Apple, Google and the $100 laptop
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Oct 7, 2005 at 8:05am
Neo is ‘Macsimum News’ man of mystery. If we told you more, we’d have to kill you.
The San Francisco based TechConnect Project was a completely unknown initiative to most of us until last Friday—when the news broke that Google was throwing their hat into the ring with a last minute proposal.
Google announced its bit on this city initiative with services that would be “open” in addition to proposing wholesaling wireless bandwidth to third parties interested in selling premium services. This report covers the TechConnect project in light of Google’s entry into this race, and some very interesting developments that could very well usher in the era of the network computer.
The TechConnect Project
The City of San Francisco’s own TechConnect Web page reveals Mayor Gavin Newsom’s overview of this initiative as follows: “TechConnect is a new City-wide initiative for universal, affordable, wireless broadband access. Following the model of “Project Connect,” TechConnect will connect all San Franciscans to the social, educational, informational and economic opportunities they need to succeed in the increasingly competitive local, national and international economies of the 21st Century. TechConnect will make it possible for every San Franciscan to take advantage of this century’s digital opportunities by connecting people with broadband access at home and work and promoting access to affordable computer hardware, training, and on-line content.
Marking a significant change from hotspots or hot zones, where WiFi access is available in proscribed areas, San Francisco’s initiative seeks ubiquitous connectivity anywhere, anytime—an especially difficult challenge in a city renowned for its hilly topography. In addition to the seamless connectivity, the San Francisco WiFi initiative seeks to provide portable connectivity via handheld, PDA or cell phone, as well as mobile or nomadic connectivity— at an affordable cost for all residents, including low income San Franciscans.”
The mayor’s press release, dated Aug. 16, 2005, began a 45-day public process that invited all interested parties from the public, private and non-profit sectors to offer their ideas for how San Francisco could provide a universal, affordable wireless broadband network.
The city received 26 proposals from a wide range of companies, including Internet service provider EarthLink, which was just awarded the contract for the Philadelphia Wireless Project, San Francisco wireless upstart Feeva and cell phone company Cingular. Other notable companies who submitted proposals included Ericsson, Motorola, Nortel, SeaKay/Cisco, Symbol Technologies, SkyTel, Extreme Networks, GigaBeam and Metro-Fi. But it’s Google’s bid that most will be keeping an eye on because of recent developments that I’ll address further on.
A TechConnect fact sheet revealed a recent study showing that California households with an annual income of more than $75,000 are six times more likely to have broadband connectivity than households with annual incomes of less than $15,000. With that statistic in mind, the City of San Francisco is seeking a partnership with the private sector that could deliver broadband services to lower income households in the $10/mo range, which was the goal of the Philadelphia Wireless project as stated by Dianah Neff, Philadelphia’s CIO. Yet affordable access to the internet is only half of the equation.
The Hundred Dollar Laptop
San Francisco’s TechConnect Project is of course just one of many start-up or ongoing projects such as the Computer Clubhouse, that are attempting to address the long standing issue known as the Digital Divide. In an attempt to address this issue beyond providing affordable access to the internet, one of the key objectives of the TechConnect project is noted as being the promotion of affordable computer hardware. This is where MIT Media Labs, co-founder of the Computer Clubhouse, comes into the picture with a recently outlined design for a sub-$100 PC.
One of the first to jump on MIT’s bandwagon for the hundred dollar laptop was Massachusetts own Governor Mitt Romney, with a plan to issue the laptops to the state’s schoolchildren. After meeting in July with Media Lab officials, Romney concluded that the lower price tag of their proposed computer could enable the state to roll out the program more quickly. As part of an education reform plan, Romney proposed to spend $54 million to buy one of Negroponte’s laptops for every student. The first three grades would get computers during fiscal year 2007, while students in the other three grades would get them the following year.
It would stand to reason that other projects such as TechConnect and Philadelphia Wireless will be considering the implementation of the MIT laptop as well. This is the only way that these municipalities could ever meet the needs of students whose family’s incomes are at poverty levels. But realistically, what kind of computer hardware could you possibly get for a lousy hundred bucks? You’d be surprised.
