Welcome to America: Here's Your Linux Computer
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Welcome to America: Here's Your Linux Computer
1–10 of 107 posts
Re: Welcome to America: Here's Your Linux Computer
#2It's good to know that you're providing Linux PCs to those who can't afford them, but let's be realistic - unless they turn out to be really interested in computers, as soon as the kids start working and get some money, they'll go out and buy the same shiny iDevices that all their peers covet.
Re: Welcome to America: Here's Your Linux Computer
#3It's good to know that you're providing Linux PCs to those who can't afford them, but let's be realistic - unless they turn out to be really interested in computers, as soon as the kids start working and get some money, they'll go out and buy the same shiny iDevices that all their peers covet.
I think the point is to give them a PC as a leg-up, not to change their OS religion. Linux just makes it easy and possible.
Re: Welcome to America: Here's Your Linux Computer
#4What a wonderful story! and really a great gesture on multiple accounts, and very thoughful for sure.
Even something like a raspberry pi would be more than enough for someone like a kid who wants to learn and just needs a means to do so.
I never could afford a computer as a kid growing up. All my computers were donations or throwaways that I tinkered with and learned on and fixed up. My first computer was an SE/30 that was getting thrown away. I ABSOLUTELY would not be where I am today if it was not for the kindness of others who gave me the opportunities to tinker and learn.
Re: Welcome to America: Here's Your Linux Computer
#5It's good to know that you're providing Linux PCs to those who can't afford them, but let's be realistic - unless they turn out to be really interested in computers, as soon as the kids start working and get some money, they'll go out and buy the same shiny iDevices that all their peers covet.
You simply do not know the kind of impact this will have on them. Yes, maybe they will just go out and get an idevice when they get older. But you make it sound like that means that this gesture is irrelevant and meaningless, when that is very much not the case; for there is an untold amount of learning and growth that they can get from this.
outside of the technical and educational benefits they get, it also is makes them feel more welcomed in their community, and more willing to engage.
Re: Welcome to America: Here's Your Linux Computer
#6I have a developmentally delayed sister in law; I placed Ubuntu on her laptop recently without really telling her what it was
Now, we need some beneware that infects every machine on a network, backs up file system, and reinstalls the os with linux, wouldn't it be nice! LINUX!
Re: Welcome to America: Here's Your Linux Computer
#7It's good to know that you're providing Linux PCs to those who can't afford them, but let's be realistic - unless they turn out to be really interested in computers, as soon as the kids start working and get some money, they'll go out and buy the same shiny iDevices that all their peers covet.
Even if 90%+ of those is wasted it's a net positive for the few whose career will take off because of this. That's good in my book.
Re: Welcome to America: Here's Your Linux Computer
#8It's good to know that you're providing Linux PCs to those who can't afford them, but let's be realistic - unless they turn out to be really interested in computers, as soon as the kids start working and get some money, they'll go out and buy the same shiny iDevices that all their peers covet.
Reminds me of the OLPC failure. Turns out cheap netbooks, the intel classmate, etc was what the market really wanted, not a top-down academia led turkey.
We've been doing "here's a linux distro on some old windows hardware" for literally decades now. It just won't catch on, especially in the age of mobile where people want less technical hassles, not more. A cheap/used android tablet with a BT keyboard is probably the low price leader here and will probably also keep someone from rushing to an idevice immediately. A $30 Chromecast turns your TV into a giant monitor as well.
Re: Welcome to America: Here's Your Linux Computer
#9I have to admit I'm surprised to find that anyone is still trying to make desktop Linux work for normal people, i.e. non-programmers who aren't free-software fanatics. I think to myself, don't they realize that it's pointless, that the year of the Linux desktop will never come, that Linux will always be the distant third-place desktop OS?
More constructively, I wonder if recent Linux distros and desktop environments actually run better on 10-year-old hardware than Windows 7. My guess is that GNOME 3 and Unity require roughly as much CPU power and RAM as Windows 7. If that's the case, then maybe kids like the one in this story would be better served by a donated Windows 7 system builder license to go with that old hardware. Then they wouldn't be frustrated at a thousand points by someone's well-intentioned but misguided choice of OS.
Re: Welcome to America: Here's Your Linux Computer
#10I have to admit I'm surprised to find that anyone is still trying to make desktop Linux work for normal people, i.e. non-programmers who aren't free-software fanatics. I think to myself, don't they realize that it's pointless, that the year of the Linux desktop will never come, that Linux will always be the distant third-place desktop OS? More constructively, I wonder if recent Linux distros and desktop environments…
Linux distros like mint are basically indistinguishable from Windows to sufficiently casual users. All they ever do is open up the word processor or browser.