More On The OLPC G1G1 and Now T-Mobile

There is still one week left on the "Give One Get One(G1G1)" campaign which is the promotion to give an XO laptop to a child in a poor county and also get one for yourself. The cost is $399 of which $200 is tax-deductible. One of the sponsors is now adding a one-year complimentary T-Mobile HotSpot access.

The offer is worth a look. Currently I pay $20 a month ($240 per year) for AT&T wireless access which works fine and is available at most McDonalds, The UPS Stores and Barnes and Nobles and other places. I could drop that and switch to T-Mobile, saving $240, which brings the G1G1 cost to $159. Add in the tax deduction and the XO laptop is quite reasonable.

The unique appearance would certainly draw attention at a Starbucks and would be a great conversation starter to promote Free/Libre Open Source Software.

More info is available at - http://www.laptopgiving.org -

Thoughts on $199 Everex Desktop PC (gPC,gOS) at WalMart

Since November 1, WalMart has been offering a $199 desktop pc (no monitor included) via their online website. I believe it can be purchased online with delivery arrangements made to your local WalMart. The web address is
- http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=7754614 -

This new offering is creating quite a buzz in the world of low-cost computing and in the FLOSS (Free/Libre Open Source Software) - http://flosstoday.com/ - world.

Why?

Primarily because it runs gOS - http://www.thinkgos.com/ - instead of WindowsXP or Vista.

gOS is new and is "An alternative OS for the masses". gOS may stand for green Operating System or it may stand for Google Operating System. That's for the bloggers to sort out.

Do I like the pc?

Yes, it is an ideal pc for 3 out of 4 computer users. It can't compare to the $4000 gaming pc that your son wants for Christmas or the $2800 media center pc that your brother-in-law just had installed in his home theatre.

That is not the target market.

Most people are not gamers and I only know a handful of people with a home theatre.

Word-processing, e-mail, internet, flickr, slide presentations, spreadsheets, databases, blogger, etc are all available and are more than adequate for most users.

The pc does fall into the category of "Internet appliance" as it requires a broadband internet connection. Goodby dial-up, hello cable/dsl.

Is it a google pc? Google has long used a GNU/Linux/Ubuntu-based operating system in-house. This may very well be a marketing test to see how much interest there may be for google to enter the os world.

Meanwhile anyone looking for a quality, low-cost pc can take advantage of this bargain.

TheOpenDisc and OpenEducationDisc

Interest in the OpenCD since Software Freedom Day and our local press reports has been both gratifying and stimulating. Comments received have been very rewarding.

Well, times do change and I believe the following change will be for the better of the FLOSS (Free/Libre Open Source Software) community. The OpenCD project is no longer supported but a new project, TheOpenDisc, has been announced.

Chris Gray, project lead for the past eighteen months, is now in charge of TheOpenDisc - http://www.theopendisc.com/ -

Peter Kemp, formerly of OpenEducationCD, will be joining Chris on OpenEducationDisc - http://www.theopendisc.com/education/ - which is an extension geared to schools and students. Peter recently won the prestigious School Projects Award from the British educational charity, Teach First - http://www.teachfirst.org.uk/ - for his work with FLOSS.

The two main goals of the project are:

* To provide a free alternative to costly software, with equal or often better quality equivalents to proprietary, shareware or freeware software for Microsoft Windows.
* To educate users about Linux as an operating system for home, business and educational use.

The majority of programs featured on OpenDisc are also available on Linux. (Program list with versions is available at the wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenDisc -)

Chris and Pete hope to release updated versions regularly so software will always be fresh.

Time To Switch?

If you use a computer, it's a pretty safe bet that you will have heard of Microsoft Windows. The best way to explain the job that Windows does for your computer is to imagine it as a kind of brain. It's the 'intelligence' that knows how to print a document or display a mouse pointer or connect to the Internet. If we were to refer to this 'brain' by its proper name, we'd call it an operating system.

What you might not know is that there are other operating systems out there for your computer, many of which work better than Windows, some of which are even free!

Let me introduce you to my favourite operating system. It's called Ubuntu, and it's my favourite for many reasons. If you stick with me, I'd love to explain why.

Click Here To Read Full Article

New Free Open Source Certification

The UK ICT Hub's FOSS in the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) project is developing a new certification for Free (Libre) Open Source Software in the non-profit sector. This is being done in partnership with the Linux Professional Institute (LPI). Read more about it at:

https://group.lpi.org/publicwiki/bin/view/Examdev/FOSK

FLOSS In Church Today!

Churches are ideal places for FLOSS (Free/Libre Open Source Software).

Some reasons for using FLOSS and the Linux operating system are affordability (either no-cost or low-cost), scalability (one computer or many), security (crackers prefer Microsoft©), stability (immune to most viruses), upgradability (you have the source code), versatility (runs on just about anything), and more.