Details of the laptop
What these proposed PC’s will provide for the buck is truly amazing.
The Linux-based machines are expected to have a 500MHz processor, with flash memory instead of a hard drive which has more delicate moving parts. They will have four USB ports, and will be able to connect to the net through Wi-Fi – wireless net technology in addition to being cell phone-enabled – for sharing data easily.
It will also have a dual-mode display so that it can still be used in varying light conditions outside. It will be a colour display, but users will be able to switch easily to monochrome mode so that it can be viewed in bright sunlight, at four times normal resolution.
The Boston Globe adds that the laptop will include ‘’mesh networking” technology that lets each laptop communicate automatically with any other machine in range. If just one laptop has direct access to the Net, others can easily connect to it and share a single online connection.
The first prototype of this laptop is to be unveiled during this year’s World Summit on the Information Society on November 17 2005. According to Negroponte’s non-profit association, up to 15 million units will be in production within a year.
Noteworthy is the little fact that while the PC press has generally coined this as the “laptop PC,” the fact is that the association responsible for the unit does not. The acronym PC is nowhere to be found in their FAQ. The fact is that Google, which is bidding on the TechConnect Project, is also a founding contributor of thin-client applications for the MIT laptop project. Simply put – the laptop if anything would be considered a network computer or NC.
Is Google eyeing the education market?
The State of Massachusetts decision to issue the MIT laptops to the states schoolchildren as part of their education reform plan beginning in fiscal years 2007-2008, has to be raising a few eyebrows around the tech industry these days. In the blink-of-an-eye, what seemingly began as a humble laptop initiative for third world countries, could very well sweep America in the coming years.
Clearly Google’s connection to the MIT Laptop initiative combined with their recently announced alliance with Sun, will translate into mass distribution of OpenOffice into the enterprise in addition to the education market – plain and simple. It may not happen overnight and in fact nothing was officially announced during the Sun event this week. However, one of the comments that Jonathan Schwartz made during the Sun/Google alliance event was interesting, in that he alluded to wanting to retain “an element of surprise” in respect to future product announcements and/or collaborative efforts between Sun and Google on OpenOffice. Translation: Count on this being big news – in time.
Also in context, is the fact that the latest version of the state of Massachusetts technical reference guidelines state that the OpenDocument format would now become the default format for text, spreadsheets, charts, and graphical documents enabling fully access to future versions of this open source product OpenOffice. As expected, Microsoft lashed out against the Massachusetts decision. As if that news surprises anyone.
Timing is everything in this business, so keep in mind that MIT’s own laptop distribution estimates are presently between 150-200 million units over the next several years, beginning with an estimated 15 million units rolling into the market in 2006. Expect the timing of any such “surprise” from Sun and Google to be tied to this initiative’s ramp-up in 2007.
Jonathan Schwartz, President and COO of Sun Microsystems, recently stated in a keynote that “The majority of the applications that will drive the next wave of innovation will be services, not applications that run on the desktop.” So whatever initiatives that the Sun/Google alliance may dream up for the educational system in the future, will definitely take on the form of web services.
Did Jonathan’s quote happen to sound familiar to you? Well it should have – because it echoes Steve Jobs stating – “We believe that the next wave of the Internet will be client applications that work intimately with the Internet, but not necessarily with a Web browser,” back in 2001. Steve Jobs emphasis on “not necessarily with a Web Browser,” can now be appreciated in the market as being Apple’s iTunes Music Store.
Is Apple ready for the NC era?
Apple’s involvement with Oracle’s original 1997 NC prototype made by NEC, ran on Apple’s Rhapsody OS—which is now considered to be Darwin. I emphasize Darwin and not OS X because at the time of the announcement, Rhapsody was able to run on Intel and ARM processors and run Windows applications. There was no connection to the PowerPC processor whatsoever.
