The under £100 cheap PCs for the disadvantaged go on sale today.
See
http://www.ecycleonline.co.uk/choose-your-computer---from-9200-8-c.asp
<http://www.ecycleonline.co.uk/choose-your-computer---from-9200-8-c.asp>
Ubuntu 10.10 is there as a solid and no strings attached choice.
But for only £3 more so is Windows XP and Office!
This is very bad news for the disadvantaged, for the rest of the
Internet community who are going to have to put up with millions of new
potential malware filled zombie computers to deal with.
The users also have to agree to special licensing terms as Microsoft is
doing them such a BIG favour (not).
Why would Microsoft do such a thing? Is it not trying to end of life XP?
It seems that keeping several million new computer users away from the
freedom of running and learning about the free software that the
Internet itself tends to run on.
We in the free software community should not take this clumsy piece of
vote buying lying down. Make a fuss.
Netbooks were a great chance to free people from having to run Windows.
However Microsoft came in and changed ground rules, forced netbooks to
be non upgradeable and carrying battery sucking hard disks because XP
was not so hot about running from SSD.
We don't want the same thing to happen in the second user computer
marketplace now it is becoming significant.
Five year old PCs are just fine for running Linux for most peoples use.
They really don't need to be distracted by XP and weasel worded licences.
Sorry for the long post but this has just made my blood boil and I think
we should all be making the maximum fuss we can about this.
--
*Deluxe Technology Ltd*
/Linux Consultant/
mhous...@deluxe-tech.co.uk <mailto:mhous...@deluxe-tech.co.uk>
http://www.deluxe-tech.co.uk
Mob: 07970 850961
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https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
