Re(1): A dual-boot OLPC XO with Linux and Windows XP? - education not politics
Posted by: Anonymous
[ip: 82.182.32.28]
on January 10, 2008 11:02 PM
Well, the news just said it turned into just another political project.
Do you actually believe that the port was made to boost education or to try to kill off a possible FOSS market??
Microsoft just recently "rewarded" a government in the third world that was just about to purchase Mandriva installations in a big deal. All of a sudden they got XP for "a not so retail price" (http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/). Did they do that to be nice to the project, or to keep a competitor at bay. And do you not realize that Microsoft now has the power to bundle OLPC with a "Windows only" reward to any organisation with deep pockets. Just as a test you could try to go to you local compu shop and try to purchase a laptop without Windows Vista. Ask if you can have it with your favourite Gnu/Linux dist instead, and time how long before the sales man breaks into laughs.
It's always nice to be an idealist, frankly I also tend to believe in humanity, but always get hit in the face by the fact that when there is a gain _everything_ is politics.
I really believe the FOSS part of OLPC got a major hit from this and Q is, will it recover??
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Re(1): A dual-boot OLPC XO with Linux and Windows XP? - education not politics
Posted by: Anonymous [ip: 82.182.32.28] on January 10, 2008 11:02 PMDo you actually believe that the port was made to boost education or to try to kill off a possible FOSS market??
Microsoft just recently "rewarded" a government in the third world that was just about to purchase Mandriva installations in a big deal. All of a sudden they got XP for "a not so retail price" (http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/). Did they do that to be nice to the project, or to keep a competitor at bay. And do you not realize that Microsoft now has the power to bundle OLPC with a "Windows only" reward to any organisation with deep pockets. Just as a test you could try to go to you local compu shop and try to purchase a laptop without Windows Vista. Ask if you can have it with your favourite Gnu/Linux dist instead, and time how long before the sales man breaks into laughs.
It's always nice to be an idealist, frankly I also tend to believe in humanity, but always get hit in the face by the fact that when there is a gain _everything_ is politics.
I really believe the FOSS part of OLPC got a major hit from this and Q is, will it recover??
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