At that time, the NC project revolved around Oracle’s Universal Server. Today that server is called Oracle’s Darwin server that just happens to be powering Oracle’s Think.com initiative aimed at the educational market. Think.com runs on UNIX (Solaris and HP-UX) that ties directly back to OpenStep and WebObjects from NeXT. In hindsight, we could see that Apple’s “Think Different TV ad ending with the face of a child wasn’t incidental.
Oracle’s Think.com introduced the ability to create tab based websites for students before they were popular in the general market. The object oriented nature of the program has Apple’s influence written all over it. As always, the Think.com program runs on Intel processors. So it’ll be interesting to see what transpires between Oracle and Apple on this front, once Apple’s transition to the Intel processor is completed. Their history of working together on an NC in 1997 could very well translate into a product launch in and around 2007.
But a notebook isn’t the only form factor that an NC could take of course. In fact consider Apple’s iPod as being one such candidate. This illustrated unit, dubbed the PC Core, came from the labs of IBM/Japan (see page 12 of IBM’s PDF titled “On-demand design service innovations”). The PC Core’s intended market targets were in fact listed as being large environments like the enterprise or universities. The PC Core was in fact an NC prototype.
Far from being a lab prototype, Apple already has real world iPod programs in Universities like Duke today. And considering that the iPod already allows for downloading files to its hard/flash drive, evolving the iPod to eventually take on full NC functionality is not a stretch.
What would distinguish an Apple based NC from the competition is their supporting system software such as PowerSchool (PDF). If you’re not familiar with the PowerSchool program, you could also take this QuickTime tour.
PowerSchool is a Web-based student information system (SIS) that simplifies data-driven decision making by providing real-time information to all stakeholders — over the Internet. Administrators get the most accurate information to make more effective decisions. Teachers would gain timesaving administrative tools, parents gain immediate access to their children’s grades and students can track their own progress.
That just happens to be in sync with the type of program that Dianah Neff, CIO of the Philadelphia Wireless project envisioned when she stated that “Our schools have been working diligently to wire, or unwire, their campuses. But they need to reach into the home so families can communicate with teachers and administrators, access homework assignments and grades.”
The bottom line is that the education market has always been and will always be a very important market for Apple. If Apple could deliver solid solutions like PowerSchool or Supercomputers like those used at Virginia Tech, I don’t think an NC is really going to be a challenge for Apple in the future. It’s just a matter of market timing.
The reality of the $100 laptop
In the end, MIT’s $100 laptop is an amazing development that many in the industry will be keeping an eye on going forward. It’s likely to be one of the great stories of 2005 when it’s unveiled in Tunisia this November. MIT and Negroponte should be applauded by all for this breakthrough development and the true focus of their initiative: children in under developed countries.
San Francisco’s TechConnect project focuses on households whose annual income is less than $15,000 per annum, which is the likely target audience for the MIT laptop to begin with, generally speaking. Realistically, the MIT laptop will simply bring opportunity for millions upon millions of people around the world who up until now have been shut out of the internet revolution. It’s about filling the gap in the digital divide – and nothing more. In addition, Google’s proposal not only describes delivering open services – but premium services as well.
And let’s not forget that buried in Mayor Newsom’s TechConnect project is this little bit of reality: “San Francisco is exploring ways to provide ubiquitous high-speed wireless service in order to create an attractive city for innovative people and businesses, as well as helping economically disadvantaged residents get online,” Newsom said.
The real priority behind most of these municipal or State initiatives is about economic gain and attracting new businesses to their respective municipalities or states – first and foremost. Helping the economically disadvantaged is in fact at the bottom of their priorities. But these politicians sure know how to pull the media’s strings don’t they. Play the violin and mention disadvantaged citizens and the press will eat it up in a heart beat. Sad but true. Let’s hope that these politicians deliver what they promise—and do what’s right.
But one thing is for certain. News of the MIT NC laptop has certainly rung the first bell in bringing about the next wave of the Internet: the era of the NC. By 2007-2008, it will likely be common place to have OEM’s subsidizing NC hardware in exchange for buying into premium web service contracts, much like it is today for cell phones. We’re in store for Interesting times ahead – indeed.
neo@macsimumnews.com
Mark Strait Says:
I’m a digital kid, maybe adults want yesterday’s technology, but I don’t. MIT should be ashamed of itself to think this a good computer. I guess they are not the leader they once were.
