re-install windows on linux

[jamesb7a]

windows 7 product key,

In very tiny small print,Microsoft makes the statement that IF you want to record the Certification key for Win10 when you upgrade, that you must call MS Customer Service by phone, and have them give it to you by phone.

Otherwise, it disappears on the computer somewhere, and we can't find it.

That little statement is all too easy to ignore because the big fat button "Activate Now" is sitting there with the mouse automatically hovering over it. "oops! click, done"

I did that with my Win8.1 laptop... which is now my 18.3 Mint Cinnamon laptop.
I will never go back to Win10 so I don't care anymore.

Thanks for that important info!

[jamesb7a]

Hi jamesb7a,

You are welcome...

Yes, if you have never used Google Voice (GV) and or Hangouts, it can take a little time to get used to it, not much though. GV works very well and has many very cool built-in features, free voicemail, voicemail transcription, call forwarding, call blocking, etc... and there are smartphone and tablet apps for Google voice available too.

I added the Google Chrome Hangouts extension add-on (restart the browser).

Google Hangouts - Chrome Web Store
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/deta ... d?hl=en-US

Just noticed this one too
Hangouts Notifications - Chrome Web Store
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/deta ... e?hl=en-US


Some things to consider regarding using the superb free Google Voice for making or receiving phone calls.

- You need to have a microphone for others to hear you and speakers to listen to calls and other people. You can use a wired headset for privacy, a wireless (cordless) headset, a wireless Bluetooth headset with mic (if you have Bluetooth), a webcam with mic and desktop speakers, etc...

- You do not need a MagicJack device to use Google Voice or Hangouts, although obviously, you can. I see no advantage to using the MagicJack dongle device for Google Voice or Hangouts unless you do not have a headset with mic, or some other microphone and your speakers. If you have a cordless phone attached to the MagicJack device after you answer an incoming call from your computer desktop, then that is convenient because you can move away from the computer while on the call, but you can do that with a wireless headset or wireless Bluetooth headset with a microphone as well. I just wanted to see if it was possible to use a MagicJack device in Linux with Google Voice and a regular phone, and it is.

* I would not make the MJ device the default sound settings output device otherwise you won't hear system sounds (like incoming audible sound call notifications, music playing, video playing, etc..) unless you have the phone on and to your ear, you can tell a running application like a browser to use a particular input (headset with mic, stand-alone microphone (soundcard or usb), webcam microphone, MagicJack (internet phone), etc..) or output (speakers, headset, MagicJack (internet phone), etc...) per application like when using a browser or the Google Hangouts addon using "pulse audio volume control", the voluime system tray icon, or perhaps your sound settings. The MagicJack just adds another sound device to your system, an Internet Phone with a new Input phone mic and a new output phone speaker.

FYI: People outside of the USA that want to use free Google Voice calling would need to have someone here in the USA create a USA Google Mail account and then a USA Google Voice account with free US phone number linked to that account for them, OR they can use a VPN provider to connect to a USA VPN server to create a new USA Google Mail account and then create a USA Google Voice account with free US phone number linked to that account. Once this is setup, you do not even need to be connected to a VPN server in the USA to make or receive free calls to other people who have Google Voice accounts no matter where they may be, or wherever you may be, anywhere in the world; and you still can make free calls to anyone and their phone numbers (whether they have google voice or not) in the USA, Canada, Mexico(?), etc.. etc... no matter where you happen to be inside or outside the USA.

Hope this helps ...

Thanks for the additional info.