Personally, I've done stock Lubuntu on old hardware with shortcuts for a browser with PBS kids as homepage, a few local movies, GCompris, Tux Paint, LibreOffice Writer, and when they got a little older, Minecraft, Steam.
If they are not yet used to a mouse, I highly recommend a one button kid-sized version like the Chester Mouse, this made a huge difference in usability / frustration [especially since they liked to play with scroll wheel a lot].
Overall, whatever distro you are most comfortable with is probably good enough, they will likely only ever use the shortcuts on the desktop until older*.
* Most likely, I claim no liability for whatever random you-tubes they find or terminals they open. Their account will not be on the sudo list, right?:-)
I have an original model B with 256mb ram that still runs as my personal web and Mumble [VoIP] sever!
My daughter has a model 2B that she plays with, I might considering replacing it with the 3B+ as half the time she uses it for playing music via you tube and that can get laggy at times.... but to be fair, that was not an original use case when getting her the Pi.:-)
I also have a couple Pi B+ setup as cameras, but if I was doing that project now I would get 3B or 3B+ for the integrated WiFi and avoid running Ethernet cables.
On first glance I immediately dismissed the "security" bit in the preview as click-bait... The interesting idea, at least to me, is the idea of having low power ARM acting like a hybrid south-bridge that functions as CPU for simple web browsing or media playback [I think these may already exist in some forms].
Unfortunately while there is a brief mention of the ARM chip handling sound there was not much other detail. I would guess the difficulty is in how to seamlessly transfer data and processing to the Intel CPU when needed.... so had hoped that's what this would be about.
I suppose I read way too much into "coprocessor" in the title... but forming strong opinions on as little information as possible is what Slashdot is about after-all:-)
Then I go to bed so I could wake up at 5:30 am and walk to school. Five miles away through the snow, uphill each way.
You had it easy. We had to crawl 10 miles each way through the snow over broken glass on our knees, dodging mortar rounds and horny priests.
Broken glass?...Mortar rounds?...Psst! If only I could only have been so lucky!
We had to walk on our hands 20 miles each way over sharp volcanic rock, and could only dream of piles of snow, since it was still hot!
Let's not wait for a "Ask Slashdot" on how to retrieve large amounts of deleted research.... Anyone have good ideas / suggestions on what individuals should focus on if they would like to help? #ThinkOfTheData
It is an interesting problem, if basic income takes care of simple housing and a minimalist diet, what then will people do?
My thoughts are they will see their neighbor works (full, part-time, or as hobbyist) and has "nice things"; so they will decide they also would like "nice things".
How to get "nice things", the better food, bigger house, new phone, etc.? Work.
Just like now, people would work for money to use in exchange for goods and services, except unlike now there is less pressure to make sure the work pays "enough" and is stable "enough" before considering if you are willing to do it.
Maybe with UBI many people decide to work the same job they do now, but others quit and do open-source for free, and still others may try painting, writing music, inventing a niche product they always thought would be "awesome", driving urbers, or doing community service, who knows. It is hard to quantify the impact of people leaving / cutting back normal work hours to pursue these interests, but I feel it will be significant after a few years, especially if (and really reaching but hey why not) coupled with a student loan interest forgiveness program and universal healthcare.
But, I think the main benefit of a UBI is to those who are just entering the work force. People can take longer trying out different jobs... since they are not dependent on immediately getting the first job possible to get food on the table. A large number of people looking at college and not sure of their path, would have less pressure to "choose a career" immediately after high-school and have more time trying out a few before making that commitment.
I think this would lower the number of kids rushing off to college and spending 4 years drinking since they are only attending because teachers/parents/society told them to go, but they never had any real interest in it. (With positive side effect those attending university being a more academic and motivated population).
With a UBI, people looking to enter the work force could take the time to attend trade-school and apprenticeships and commit to their studies / training without taking out large loans or working 2 part-time jobs.
Will some high-school graduates just sit at home and watch TV? Yep.
Will they eventually get bored? Probably.
Will they tinker, learn things on the internet, find a hobby? I would argue, yes, most would.