Posted on October 07, 2005
John C. Randolph Says:
You’re a little fuzzy on your history there, Neo.
Rhapsody never ran on ARM, and it never ran Windows apps. NeXTSTEP ran on MC68000, x86, SPARC, and HPPA processors. The developer preview version of Rhapsody ran on x86 and PPC.
There was a program called “SoftPC” from insignia Solutions, which was an Intel PC emulator for NeXTSTEP, which was never offered for Rhapsody.
-jcr
Posted on October 07, 2005
al Says:
To Digital Kid:
Get a life. Better yet, get a job, one that pays minimum wage.
No, this is not a hot computer. But it’s supposed to cost only $100. If you think you know how to make laptop for that amount that’s better, then do it. We’ll all love you for it.
Posted on October 07, 2005
Mike Says:
“The State of Massachusetts decision to issue the MIT laptops to the states schoolchildren as part of their education reform plan beginning in fiscal years 2007-2008, has to be raising a few eyebrows around the tech industry these days. In the blink-of-an-eye, what seemingly began as a humble laptop initiative for third world countries, could very well sweep America in the coming years.”
Massachusetts has not made any decision! This is just one of many education reform proposals floated by Governor Mitt Romney. Every few days, the governor announces similar proposals addressing a variety of issues as he continues to jockey for position in the presidential candidate sweepstakes.
No one in the state government has approved this proposal; in fact, many people question the entire premise. MIT proposed the $100 laptop as a partial solution to the digital divide that exits between undeveloped countries and high tech countries. Romney saw the $100 price tag and figured that this should be good enough for Massachusetts’s kids.
I doubt that Massachusetts teens are going to get too excited about a laptop computer that has less memory than their iPod and is less capablethan their Sony PSP.
Posted on October 07, 2005
Neo Says:
To John Randolph,
I guess you didn’t bother to use the Rhapsody link that I provided. It’s Ellison himself that connects Arm and Rhapsody as follows:
The first, the NC client, is a cheap piece of hardware that has a fast processor, permanent and temporary memory, and interfaces to a network and peripheral devices like monitors and keyboards. A typical NC will include an
Intel or ARM microprocessor, 16-megabytes (MB) of memory and a network connection. The connection would typically be an Ethernet connection on business versions and a 33.6-kilobits per second (kbps) modem on the home models, which will also be fitted with a CD-ROM drive.
The clients run a new Network Computer Operating System (NC-OS). Ellison said the system was an open, standards based, 100-percent Unix-compatible operating system. In a subsequent press conference, he also revealed it was exactly the same operating system as Apple’s upcoming “Rhapsody” operating system.
So fuzzy, is not really applicable John. If Ellison said that Rhapsody would run on the ARM processor, then I’m sure he knew what he was talking about. Technically this unit never came to market and No, Rhapsody never did run on ARM. Perhaps there were 2 versions of the NC, with the one with ARM simply being a dumb terminal with Rhapsody on the server side. Anyways, thanks for your comment John.
Cheers
Posted on October 07, 2005
Daniel Shiplacoff Says:
Mark, ‘a digital kid’ said:
> MIT should be ashamed of itself to think this a good computer.
> I guess they are not the leader they once were.
I believe you miss the point. The project’s objective is to give every third-world child a computer. The design of this computer rightly focuses on affordability and functionality, not on speed or ‘bells and whistles’.
Negroponte and MIT should be heraleded for their leadership. Invest some time reading about the program before you slam them.
Posted on October 07, 2005
wolff Says:
Note Apples big FLASH memory play w/ Samsung. They have ‘cornered’ the FLASH market in a way and will use the memory in portable devices.
They also have a huge play coming up in their new software platform for net based light weight applications.
Both of these bode well for Apples move into the lower cost wireless device world.
