Choosing a platform for work.

After meeting a friend yesterday and talking a bit about technology with him, and after reading a review today, I had an idea.

I recently understood that most of my "computer"-related work is either already done or can be moved to be totally online. Such a thing would lead me to one of the following (or combination of them):

1. I'm totally online. I never loose my data because I have it online all the time. The only moment when its not there is that split of a second I loose my wireless connection and my data not uploaded yet. I can do my work (or entertainment) anywhere, anytime.
2. I'm totally "dead" without internet connection. My powerful computer has no use for me. I can't access anything. I can't do anything. I'm so addicted to being online, that I have problems figuring out what are computers for. Although my movies and music are local and with me, I have no wish to "consume" them - after all, I can't access my email (don't tell me its unrelated! It is. I am not addicted).
   

Then I've thought about it even more.

We have an internet connection nowadays everywhere. I walk around my neighborhood and I catch easily 10 open WiFi spots. Many can check their email with 3G mobile phones, or even use them to connect to the "real" Internet. Many of those phones are good enough for Internet by themselves. WiMax us promised to come in couple of years give or take. So we have connectivity problem solved. That, probably, also solves me the "problem" with an Internet addiction usage. This means, I can work virtually everywhere anytime.

Now, what bothers me at this point, is the computer itself. I mainly use browser and email. I use simple editor for documents/blog writing. I use simple photo management application. I use somewhat more advanced pictures editing application. I use multimedia players.

These all are hardly resource intensive tasks. But my computer starts to crawl when I open more than 2 apps at a time. Besides, when I'm thinking about installing applications and maintaining the computer, I wonder: why should I invest so much time in it?

So, I know what I want. I want a TV-like usability computer - something that just works. I want a "work" appliance. I want an appliance which is lite, small, convenient, has a long battery life, and fast and responsive. I want to know what it does and how it does it. I want to be able to customize it. I want my computing everywhere with me.

Just like an OLPC with a larger screen and battery life.

-A.

Technorati : Gentoo, Linux, OLPC, Ubuntu, apple, technology, windows

Responsive computing required!

Hey all. Thanks for spelling me out the obvious by commenting on my previous post - using swap out of memory is useless.

But I still want my computer to be faster and swap less. I know that today's userspace apps suck and use much unnecessary computer resources, but all I want for my computer is to be responsive!

I remember in DOS days, with much slower computers I didn't have to wait for it. Computers perform tasks much faster that people, so I want to use this tool and I want it to be usable. I don't want to wait for it to do something it "thinks" it needs to. I want it to respond in half of a second to any of my actions.

Is that too much to ask for?
Is it possible to be easily done? Without the suggestion to buy more hardware? If so, how?

-A.

Technorati : Linux, Ubuntu, technology, windows

What is OLPS worth?

In recent post of mine I wrote about misconception many are having about the OLPC. To my great surprise, I've read ZDNet' Dana Blankenhorn post about the worth of the device.

While previously I always was in disagreement with Dana's opinions, I do agree with this one for a change.

He's arguing in his post, that "One Laptop Per Child is worthwhile at any price". And that is exactly the conclusion I wanted people to get towards after reading my post. The point being is that it doesn't matter what exact price tag the device have - if it is comparable to few years worth of schoolbooks, it is worth every penny.

Using this device would replace the use of printed books and as such, it should be compared to the same thing. If providing a student with books for 5 years cost $100, then the price of the device is well suited, as the use of OLPC is much more benefiting for education, as it can be used for much more than just reading books.

I know that the device costs around $170 today, but

1. Different payment systems can be employed to draw that down (for example by offering them in "wealthy" countries for a price of two)
2. As production grows the production costs are going down, so after some production cycles I expect them to cost around that Benjamin mark.
   

In a nutshell: worth every penny.

-A.

Technorati : Gentoo, OLPC, technology

OLPC article remarks

Wow, what a ride!!

This blog entry of mine made it to groklaw and linuxtoday. Thanks for submitting, people; I don't know who that was, but it brought ~ x100 times traffic to my blog than usual.

Now, my dear commenters:
Thanks for warm words. I really just said what I believe in, and I'm glad to see such positive response to it. It is nice to know, that I'm not the only one to think that way, and more than that - that I probably get this issue right.

Notes to commenters:
Jim, I'm not sure that 160 ms is the wakeup time, but indeed, 63ms is the hardware limit. Said that, I'd still be glad if my T43 with Windows XP would wake in 15 seconds (instead of about 2 minutes it takes now)

Jürgen, I get you point about the thought of being "feeling guilty". But nevertheless, given we both are born in more or less wealthy countries, can't we truly and sincerely want to contribute something to other people? With no second thought behind the idea? I mean, I don't believe we're trying to justify any other things we do in life, right?

I truly believe for a good in people, and I hope that the idea behind the project is a true and altruistic one.

For those who think its a financial scheme created to make a lot of money:
You're wrong guys/girls. While it is imaginable, I don't really see how it can be done considering the boundaries created for the project. Considering lot of Open/Free software developers/proponents are participating in this, I suspect that if any other cause would be possibly found in this, these brilliant but free people would leave the project.

On the other hand we see that this laptop would cost ~$100 to produce (eventually; and maybe even less in the long run). Given, that governments will get those units, I don't really see the way for MIT lab to profit from this (financially of course. All the technological benefit is there for all of us).

Some other ideas came to me while I was thinking a little more about the issue and reading all sorts of comments online.

Someone wrote (forgive me author, I don't remember who you are): GUI provided on OLPC is not all that good and relevant, because someone will find a way to override it and use the device as usual laptop.

