Belgium: A Computer in Every Home 623
joost writes "In an article published online by Belgian newspaper 'Het Nieuwsblad' (sorry only a dutch link), Belgian minister Miss Laurette Onkelinx speaks about her plan to provide every Belgian household with a computer. The minister is (amongst other things) responsible for 'equality' and therefore pushes the plan to provide the less fortunate with a pc. In the same article, she said she already started talking to Compaq for the hardware and Microsoft for the OS. Belgian Linux users are starting a campaign to petition Miss Onkelinx's departement, explaining their concern about the decision, and advising to look towards linux for an alternative.(more on be.comp.os.linux) You too can send an email by clicking here."
Re:This would be a great success... (Score:2, Interesting)
mlk, not really sure that Linux is the best choice. AtheOS maybe (in a few years
Re:I don't suppose... (Score:2, Interesting)
mlk
[1] Assuming
a) Be Inc was alive/OpenBeOS had a little more time
b) The Browser Situaltion was looked after
c) BeOS had a better locale kit
Distributing Companies (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:ms vs. linux (Score:2, Interesting)
To bad Solaris SUCKS for desktop usage. There has been a bug in Suns X-server for ~5 years now that allows you to remotely crash another users X-server if they use Zephyr. There are several other known crash-exploits for this bug as well. The bug is still open. Never existed in XFree86.
Re:Is linux really the right choice? (Score:1, Interesting)
> fortunate with a pc to me, less fortunate
> probably means less educated as much as anything
> (generally speaking); would these people
> seriously use a linux pc?
And why would you think that means they _could_ use a Windows PC ?
Many people can't program their VCR even with 'on screen', many can't cope with a phone that has more than 10 buttons on it. To these, and to many others, Windows is insanely complex and confusing - double click menu items, single click icons and wait 10 minutes for nothing to happen.
The problem with Windows for this application is that MS won't let anyone change it.
With a Linux system there could be specially constructed versions for different levels of experience and different needs, there could be 'upgrade' CDs that will reconfigure machines to take users to a new level.
With Windows/Office you _must_ do it the way MS want, and must pay. If a Linux system is used it can be done the way that users want.
The Only Question Is Who Chooses (Score:2, Interesting)
Like it or not, the machines will have to have something pre-installed.
The only question is who chooses what it is the user sees the first time they power up. The user? The government? The hardware distributer?
At the very least, this is going to be interesting no matter what's chosen.
I can imagine the Belgium Linux Users Groups putting together bootable CDs designed to support the Government Hardware Standard, then giving them away free saying something like "Don't Boot Without It!!!"
Of course, my personal preference for giving away millions of MacII-ci's running System 7.1 would piss off everyone.
Bob-
Re:Why does EVERYONE have to use Linux? (Score:2, Interesting)
Good things are the gov gives hardware to people. This has got to be good. Bad thing is it "includes a provision for Windows", which will ensure that the poor will remain as blissfully computer illiterate as the next Windows user.
Windows users are not a computer literate bunch as a whole. I've supported at least a hundred Windows users in the past 2 years and I can tell you that most can't properly install software or drivers, back up files, create proper network shares, and are generally frustrated by the computer's inability to do what they it to do and live up to its promise of a simpler life. I don't blame them. The combination of the PC and Windows xxx just made their lives more complicated than it ever was.
This is not meant as a put-down to Windows users, but most people who work on a Windows box day in, day out know how to use email and the web, write in a word processor, and know one application very well. That's it.
So Belgian working jane with PC and Windows != computer literate working jane.
Also, no matter how you look at it, Windows costs far more to maintain. Virus scanners, Office, Outlook Express (costs a lot no matter how free it is) - all this software costs a lot of money. The lack of adequate security in Windows '98/ME. I've supported both linux workstations and all flavours of Windows, and I think I know both platforms well. Windows, Windows software, and Windows support costs bug bucks. It makes no sense to deploy Windows for this purpose. Doing so is simply creating a client lock-in.
A better solution is to at least allow them to dual-boot and give them choice. It's a simple matter to build a pc with hardware supported by both Windows and Linux, create an image, and then give the box away.
I know that today linux is as good and in some areas a better desktop OS than Windows. Office software for the home user is ready , at least 3 great browsers with more coming, mplayer once configured is a joy and plays more of my mpegs than Windows Media Player, Real is just as good and less obnoxious than on Windows/Mac, Evolution is just about there and is stable, PAN rocks for news, and the wealth of choice in the Desktop environment. Linux is there, no matter how much people don't want it to be.
Re:This is so Boneheaded (Score:3, Interesting)
Although you have a valid point, you need to realize that this offer comes together with a bold move by the government to put everything on the internet; there are a lot of projects going on to make sure that in a few years time, it is possible to do everything online, from filling in taxes to paying a parking ticket. So a lot of people do not have a good use for a cheapo PC at this time, but that will change when all that stuff gets online (you need to interact with the government quite frequently in here) -- and when they only go get one at that time they may find themselves seriously lagging behind in skills compared to those who get a PC now.
It's pretty much the next logical step after setting up most public libraries with free internet connected PCs (which btw was done, at least in my town, using Windows ?.? + Netscape 4.7).
No OS (Score:3, Interesting)