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Proprietary Parts in OLPC Project Draw Criticism

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the not-entirely-open dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Jem Report is running a story about the recent controversy surrounding the hardware used in OLPC laptops. Some devices require NDA's to write drivers, and some parts require firmware that cannot be freely redistributed. Richard Stallmann and Theo de Raadt oppose the use of such devices. Jim Getty defends OLPC's choice (de Raadts response). Jem Matzan has interviewed all sides and published the answers."

1 of 247 comments (clear)

  1. RMS: Let them eat cake! by simon_hibbs2 · · Score: 1, Troll

    RMS: "Let them eat cake!"

    This is my assessment of RMS's possition. I've tried with bitter tennacity to maintain a considerable degree of respect for RMS obver the last few years, but here he's lost me.

    If his possition realy is that it would better if these children had no laptop at all, than one that uses even a tiny seed of proprietary software, even temporarily, then he's he realy has lost the plot completely. Back when he started GNU he used proprietary platforms because nothing else existed. Now he's saying nobody should ever use proprietary systems even if they have no other alternative. This smacks of hypocrisy.