Will some of these hobbyists make society better for others? Probably.
Will they turn to crime? Maybe, but i'll admit I'm hand-waiving this one and guessing it's a smaller number than now.
I think it boils down to:
For those in the workforce and keeping their current job, benefit is cheaper prices for better quality non-automated hobby, manual, and time-intensive products and services.
For those looking to change the work they do, there is slightly less pressure on the immediate performance of their new endeavor. ( It is enough for most to be able to switch to their dream job? No. But it might be enough for some).
For those looking to enter the work force, so they can afford "nice things", they have more freedom to experiment with several jobs before choose a career.
For those that don't want to work, they can have a productive hobby, devote their life to community service, or just watching TV, and for some crime; the bet is that the former two outnumber the later two, and overall the TV watchers and criminals were probably not going contributing much to society with or without a UBI.
All in all, Universal Basic Income would not benefit everyone the same, some may be worse off, but as a whole I think the goal is to increase the number of people doing meaningful (to them) work, with less regard to the pay, and the assumption (which I believe) is that society will be better off for it.
.
Finally, 2017 is the long awaited Year of Linux on the.... oh, sorry, I mean Year of the Flying Cars!
Well, to be fair, I guess we have Linux on the phones sitting on many of our desks, and we do have "drones" that could carry plastic army men,...so... maybe it's just a issue of scale.
Just tolling, but it is unlikely you pre-date copy-paste (i.e. the clipboard), the mouse, or even video conferencing:-P http://web.stanford.edu/dept/S...
(ok,ok I'm just a fan of this demo... I've always found it amazing for the time)
More on topic: I agree, If you aren't adding something useful, or shortening the path to something I use, then most UI changes are a waste of time; but like someone else mentioned you get used to it same as when the car's brights are turned on by pushing and leaving the multi-function switch forward as opposed to clicking it backwards.
This is especially true with the OS, and at least for me, there is an additional level of frustration with any changes to control panel / system settings.... it frustrates me to no end when i know exactly the screen i want, but have no idea how to get there anymore.:(
I wasn't serious btw:)
I just couldn't resist since it was quoted as "one quarter", and "vehicle is making a left turn" brings to mind a intersection, at which there are typically 4 possible directions. I know going in reverse or making a U-turn is not as frequent an occurrence as going straight, I was trying for funny.:-)
First: A 33Mhz Packard Bell with 8Mb memory (I think), 256Mb HDD, sound card, video card, and a turbo button; running Windows 3.11
Longest use: A Celeron 1Ghz (or so) desktop maxed out with 512Mb RAM, a 30GB HDD, sound card, cheap network card, and ATI Rage XL 8Mb PCI video card. Started life in 2001, was in active use up to a couple months ago [schoolwork for most of that, a stint as development / file server, then sat around for a few years, and lastly resurrected as a media player].
Latest: A Haswell Pentium 3.2 Ghz, 8Gb RAM, 500GB HDD running Ubuntu 14.04.2. viewed with a Gateway* 24" 16:9 LED IPS and a Samsung 19" 4:3 LCD. Planning to upgrade to a 256GB SSD (HDD was from a old machine) and a Nvidia GT 730 or GTX 750ti sc... undecided as this is my last remaining non small form-factor machine, and when possible, I used to upgrade my other desktops with this one's hand me downs:)
* Yeah, I didn't know they were still around either!
For what it's worth, I have a first-run model B (256mb RAM) and yes the supply was short back then, I ordered it at launch (Feb) and got it in July, but i expected as much so it was never an issue. Last year I got a later model B (512mb RAM), no wait at all.
I've never had any problems with either; the older one runs as a web and VoIP server, the second is my used by my 7 year old to play with Scratch. I have never regretted either purchase, although I will admit running Scratch can tax the Pi, but it is cheap enough to introduce my kid to Linux without making it their main machine.
For goodness sake, I have a 13year old desktop sporting a 1Ghz Celeron with 512MB ram that is hooked up to a tv and serves as a media player for my youngest. If you can't find a use for a cheap linux box with a somewhat modern GPU, stop whining and use Google.... or just don't buy it.:)
Slashdot Mirror
Both local pickup companies around me use trucks with two compartments... but presumably it can only cover half the territory.