Even Romans 12:2 commands the Christian church to use FLOSS!

A new resource is now available to promote FLOSS in the Christian community. Help spread the word!

FLOSS In Church!!!

(FLOSS In Church is sponsored by FLOSSToday.com and GBZ Technology)

New Issue of Full Circle Magazine

New issue (number 3) of Full Circle Magazine, the independent ubuntu magazine is available online new. This month's issue includes:

* Xubuntu install step-by-step - Alternative Disc!
* How-To: Get a Stunning Ubuntu Desktop, Learning Scribus part 3 and Ubuntu in Photography.
* Review of Ubuntu on a Macbook.
* Preview of several new Compiz Fusion effects.
* Letters, Q&A, MyDesktop, MyPC, Top5 and more!


Click here now

New Software Freedom Day 2007 Press Release

A new press release about Software Freedom Day 2007 (SFD2007) is available at:

http://softwarefreedomday.org/PressReleases/18072007

If anyone can help get this out by posting on slashdot, or any other
news forums, that would be great!

Full Circle Magazine Issue #2 Available

ssue 2 of Full Circle the official ubuntu magazine is now available. This month issue includes:

* Ubuntu Flavour of the Month - Kubuntu
* How-To - Ubuntu on the Intel Mac Mini, Virtual Private Networking, Learning Scribus Part 2 and Ubuntu for your Grandma!
* Review - System 76 Darter
* Top 5 - Widgets-MyDesktop, MyPC and more!

Click here now

Linux 500 Tux Racer At Indianapolis

An ambitious plan to sponsor an Indy 500 Linux Racer has been announced by the Lobby4Linux group. The Tux 500 Project hopes to make Linux a common, household name by sponsoring a car at one of the largest, most recognizable sporting events in the world. With a race day crowd estimated at 350,000, a U.S. television audience of 5.5 million households, along with an audience of millions of people worldwide, the Indianapolis 500 on May 27 offers an incredible opportunity to create a Linux buzz heard around the world. A one dollar PayPal contribution is being requested from Linux users to support this project.

Learn more here

Hacker Puzzle (Hacker Quiz) Skill Diversion

Have a few minutes to spare? Need a relaxing (or frustrating?) diversion? Interested in trying out your hacker skills? Here is a fun little way to pass some time on Friday afternoon while waiting for the five o'clock whistle.

Pass it around to your friends and co-workers but don't let the boss catch you!

"Welcome to the FreeStuffHotDeals.com Hacker Puzzle! To solve this puzzle you will have to find secret files on our server."

Click here to start

Before year end, $200 Laptop

The manufacturer of the OLPC XO Laptop, Quanta, plans to manufacture a commercial version of the laptop for less than $200 and have it available before 2007 is over.

Click to read more

Vista - Arrogance & Stupidity

Upgrading to Windows Vista has been banned by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), technology giant Texas Instruments and other corporations and government agencies. These organizations are evaluating their options, but overseas it's turning into a stampede to get out of Microsoft software.

Click To Read More

Newsflash

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by itslef but the wrod as a wlohe.

Low Cost Laptop at Circuit City

The e-mail I received today from Circuit City featured a $399 (after rebate) laptop computer. Nice laptop that I had seen in the store with 512MB of memory, 60GB hard drive, dvd burner, etc.

The reason why such a low, almost-a-closeout price???

Microsoft Vista pre-installed!!!

USA Today on Vista

I continue to see poor reviews in the mainstream press concerning the new Microsoft products, not only Vista but also Office 2007 and Internet Explorer 7. Here is one from Andrew Kantor in USA Today!

Glad I use Mozilla Firefox, OpenOffice.org, and Ubuntu!!!

A Million Penguins

If a million monkeys with typewriters could write the complete works of Shakespeare, what could a million penguins do?

Find out at this Penguin Books site!!!

Dell Slowing Down Linux Support?

Dell seems to be waffling a bit on it's Linux ideas.

Too bad. From what I have heard and read about Vista, now is the time for a progressive company to capitalize on the Linux potential.

Wonder if Bill had a talk with Mike about OEM pricing.

Read about the Dell slowdown here...

On Educating Children

This comment by Nicholas Negroponte was in response to criticism of the layout of the One Laptop Per Child prototype. I agree that we need to stop training and start educating kids!

"In fact, one of the saddest but most common conditions in elementary school computer labs (when they exist in the developing world), is the children are being trained to use Word, Excel and PowerPoint," Negroponte wrote in an e-mail interview. "I consider that criminal, because children should be making things, communicating, exploring, sharing, not running office automation tools."

