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Getting Open Source to the Dialup Masses

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the those-laurels-are-getting-downright-restless dept.

WillSmith writes "South Africa's Mark Shuttleworth Foundation has a solution to getting open source out to places with low broadband : the "freedom toaster". The idea is simple : a bring-and-burn software kiosk."

4 of 204 comments (clear)

  1. Any Costs? by kaellinn18 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    As I can't get to the mercilessly Slashdotted site, maybe someone who did can answer a question for me:

    Are there any costs for the user associated with this? The main allure of open source software is that it's free. Although I'm sure if there are costs, it will be comparatively cheap compared to Microsoft, but when you start talking about third world countries, even small costs can be prohibitive. Will people be able to donate CDs to this project so that the project will not have to charge money to reimburse itself for the CDs?

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  2. For a moment there.. by fboliv · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I almost thought they were actually going to bring food to places where it lacks. That'd be a freedom toaster alright.

  3. This is a good idea by ajs318 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    In some parts of the world, broadband internet has a somewhat lower priority than things like clean drinking water and efficient sewers. {Even though you have to admit the logistics are simpler}.

    The bandwidth of a Ford Transit packed with CD-Rs should certainly not be underestimated!

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  4. Re:Site go boom by xappax · · Score: 2, Insightful

    And why stop at distros?
    There's plenty of free/oss media out there - music, software for other OSes, games, independent films...

    In an area where money is scarce and software/media is expensive, I can see a "free media" kiosk being in serious demand.
    Imagine what the kids at your local mall would think if they could walk in with a couple blank CDs and walk out with some a couple hip-hop albums from some local small-time artist. Sure would piss off Wal-Mart...