Changes

The moderator asked what are the criteria for choosing for the OS on these devices: Lenovo sees predominately new users to date. (Although the world-wide economic slowdown is playing a role as well.) Their education customers are Linux-focused; consumers are asking for both. Qualcomm sees this as a new market—the best of the wireless world and the best of the laptop world—a new device. Samsung thinks the user wants something simple for the second PC—web browsing. The first-PC market is looking for "standard" systems (XP).  ASUS is also splitting their strategy between emerging and mature markets. Everyone agreed that netbooks are not cannibalizing the traditional notebook market (but they are having an impact on price). But also everyone seems to be drifting towards larger screens, a hard disk, and Windows—along with a higher price. "10 inches is where the market is going." The retail market is asking for XP, but the professional and vertical markets, e.g., education are asking for Linux.

The moderator asked what are the criteria for choosing for the OS on these devices: Lenovo sees predominately new users to date. (Although the world-wide economic slowdown is playing a role as well.) Their education customers are Linux-focused; consumers are asking for both. Qualcomm sees this as a new market—the best of the wireless world and the best of the laptop world—a new device. Samsung thinks the user wants something simple for the second PC—web browsing. The first-PC market is looking for "standard" systems (XP).  ASUS is also splitting their strategy between emerging and mature markets. Everyone agreed that netbooks are not cannibalizing the traditional notebook market (but they are having an impact on price). But also everyone seems to be drifting towards larger screens, a hard disk, and Windows—along with a higher price. "10 inches is where the market is going." The retail market is asking for XP, but the professional and vertical markets, e.g., education are asking for Linux.

The follow-on panel was pretty depressing: Are netbooks mobile device or PC replacements. Mozilla opined always-on connectivity is essential, the browser is ''the'' application and nothing else is important, e.g., the OS doesn't matter and running non-web-based applications is "old think". In contradiction to this, "Linux has momentum and it is a place for innovation; you innovate because you can." [http://www.thinkgos.com/ gOS], who makes "Cloud", a Linux distribution that focues on a browser, with an application "doc" in the browser. It is a "dual boot" machine, but the Linux distribution is instant on to a browser. Xandros argued that "Economics drives adoption of Linux from the OEM perspective"; but now there is a race in the application space. There is a 20-Euro difference in the OEM price between XP and Linux, but that is not enough to convince an OEM to switch away from the mainstream. The netbook started as a new type of device, but now it is marketed as a mini-laptop, which is why Windows is getting a larger market share: the consumer as consumer.

The follow-on panel was pretty depressing: Are netbooks mobile device or PC replacements. Mozilla opined always-on connectivity is essential, the browser is ''the'' application and nothing else is important, e.g., the OS doesn't matter and running non-web-based applications is "old think". In contradiction to this, "Linux has momentum and it is a place for innovation; you innovate because you can." [http://www.thinkgos.com/ gOS], who makes "Cloud", a Linux distribution that focuses on a browser, with an application "doc" in the browser. It is a "dual boot" machine, but the Linux distribution is instant on to a browser. Xandros argued that "Economics drives adoption of Linux from the OEM perspective"; but now there is a race in the application space. There is a 20-Euro difference in the OEM price between XP and Linux, but that is not enough to convince an OEM to switch away from the mainstream. The netbook started as a new type of device, but now it is marketed as a mini-laptop, which is why Windows is getting a larger market share: the consumer as consumer.

The final panel featured service providers. SFR (www.sfr.com) has its base of customers using their services for web access from mobile phones; they have recently expanded into the netbook (specifically, the eeePC market) by offering 3G connectivity. Comwax (www.comwax.com) offers a touch-based ("iPhone on a notebook") user experience—"always-on social networks" being the buzz phrase most often heard at the meeting. They tout lots of Sugar-like features: 1 click; unified contact list; and the seemingly ubiquitous application store. They'll be marketing through mobile carriers. gloBull (www.myglobull.com) focused their presentation on mobility and security. They have a secure boot that then launches a signed virtual environment—Windows or XP. (Sound familiar?)

The final panel featured service providers. SFR (www.sfr.com) has its base of customers using their services for web access from mobile phones; they have recently expanded into the netbook (specifically, the eeePC market) by offering 3G connectivity. Comwax (www.comwax.com) offers a touch-based ("iPhone on a notebook") user experience—"always-on social networks" being the buzz phrase most often heard at the meeting. They tout lots of Sugar-like features: 1 click; unified contact list; and the seemingly ubiquitous application store. They'll be marketing through mobile carriers. gloBull (www.myglobull.com) focused their presentation on mobility and security. They have a secure boot that then launches a signed virtual environment—Windows or XP. (Sound familiar?)

4. Ouch: A harsh criticism of Sugar from a blogger can be found at  

4. Ouch: A harsh criticism of Sugar from a blogger can be found at  

[http://learnonline.wordpress.com/2008/12/01/my-experience-with-olpc-in-tuvalu/ My experience with OLPC in Tuvalu]. I've extracted it in part below with some acknowledgements and rebuttles.  

[http://learnonline.wordpress.com/2008/12/01/my-experience-with-olpc-in-tuvalu/ My experience with OLPC in Tuvalu]. I've extracted it in part below with some acknowledgements and rebuttals.  

: List of things wrong with OLPCs Operating System:

: List of things wrong with OLPCs Operating System:

Why is the community metaphor inappropriate? It is available regardless of Internet connectivity—95% of the schools in Peru are off the Internet, and yet the children and their teachers can use Sugar to collaborate within the community. It makes a very efficient use of whatever Internet resources are available.

Why is the community metaphor inappropriate? It is available regardless of Internet connectivity—95% of the schools in Peru are off the Internet, and yet the children and their teachers can use Sugar to collaborate within the community. It makes a very efficient use of whatever Internet resources are available.

: 2. That said, we were using wireless connectivity in the Government building, but the OLPCs holding that connection was flakey. We had no trouble keeping a connection to the network on the Windows machines, but the OLPCs kept dropping. Placing a Wireless modem in the room with us seemed to help the situation. Another problem relating to connectivity was the amount of time some of the OLPCs took to connect. Some didn’t at all. All of them need clearer indication of progress in connecting.

: 2. That said, we were using wireless connectivity in the Government building, but the OLPCs holding that connection was flaky. We had no trouble keeping a connection to the network on the Windows machines, but the OLPCs kept dropping. Placing a Wireless modem in the room with us seemed to help the situation. Another problem relating to connectivity was the amount of time some of the OLPCs took to connect. Some didn’t at all. All of them need clearer indication of progress in connecting.

Improved wireless stability remains a goal, but the situation is much improved from Sugar 0.71, which seems to be the version of Sugar being tested (See #4 below).

Improved wireless stability remains a goal, but the situation is much improved from Sugar 0.71, which seems to be the version of Sugar being tested (See #4 below).