Belgium: A Computer in Every Home

joost writes "In an article published online by Belgian newspaper 'Het Nieuwsblad' (sorry only a dutch link), Belgian minister Miss Laurette Onkelinx speaks about her plan to provide every Belgian household with a computer. The minister is (amongst other things) responsible for 'equality' and therefore pushes the plan to provide the less fortunate with a pc. In the same article, she said she already started talking to Compaq for the hardware and Microsoft for the OS. Belgian Linux users are starting a campaign to petition Miss Onkelinx's departement, explaining their concern about the decision, and advising to look towards linux for an alternative.(more on be.comp.os.linux) You too can send an email by clicking here."

Comments

Distributing Companies

[Catskul]

I imagine that the Distributing Companies would like to since that is how they make money. Since they dont make money off of licenses, Tech support is their thing : )

Re:This is so Boneheaded

[Bert Peers]

I'm all for making computers affordable, but if people don't want one enough to get one, what are they going to do when it gets pushed through their door?

Although you have a valid point, you need to realize that this offer comes together with a bold move by the government to put everything on the internet; there are a lot of projects going on to make sure that in a few years time, it is possible to do everything online, from filling in taxes to paying a parking ticket. So a lot of people do not have a good use for a cheapo PC at this time, but that will change when all that stuff gets online (you need to interact with the government quite frequently in here) -- and when they only go get one at that time they may find themselves seriously lagging behind in skills compared to those who get a PC now.

It's pretty much the next logical step after setting up most public libraries with free internet connected PCs (which btw was done, at least in my town, using Windows ?.? + Netscape 4.7).

No OS

[Hard_Code]

Hey, how about this idea: if you *really* want people to get a crash course in "computer literacy" why don't you ship the computers without operating systems? I'm not joking. If they really want to use that shiny new $1500 piece of equipment they'll have to put something on it. And perhaps they *won't* want to pay ~$200 out of pocket to put Windows on it. Let them choose whatever they want.