There are other websites for that :-)
Or RedHat :)
Personally, I've done stock Lubuntu on old hardware with shortcuts for a browser with PBS kids as homepage, a few local movies, GCompris, Tux Paint, LibreOffice Writer, and when they got a little older, Minecraft, Steam. If they are not yet used to a mouse, I highly recommend a one button kid-sized version like the Chester Mouse, this made a huge difference in usability / frustration [especially since they liked to play with scroll wheel a lot]. Overall, whatever distro you are most comfortable with is probably good enough, they will likely only ever use the shortcuts on the desktop until older*. * Most likely, I claim no liability for whatever random you-tubes they find or terminals they open. Their account will not be on the sudo list, right? :-)
agreed, for most cases.
I have an original model B with 256mb ram that still runs as my personal web and Mumble [VoIP] sever!
My daughter has a model 2B that she plays with, I might considering replacing it with the 3B+ as half the time she uses it for playing music via you tube and that can get laggy at times.... but to be fair, that was not an original use case when getting her the Pi. :-)
I also have a couple Pi B+ setup as cameras, but if I was doing that project now I would get 3B or 3B+ for the integrated WiFi and avoid running Ethernet cables.
On first glance I immediately dismissed the "security" bit in the preview as click-bait... The interesting idea, at least to me, is the idea of having low power ARM acting like a hybrid south-bridge that functions as CPU for simple web browsing or media playback [I think these may already exist in some forms]. Unfortunately while there is a brief mention of the ARM chip handling sound there was not much other detail. I would guess the difficulty is in how to seamlessly transfer data and processing to the Intel CPU when needed.... so had hoped that's what this would be about. I suppose I read way too much into "coprocessor" in the title... but forming strong opinions on as little information as possible is what Slashdot is about after-all :-)
Did you check the spacebar?
I, quite honestly, came here for this comment. :-)
Preferably added together
... and with a little extra for good measure.
Then I go to bed so I could wake up at 5:30 am and walk to school. Five miles away through the snow, uphill each way.
You had it easy. We had to crawl 10 miles each way through the snow over broken glass on our knees, dodging mortar rounds and horny priests.
Broken glass? ...Mortar rounds? ...Psst! If only I could only have been so lucky!
We had to walk on our hands 20 miles each way over sharp volcanic rock, and could only dream of piles of snow, since it was still hot!
Let's not wait for a "Ask Slashdot" on how to retrieve large amounts of deleted research.... Anyone have good ideas / suggestions on what individuals should focus on if they would like to help? #ThinkOfTheData
YEAAAH! That's Right! U S A U S A U S A , We're #1, We're #1 !!!! rahhhhhh! .... Wait, what? Oh.
It is an interesting problem, if basic income takes care of simple housing and a minimalist diet, what then will people do? My thoughts are they will see their neighbor works (full, part-time, or as hobbyist) and has "nice things"; so they will decide they also would like "nice things".
How to get "nice things", the better food, bigger house, new phone, etc.? Work.
Just like now, people would work for money to use in exchange for goods and services, except unlike now there is less pressure to make sure the work pays "enough" and is stable "enough" before considering if you are willing to do it.
Maybe with UBI many people decide to work the same job they do now, but others quit and do open-source for free, and still others may try painting, writing music, inventing a niche product they always thought would be "awesome", driving urbers, or doing community service, who knows. It is hard to quantify the impact of people leaving / cutting back normal work hours to pursue these interests, but I feel it will be significant after a few years, especially if (and really reaching but hey why not) coupled with a student loan interest forgiveness program and universal healthcare.
But, I think the main benefit of a UBI is to those who are just entering the work force. People can take longer trying out different jobs... since they are not dependent on immediately getting the first job possible to get food on the table. A large number of people looking at college and not sure of their path, would have less pressure to "choose a career" immediately after high-school and have more time trying out a few before making that commitment.