Posted on October 07, 2005
Neo Says:
Hey Mike,
I reported on what information is out there from various sources. However it is a proposal for the time being that happens to be very detailed. Considering MIT is in their state, this could be politically motivated to support the innitiative. We’ll see what happens over time, as this isn’t on the table to begin until late 2007 anyways.
That said, I also made it a point that politicians will say anything to get positive press and that’s the sad part of this. So you confirming that Romney is using this headline to get press - is exactly the point I made in conclusion. That’s why I applauded the original goal of the initiative which is to help children in underdeveloped countries.
I couldn’t agree with you more on this being a numbscull idea for the American market in general - especially a state wide implementation of the program. But there’s no question that there is a need as San Francisco has outlined it, by focusing on those earning less than $15,000 annually. Those kids don’t have a PSP or iPod or anything! So if the project is focused, there is a market that this unit could serve throughout America.
Cheers
Posted on October 07, 2005
Juanxer Says:
The feature set/performance/price is perfect. I’d buy one in an instant, even if only to use it as an eBook reader (I’ve never understood why no handheld manufacturer has ever scaled its devices up to, say, Din A5-size).
The design is cute in an iMac sort of way :)
Posted on October 07, 2005
Foxtan Says:
I’m a bit skeptical and wonder whether Google and Apple would partner in such a way but the design looks cool (right out of a science fiction) and the price is right. Great thoughts and rationale!
Posted on October 07, 2005
Charles Silverman Says:
Maybe it’s just a souped-up Alpha-Smart keyboard with a better display. Nice until you start thinking about the unfriendly Linux environment and the various support challenges. Wasn’t there a rumor that Apple was going to come out with an iBook with a crank for recharging the batteries?
I have to agree with digital kid. This machine is so yesterday. A school machine should provide a fluid and malleable experience. Faster, smaller, but not too small, intuitive too. Linux-- intuitive?
Sounds like what we want is a next generation iBook with flash memory and Nano dimensions. Price? It’s getting there, but let’s not do it this way and create yet another platform.
Posted on October 07, 2005
digital papi Says:
I like the digital kid’s point. no one wants or needs outdated technology. there is enough to go around. it’s only artificial scarcity that makes people think either a) a $100 computer is amazing! or b) if you can’t afford more, then tough, be happy for this much.
if the tech companies really cared about the ‘disadvantaged’ (that is poor, but not TOO poor, like starving...) they’d help them in some other way than trying to create a new revenue stream off their backs!
Posted on October 07, 2005
Cats Says:
Neo, your point on the real market being third world kids is where this project should remain and likely will. It is politicians that are using this unit for political short term gain. The unit is great for the intended market. I think that Romney will have a backlash for such a stupid idea because families in America for the most part want their kids to be up on the latest greatest stuff, not hand-cranked notebooks.
MITs notebook is a great start but it’ll be interesting to see what software companies are going to provide to help these children. On that point, I’d like to see Apple make a contribution with some kind of software or software service. Hardware is less than half of the equation to help these children get an education. I also hope that someone is making sure that hostile countries don’t pervert the initiative to teach hate!
Posted on October 07, 2005
Pat Aylward Says:
Posted on October 07, 2005
Sprocket999 Says:
Whenever someone has a revolutionary idea that can benefit the larger proportion of the less-fortunates in mankind, some spoiled brat has to piss on it from on high and try to taint the concept. Again, the point here worth noting—these people in third world countries who are the intended recipients will NOT be playing high-power games on these devices! They will be using these devices to connect with knowledge, the world, themselves . . . AND be bloody thankful for it! I have personally seen people do amazing things with very low power equipment. That talent and drive to discover is NOT in the ‘box’, but in the very essence of humanity. Let’s give these folks a chance, huh? Personally, this is Nobel worthy stuff, regardless what the self-absorbed, sanctimonious spoiled brats responding here think.
Out.
Posted on October 07, 2005
Sprocket999 Says:
I sure do! I’ll be meeting up this month with my regular Newton group who have quite a few of these still in active service. Sad to say, though, in 1997 they weren’t sub $100! I also have my 3Com ‘Audrey’ that would be by some to be considered the desktop equivalent—not even sub $1000 when I bought it though. Make no mistake, this initiative should be applauded and supported world-wide.
