents, friends, faculty, students…everyone!

Simply explore the many Linux distributions available, pick one, and try it out.

Right now, I’m using PCLinuxOS on my laptop and have just added it to my desktop.  It’s cutting edge, has all the progams I need, supported by a terrific community and well, everything works!

So, after you get Linux installed on your computer, give the MPlayer Quicktime Plugin a test drive by watching the trailer for the new Tron sequel, Tron Legacy. Or test out how great Flash works in Linux by watching the trailer on YouTube.com.  Like Linux, this film is cool raised to a new level!

Tron Legacy opened #1 last weekend.  And it’s in Disney Digital 3D.  Linux has a cool 3D desktop!

(Editor’s note: This article by Mark Szorady is a reprint from a blog post that appeared last year on oneclicklinux.com. Given that Tron Legacy opened last weekend, we felt it would be both informative and entertaining here on georgetoon.com.)