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

Let's be realistic

[Sentry21]

If they're going to provide computers to everyone, then they need an OS everyone can use. That breaks down into two possibilities: Windows and MacOS.

Personally, I'd try and strike a deal with Apple. Jobs would be glad to lose money on every computer, if it got him a foothold in every household in belgium, and it means good hardware, good software, and a not-so-unpleasant software company.

--Dan

This sounds a little familiar

[GePS]

Wasn't there just recently an article complaining about Microsoft pumping a .NET poll? *scratches head* is there much difference here?

Re:Linux on the desktop?

[Sloppy]

How's would that be any different than introducing them to Windows? It's not like there's anyone who is going to volunteer to do free tech support for a Belgium-sized population of Windows users, either.

It looks like one of the aspects of this thing is that these computers would be for people who don't already have computers. So the people who "need" (I use that term very loosely) these computers are less likely to already be Windows-trained than the general population. They're blank slates.

And when someone's a blank slate, any OS is just about as easy-to-learn as any other OS. If you don't believe that, watch a Win9x/NT/2k/XP newbie try to copy a file with "explorer" sometime, vs newbies on any other platform. The Mac newbies get it a little bit sooner, and after that, most other platforms are tied for second place.

Re:This is so Boneheaded

[peripatetic_bum]

Christ!

I didnt think the Geeks were so short sided!

Does it not occur to any of you, that the reason you know how to use computers is YOU HAD ACCESS TO THEM!

I keep hearing the same argument that giving people computers won't help them, but no one realizes that their own first exposure to computers was "given" to them by Someone else.

I keep hearing that you cant fix the problems of the poor by simply throwing money at the problem, but you tell me one thing that money doesnt make easier. Yeesh!