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Dreamcast as a Web Browser?
Chris asks: "Last Christmas
I gave my grandmother a cheap Windows PC with the hope that she would
begin conversing with the rest of the family (some on the other side
of the country) via e-mail. I don't believe she has turned it on
since I was last over there, several months ago. So, this Christmas, I'm giving
her a Dreamcast (only $50!) so she can use the Internet from the
comfort of her television. I'm wondering if it will be easier for her
to use the PlanetWeb browser that comes with the system (version 2) or
should I install Linux or netBSD on it and give her a real browser?
Ease of use is the single most important thing here. Hardware-wise,
she'll be getting the unit, 1 VMU, 1 controller, and the keyboard.
Thanks." It's good to see the Dreamcast hardware finding other uses
with Sega out of the business; however do you think the Dreamcast
would make a decent browser? Update: 12/25 02:50 GMT by C :Perhaps
talk of the Demise of the Dreamcast comes a bit prematurely, at least
according to this
article from Gameswire.
Put linux on it and it'll be fine until she manages to break it?
maybe.. (how tolerant of being powered off unexpectedly etc is Linux on Dreamcast ?)
It's been my experience that ISP's just hate supporting Dreamcast. If you're happy to look after your gran's needs, that's fine, but they might just be a little easier for her to deal with if you install a *nix on it.
La de fricking da.
Put an ATI All-In-Wonder card in the computer, and use the NTSC composite video out with her TV. ATI AIW cards can be had on eBay for $40 or less.
Stick with AOL and install VNC or pcAnywhere on the box to remote administrate.
Dude, I just bought a Dreamcast mouse for all of $10 the other day, and I really think that it deserves a mouse if you're going to use it as some sort of computing-device.
I haven't gotten around to putting a UNIX on it yet, but I'm rather sure that things aren't to an extremely usable state either. I'd think you'd be better off using the software that came with it.
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 -- Mathematics is the Language of Nature.
Some people just aren't all that interested in e-mail. She'd probably tell you that it's a great present because she doesn't want to hurt your feelings, but she probably wouldn't use the dreamcast any more frequently than she does the computer she's already got.
The newer ones (I don't know date off-hand) will not run Linux or NetBSD last I heard.
Does she:
drive an automatic?
use the microwave?
use a hair dryer?
go to the stylist when she needs her hair done?
use an electric can opener?
turn up the thermostat, or put on another sweater?
Beginning to see a pattern here? Computers aren't for everyone.
Plus not everyone wants to send emails to other people. To email grandma, create a font of your handwriting, print out an email to her, mail it to her instead. Rinse and repeat.
Dude,
You Rule... My new quote of the week. "and YES, this is a flame, so bite me" can I purchase rights to this or is it Open Source?
Happy Kwanza!
Rule of Life Number 2: Remember, it can all go to hell at any minute. --Jimmy Buffet
Happy Kwanza indeed.
-I like my women like I like my tea: green-
The last time I checked, there was no support for the standard dreamcast modem in the linux distribution. There is support for the broadband adapter, but that raises two issues: 1) I seriously doubt your grandmother has broadband access given your description of her computer use and 2) the broadband adapter is extremely hard to find, occasionally surfacing on ebay and selling in excess of $120.
I have no experience with running NetBSD on my dc, but a quick check of the page seems to indicate that it too lacks modem drivers.
Without a doubt, go for the standard Sega tools and utilities. Its cool to be able to run Linux and emulators, but believe me, you are well aware during the experience that you are running these ports on a gaming console. You have no permanent storage, I believe drivers are in the works to allow you to use the vmu, but they're small anyway. Thus, you can't save settings (network connectivity information), unless you load information over the network using the broadband adapter or a special serial device you can order from Lik Sang, but I think these requirements certainly exceed the scope of the project you're undertaking.
Good luck and let us know what you end up doing, and if you're successful in getting your grandmother online, I've got a couple of similar situations in my family.
I would NOT recommend this. I love the Dreamcast, but it's a very clunky web browser, and considering it probably won't be supported for very long, you could probably do better. If it's just for email why not get one of those e-mail stations? Not too expensive, and they're more intuitive.
(bought a dreamcast for my grandmother so she could get on the Internet), she didn't want a computer because they were too hard to use. Of course, she was basing this on the C-64 she had 10 years ago, but.... Within 6 months she got pissed off and bought a computer because the Dreamcast couldn't do...get this...Napster. Probably doesn't answer your question, but I had to share.
Brian
In order to achieve real usability and robustness, you need to customize systems. UNIX and Linux are up to it. With Windows, you get a one-size-fits-all user interface that works really well for nobody.
The real question should be: why are people justified with something as primitive and limited as Windows?
My grandma can hardly use or uses the mobile phone she got for her birthday.. she's 79yrs old and has been a sew maker for all her life... Me and my mother has been trying her to learn hwo to use the computer.. but she just isn't interested.. My other grandma is a bit more technical she can use her mobile phone and her satelite reciever but she doesn't have a computer either.. She is 72yrs old.. However I got quite chocked yesterday when my 44 yr old aunt had gotten a computer and learned how to surf the net.. Hell my dad that has a technical job and is 50 surfs the net alot worse than my 44 yrd old aunt... not the least interested in technical devices whatsoever.. However our dads often masters the old technology better.. I can hardly open the hood of a car while my dad can replace the engine all by himself...
...maybe she just doesn't like the Internet. Don't force-feed it to her.
- A.P.
"Remember when the U.S. had a drug problem, and then we declared a War On Drugs, and now you can't buy drugs anymore?"
You might want to look into one of the Larry Elison "New Internet Computer"s. Only $200, and much more featureful (instant messaging, all sorts of supported plugins &C), being designed to be a net terminal, wheras it was a bit of an afterthought on the DC.