Posted on October 07, 2005
Ian Orchard Says:
As many corporates are finding, the vast majority of computing activities don’t require the latest Hyper-Mangleatron multi-processor. Searching, sorting and evaluating information is far more important for education and it can be achieved with quite small, low-powered computers combined with good communications.
Let the games & video enthusiasts enjoy their heavy iron, far more people are going to be enriched and inspired by access to low-cost computing.
I’d support educators proposing to supply every pupil in the US with one, the economies of scale that would create can only be good for the children (and parents) of third world countries.
Posted on October 07, 2005
John C. Randolph Says:
Neo,
You said “Rhapsody was able to run on Intel and ARM processors and run Windows applications”. Two of those three assertions are incorrect, as I pointed out above.
Ellison may have *intended* to bring up Rhapsody on ARM, but I can tell you from direct personal knowledge that it never happened.
Also, note his wording: he never said that Rhapsody was *running* on ARM, he described ARM as something that might be in a “typical” future NC.
-jcr (recently departed from 3 1/2 years at Apple, FWIW)
Posted on October 07, 2005
Pete West Says:
While it’s great that this initiative wants to give every third-world child a computer, adequate food, shelter and clothing would perhaps be a better start ...
Posted on October 07, 2005
Neo Says:
John, I thought I clarified in my response.
a) I was simply quoting Ellison, and b) that you were right in that it never came to market and that Ellison was likely referencing a dumb terminal with Rhapsody on the server side of the equation as I pointed out in my response to you earlier.
Of course ARM is made for phones and cars and basically the embedded market and isn’t intended to run the full version of an operating system, especially in 1997! Bottom line, it wasn’t my fuzzy whatever but simply a quote and that I agreed with you John.
Thanks for taking the time to get back and I hope that my answer puts this to rest.
Cheers!
Neo
Posted on October 07, 2005
Louise Mailloux Says:
$100 laptops for Third World kids
Posted on October 07, 2005
beardedfish Says:
on the “yesterday’s technology” point, Palm’s $350 Tungsten T5 has a 416 MHz processor and Dell’s $340+ Pocket PC offering has the same thing. This computer I am using to post this and do all of my daily internet use, iTunes and word processing is 450 MHz (an old Sawtooth)
The $100 NC’s focus is on information retrieval/sharing (internet) and info creation/management (word-processing and such). These 3 basic functions are what handhelds like Palms and my rickety old rig do best with slightly slower processors than the NC. I think the joy of looking up most of the knowledge created my humanity and being able to share one’s own knowledge with humanity far exceeds the ability to play Doom 3 or The Sims.
Posted on October 08, 2005
Scott Says:
Oh yes, it is so easy for politicians to spend other people’s money. This reads as yet another vote buying scheme.
Like many folks, I work hard and can afford to purchase my own computer and pay for my own internet access. I would object to the use of my tax dollars being spent for an absurd entitlement program. I consider it to be unconstitutional…
“Life, liberty and the pursuit of Anna Kournakova pics”
Here in the States, *poverty* is just a buzz word. It is not a disease, nor a syndrome, nor the result of victimization. Poverty is a behavioral problem. It is the result of poor decision making and careless behavior. Rewarding such behavior does more harm than good. It creates an entire class of junkies...hooked on handouts. It is a dream come true for politicians.
As for third world countries, I’ll put it bluntly…
“If you can’t feed them, don’t breed them”
A laptop computer shouldn’t be a top priority for some poor kid stuck in an African hellhole.
Posted on October 08, 2005
ErgoSum Says:
“...WiFi access is available in proscribed areas...”
Uh, “proscribed” means ‘forbidden’. I think you intend ‘prescribed” or “select”. Right?
Posted on October 08, 2005
Copper Says:
The only problem with NC is Linux. This is one of the hardest OS to learn when you can pay for support. These machines will only be used by thrid world Geeks making vrius. Watch out Linux world.