I think this would lower the number of kids rushing off to college and spending 4 years drinking since they are only attending because teachers/parents/society told them to go, but they never had any real interest in it. (With positive side effect those attending university being a more academic and motivated population).
With a UBI, people looking to enter the work force could take the time to attend trade-school and apprenticeships and commit to their studies / training without taking out large loans or working 2 part-time jobs.
I think it boils down to:
All in all, Universal Basic Income would not benefit everyone the same, some may be worse off, but as a whole I think the goal is to increase the number of people doing meaningful (to them) work, with less regard to the pay, and the assumption (which I believe) is that society will be better off for it. .
Finally, 2017 is the long awaited Year of Linux on the .... oh, sorry, I mean Year of the Flying Cars!
Well, to be fair, I guess we have Linux on the phones sitting on many of our desks, and we do have "drones" that could carry plastic army men, ...so... maybe it's just a issue of scale.
Fair enough! :)
Just tolling, but it is unlikely you pre-date copy-paste (i.e. the clipboard), the mouse, or even video conferencing :-P
http://web.stanford.edu/dept/S... (ok,ok I'm just a fan of this demo... I've always found it amazing for the time)
More on topic: I agree, If you aren't adding something useful, or shortening the path to something I use, then most UI changes are a waste of time; but like someone else mentioned you get used to it same as when the car's brights are turned on by pushing and leaving the multi-function switch forward as opposed to clicking it backwards.
This is especially true with the OS, and at least for me, there is an additional level of frustration with any changes to control panel / system settings.... it frustrates me to no end when i know exactly the screen i want, but have no idea how to get there anymore. :(
I wasn't serious btw :)
I just couldn't resist since it was quoted as "one quarter", and "vehicle is making a left turn" brings to mind a intersection, at which there are typically 4 possible directions. :-)
I know going in reverse or making a U-turn is not as frequent an occurrence as going straight, I was trying for funny.
1/4th of accidents occur when going in 1 of 4 directions.... imagine that :)
First: A 33Mhz Packard Bell with 8Mb memory (I think), 256Mb HDD, sound card, video card, and a turbo button; running Windows 3.11
Longest use: A Celeron 1Ghz (or so) desktop maxed out with 512Mb RAM, a 30GB HDD, sound card, cheap network card, and ATI Rage XL 8Mb PCI video card. Started life in 2001, was in active use up to a couple months ago [schoolwork for most of that, a stint as development / file server, then sat around for a few years, and lastly resurrected as a media player].
Latest: A Haswell Pentium 3.2 Ghz, 8Gb RAM, 500GB HDD running Ubuntu 14.04.2. viewed with a Gateway* 24" 16:9 LED IPS and a Samsung 19" 4:3 LCD. Planning to upgrade to a 256GB SSD (HDD was from a old machine) and a Nvidia GT 730 or GTX 750ti sc ... undecided as this is my last remaining non small form-factor machine, and when possible, I used to upgrade my other desktops with this one's hand me downs :)
* Yeah, I didn't know they were still around either!
'ride around in personal mobility units with our view of the real world is through a single sensor protruding in front of us'
So, just like all the people in WALL-E ?
The singularity occurs completely by accident, when implementing EMACSd.
For what it's worth, I have a first-run model B (256mb RAM) and yes the supply was short back then, I ordered it at launch (Feb) and got it in July, but i expected as much so it was never an issue. Last year I got a later model B (512mb RAM), no wait at all.
:)
I've never had any problems with either; the older one runs as a web and VoIP server, the second is my used by my 7 year old to play with Scratch. I have never regretted either purchase, although I will admit running Scratch can tax the Pi, but it is cheap enough to introduce my kid to Linux without making it their main machine.
For goodness sake, I have a 13year old desktop sporting a 1Ghz Celeron with 512MB ram that is hooked up to a tv and serves as a media player for my youngest. If you can't find a use for a cheap linux box with a somewhat modern GPU, stop whining and use Google.... or just don't buy it.
Who cares about the meaning of life, the universe and everything?
Well, 42 is a nice number. Also, TANSTAAFL :-)
It's working as designed, the NSA was an intended recipient... oh, sorry, wrong story.