Read the entire article at Low-Cost Laptop Could Transform Learning

Astroturfing or Sincerity

Dell's new information-seeking website, DellIdeaStorm, may be astroturfing or may be a very sincere attempt to regain lost ground in the PC world.

Either way Dell has generated a lot of buzz in the FLOSS world. And a lot of requests for Linux or no OS computers. More than 80,000 registered visitors have voted for pre-installed Linux.

Visit the DellIdeaStorm website and share your feelings with Dell.

One Laptop Per Urchin?

Recently I noticed that Laptop.org, the updated information website for the One Laptop Per Child program, utilizes the Google Analytic urchinTracker.

How can it really be FREE?

The other day I visited a local computer retailer and was shocked and appalled at some of the things the sales staff was telling prospective customers. So much was inaccurate and incorrect. The sales staff was probably just parroting what the sales trainers and sales managers taught them but the fact is the information was totally wrong. There are alternatives to Microsoft (and other proprietary) products. Indeed, for one example, OpenOffice.org provides full functionality and compatibility with Microsoft Office Standard 2007. The big difference? Microsoft Office Standard 2007 is available at Amazon.com for $351.99. OpenOffice.org is available free; free online to download, free to burn on CD at the local library, free by contacting me, free to pass around.

So I stood in front of the store for a while to hand out Ubuntu Linux and TheOpenCD for free. No takers. Consumers feel that if it is any good then why is it free?

Certainly one reason is nobody advertises free software. ie, "my hairdresser's first cousin in Miami knows all about computers and never heard of FLOSS or free software".

I think I may start advertising TheOpenCD with full functionality and compatibility of Microsoft Office Standard 2007 for only $176. Same features, half the Amazon.com price.

Fifty per cent savings. Limited time only. School discounts available.

Tell your friends.

What's A LUG?

LUGs, or Linux User Groups, have long been an integral part of the Free Software Movement. Linux enthusiasts and those interested in learning more about Linux would meet, share ideas, install software, help each other and in general promote Linux. While Linux was the primary focus, other FLOSS products were supported in sub-groups.

Many LUGs have achieved significant name recognition (this is sometimes known as "branding").

With the growth of FLOSS and the multi-platform nature of so much FLOSS, it is apparent that FLOSS needs to carry it's own banner.

FLOSS is now the umbrella which covers not only Linux, but also Apache, MySQL, PHP, Python, OpenOffice.org, GIMP, Blender, and so many others. However the need does exist to align closely with the LUG community and create a cohesive entity.

One possibility it to change slightly the LUG programs by switching Linux User Groups to Libre User Groups. The term Libre (from the Latin work Liber) conveys the "free as in freedom" concept of FLOSS. This modification is a natural outgrowth which builds upon the LUG foundation and allows for expansion within an already existing organization to include not only Linux, but all the pieces of the FLOSS pie.

Bad Vista Campaign Promotes Free (As In Freedom) Software

The BadVista campaign advocates the freedom of computer users by opposing adoption of Microsoft Windows Vista and promoting free (as in freedom) software alternatives.

With your help, the campaign will:

• Organize supporters into effective actions protesting Microsoft's daylight theft of our freedoms
• Aggregate news stories cutting through MS Windows Vista marketing propaganda
  
• Provide a user-friendly gateway to free software adoption

Learn more at the Bad Vista website

The Saga of Alexandr Ponosov

Russian middle school principal, Alexander Ponosov,
faces five years in a Siberian prison camp and a
fine of 266,000 rubles (approximately $10,042).

Why???

Alexander Ponosov purchased computers for the students
in his school, which is located in the Perm region which
lies in the Ural Mountains, between Moscow and Siberia.
Pre-installed Windows came with the computers.  Unfortunately
(and unbeknownst to Alexander Posonov) the pre-installed
software was counterfeit, pirated software.

Software piracy is big business and it is well known that
the three biggest offenders are China, India, and Russia.
Microsoft has asked these countries to crack down on the
piracy.

Mikhail Gorbachev has asked Bill Gates to intervene and
drop the charges.  Officially Microsoft has stated that
is not them but the Russian government enforcing the law.
Microsoft has stated "We do respect the Russian government's
position on the importance of protecting intellectual
property rights."

Later reports do say that Microsoft actually is the plaintiff
in this case.

Apparently no action will be  taken against the sellers of
the computer with the pirated software. The Russian
prosecutors appear to be cracking down on unsuspecting end
users and not the software pirates themselves.

Russian President Vladimir Putin calls the whole affair ridiculous
and announced at his weekly press conference that "It's
ridiculous to just arrest a chap for using computers".

(edited 2/21/2007 - Charges against Alexander Ponosov have
been dropped but Russian schools are rapidly migrating to Linux
and other Free Software.  Microsoft escaped with only a black eye
which has not been widely reported stateside.)