Posted on October 08, 2005
slebetman Says:
I don’t see Linux as a problem with this machine. Apple have shown us that Unix can be user-friendly. I have used Linux based handphones and I can tell you that there is no real difference between Linux and Symbian, Palm, NokiaOS, MotorolaOS, SiemensOS etc. As long as you get the user interface right you should have no problems.
What Linux allows that other OSes don’t is for the 5-10% of people out there who are talented enough to understand technology to have unrestricted access to the machine. This will hopefully encourage hobbyist to develop applications on this machine and perhaps be the start of a software industry in the third world.
They say teach a man to fish....
Posted on October 09, 2005
James Welborn Says:
Mitt Romney is running for the 2008 Republican nomination for president, so all of his pronouncements should be taken with that grain of salt.
Posted on October 11, 2005
Lev Says:
I don’t see any such problem with GNU/Linux. As matter of fact
KDE or GNome as friendly as Windows and much more stable
and secure, not to forget that it’s Free Software and thus Open
Source.
To some the GNU/Linux seems more complicated than, say,
Windows? Why because from the kindergarden folks are being
teached how to use Windows, all the way to the high education.
It’s unsurprising many don’t even know that other Operating
Systems exist and there is a freedom of choice.
To anybody who’s being learned from the kindergarden Windows
as the only OS in existence, it becomes their native computer
language they speak. So again it’s unsurprising that they find
other OSes being harder, “less intuitive” etc. If from the
kindergarden they were teached how to use GNU/Linux then
I guess they would find that Windows is the not intuitive one.
It’s actually the same as Hebrew or Chineese seems to somebody
who speaks English like a hard languages to learn. But guess what
those who speak Chineese may say :-)
Many developing countries chose GNU/Linux and FOSS UNIX over
proprietary OSes like MS Windows. The main reason why it’s not
so widespreadly used in US is because of the existing investment in
Windows based platforms and intentional lock-in MS creates for the
users - as they use proprietary standards you can’t simply take your
own information and move to a better platform.
It requires a large investments for many companies to move their
legacy applications and information to another platform, as they
have for example re-create all MS Office documents. That’s why
MS is so scared of OpenDocument acceptance. OpenOffice can
in many cases open and import MS Office documents, but it’s not
always 100% accurate because MS keeps it’s formats proprietary.
Because of that these companies prefer to pay more and more
money to proprietary vendors, instead of one time investment
to move to Open Standards and Open Source.
Another problem is data exchange issue. If your local government
and your business peers exclusively use MS Office formats you have
no choice but to use it as well. In developing countries where
there is no large number of MS Office users it’s easier to use
better FOSS alternatives like OpenOffice.
MS tries very hard to make everyone to use only their proprietary
software - they give it almost for free to schools and universities
and offer special terms to governments - all in the purpose to make
as many as possible users speak Windows and MS Office as it’s
native computer language.
I won’t say that GNU/Linux is perfect. It sure has it’s own problems,
just like Windows has it’s own. But at the same time GNU/Linux is
IMHO a better alternative due to it’s stability, security and last but
not least the fact that it’s a Free (like in freedom) Software. It may
seem that the freedom to share and modify the software may be
not so important for most but some computer geeks, but the
reality is that it’s the only way to ensure the freedoms of the users.
Posted on November 18, 2005
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Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
Who's Birthday? Says:
A bit off topic, but based on your comment in the article:
--
“Apple’s involvement with Oracle’s original 1997 NC prototype made by NEC, ran on Apple’s Rhapsody OS—which is now considered to be Darwin. I emphasize Darwin and not OS X because at the time of the announcement, Rhapsody was able to run on Intel and ARM processors and run Windows applications.”
--
Wouldn’t it be something if this was the “one more thing” announcement - that the new Intel macs run Windows applications (natively - not via Windows OS). That’d shake things up a bit. It’s highly unlikely for a myriad of reasons, but couldn’t help but think of how that would pump some adrenaline.
By the way, I like the idea of iPod morphing into an NC. That would be a very nice transition over time.
Posted on October 07, 2005