Re: [SLUG] First Aol Computer

From: Matt (matthew@textbox.net)
Date: Tue Nov 12 2002 - 03:45:07 EST


This would actually be AOL's second deal with a linux powered device.
The first one was an internet device (quite nice btw) sold by Gateway
called the Gateway Connected Touchpad. 400MHz Transmeta CPU, 64MB RAM,
32MB CF, 56k+NIC, 2 USB - over all it was really nice hardware-wise.
AOL/Gateway pulled it from the shelves after a watchdog group I was
working with went public with their GPL violations. The orignal copy of
the extracted client can be found at sf.net/projects/textbox and
pictured of the device internals over at free.freespeech.org/cotn/gct

I'll give AOL a little credit with the hardware used, if you can find a
Touchpad on eBay or online they make great eMail/www/MP3 terminals. The
speakers can sound a little "tinny" with streaming internet audio but
sound great playing files local or via smb.

Do I want to see low costing linux solutions in new computer users
homes? Very much so. I thought it was pretty cool to see WalMart offer
MicroTel computers loaded with a _few_ different distros or none at all
even.

As a side note, I feel your Software Spectrum pains. I served a year and
a half there and pretty much has my fill when I was training a class and
was reprimanded for advising that agents offer solutions other then do
the first two things in Sherlock then dump the call to Member Benefits.
There is no such thing as ethical work there, so try not to get too
frustrated...

--
Matt
Textbox Networks

On Tue, 2002-11-12 at 00:53, bpreece1@tampabay.rr.com wrote:
> Hey folks,
> Though I am by no means a AOL fan and now especially since I now do tech
> Support for their DSL users
> one of the Guys training us brought this to my attention and they are very
> anxious on this http://www.msnbc.com/news/813350.asp?cp1=1
>
> It seems that AOL and Lindows is trying to strike a deal. To make the
> Walmart $299.00 PC and Load it with AOL settings. This may help the
> popularity take off how ever if the Xandros Distro is as good as Tina
> Gasperson wrote about then Perhaps they should look into that instead being
> loaded on the Wal-Mart Pc's
> Then they make a huge move forward to strike up more interest.
>
> I was trying to see if there was a write up on the Lindows AOL stuff on
> Newsforge but the search was down.
> Sorry if I am late to this news and if it may have already been covered.
>
> Any ways where I just started at they want to test some other Linux stuff
> this could be interesting.
>
> We will see.
>
>
>
>
>

-- 
Matthew
Textbox Networks
matthew@textbox.net



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