At the beginning, I was a little agitated by this post, and wanted to explain myself better; but then I though a little more about it.

I decided that it would be great actually if that happens. Just imagine, a linux laptop, with very efficient hardware/software, long battery life, lightweight. Why wouldn't anyone want one?

But wait, there's more.

Imagine, all around the world, kids form "hack" communities, each with its favorite OLPC hacks. It will be one of the largest grouped communities around. And it will develope their skills, technical and social. It will develop the OLPC itself, as many [kids] minds is better than few [OLPC staff], not because they are smarter but because they are interested, and they are doing it for themselves.

And you know what?
I'd like such a computer for myself.

As a side note, I'd like to welcome Marco Albanese to our planet. Please join me in welcoming him and wish all the best.

The OLPC reviews review - the alternative standpoint

Dear reader,

I'd like to review all sorts of reviews that have appeared lately online.
I believe, that almost all of them are missing the point.

All these reviews show, or assess, what kind of computer system the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) is and how does it compare to other [known] computer systems.



So, the following components are being compared:

1. Hardware specs (specifications)
   
2. GUI (Graphical User Interface)
   
3. Applications choices

So, lets go over those components:

1. Hardware specs.

It is well known, that OLPC is nowhere in top 500 HPC systems list. But such a list is not its purpose. Say, if you build the system, and you require it to do the following:

• Surf the web
• Chat with other people (either text, voice or video)
  
• Write docs
• Read books/other electronic material (and especially in a direct light environment)
  
• Have a battery life as prolonged as possible
• Lightweight
  
• Have an alternative power source (alternative to standard power outlet which can be found in most homes in developed countries).

So, what specs would you need then? Do you need a computer system, that would be able to land a man on moon for that? (In fact, humankind has such systems for a long long time, and many of today's calculators are capable of necessary calculations. So this would be not really such a good of an example).

Well, considering that all aforementioned tasks are not computing-intensive (except maybe video/chat, which is not that intensive load on the system after all), you won't have to have state of the art machine. I remember being a student in late 90' and being able to surf the net, listen to music, read the books, write lab reports and chat on ICQ with my friends. And that was on Cyrix 120 MHz machine, with 500MB hard drive and lousy 1MB Cirrus Logic VGA chip.

And you know what? Yes, it was slow. I had my kernel (I used Red Hat 5.2 then) compiling in 48 minutes. Compare that to two minutes 20 seconds on today's computers. But still, it did everything I wanted it to do. And did it ok.

I even played really good games on it (at least I think they were good).

So, considering today's applications for surfing, chat, music and reading are not much different (even sometimes even more efficient than those 10 years ago), I believe 300Mhz machine would be up to the task.

2. GUI

Hm, If I were to choose my favorite complain, this would be it.

Many articles complain, how not native this interface to people or even seasoned computer users. The common misconception as I understand it, is the assumption, that OLPC is the first computer that child will have, and it should teach a kid to use a computer.

Wrong.

First and foremost, it is not about teaching children to work with a computer. It is about teaching. It means, that OLPC and especially its GUI should not be directly compared to any other computer system.

Compare it to other education materials instead.
That's what main issue is all about. These computers is education tool. They will be delivered instead of schoolbooks.

Now imagine the potential this thing has.

Reading books (huh, well, any book has this feature, right?)
Editing book which is allowed to be edited.
Writing you school work, and allowing a teacher to test it.
Chat with friends.
Surf the web.
Compose music
Play
Imagine and do your own.

So, I think, if the child is about to learn something new and exciting - she will. And all you grownups computer whiz-es, who can't figure out the interface -thats not the problem for them. For them its a game.

3. Applications

So, as much as what I said about GUI, I have to say about applications chosen.

First, let me tell you about an OS chosen.

It is Linux OS, based on Fedora Core (GNU/Linux for you zealots). If someone asks why wasn't Windows/Apple OS X chosen - it is very simple. It is not about money. It is not about technology (almost). Its not about politics.

It's about choice.

When you choose a Linux to build your product upon, you have the fullest control possible over final product, both technologically speaking and IP-(intellectual property) speaking. I mean, it is so easy to develop product, when you can change every bit of it for your liking. It is not possible with Windows/OS X.

Besides, technology-wise, the improvements made to different subsystems which comprise the standard distributions (such as kernel, X, Gnome, etc) are to benefit us all.

Second, the applications.

If one would review again the list of requirement, she would understand, that apps she needs are as follows:

• IM (including text, voice and video)
• Browser
• Book reader (supporting standard formats, such as PDF/RTF/text)
• Games
• Music player
• Document writer

So - chat application (with text, voice and video), browser based on xulrunner, reader (evince), games, music app and doc writer (abiword) - that is actually everything required for this work.

There are more.

But no scientific calculator (though it might be useful for older than 7 y.o kids). No shooter games.
Just tetris :-)

Now, to the rest of things.

• I like that OLPC has a screen, that can be read at direct sunlight. If it's for reading books, what else would you need?
• I like that OLPC will have longer work time than most other laptops out there.
• I like that it can be put to sleep in few seconds. I like that it can be awaken in few seconds.
• I like that it weights about 1.5kg
  
• I like that it has an alternative power source. It means that I'd never have to worry about power outlets around me.
  

So, all those comparing OLPC to conventional computer systems, are not comparing it to the comparable one. They expect OLPC to behave like a conventional computer system, and when it fails to comply they say all these negative things, such as its "stupid" or "unnecessary" or "why, oh God, you didn't put full fledged system on this laptop?".

All this because comparisons are basically flawed. They all compare OLPC to something it is not really made to be comparable with. One should try and compare it to something better for reaching that goal.

Try a printed book.