Re: foss hardware workshop at Ooty

yes, i do get your point. it is the case if you  are browsing from an airport or a bus/train terminal with
internet access. all you get is to see the browser and it doesn't even matter what the OS is. but there isn't
much choice when you are in transit.

   I have seen even regular cafe's do that. they try to lock up almost everything. The only difference is that i
found it choking and stopped visiting them. I probably need more than a browser. i might need to download
and read a ms word doc or ppt or an excel sheet that a friend has send in. lets say that i am a novice and i have no
clue to use open office. It would be annoying and would be easier to find some place where i can use the tools i
am familiar with.

   I think people go to a cyber cafe for more than browsing. when you  dependent on MS office to get your work done
and download microsoft supported formats, it is best to have a windows machine unless the cafe owners want
to loose (some) customers.

    Any way, with OLPC like (cheaper) laptops hitting the market and low internet costs, people would be free to
choose what they want to use.

Sarad.

Sarad AV wrote:
> Now the cyber cafe folks will have to spend time teaching their customers Linux  Moreover a lot of folks
will simply walk away when they see a linux OS when they are expecting to see a Win OS. doesn't sound like a
pretty business model.

i dont think that is right, since most cybercafe's around the world use
embedded / locked down systems[1] with access only to a web browser and
_some_ support tools along with it - most people need a familiar'ish
interface and a web browser is that.

- KB

[1]: Quite a lot of these systems run Linux already.

      
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