Low Cost PCs for Underdeveloped Countries

It seems odd to me that underdeveloped countries are trying to get low cost PCs when terminals like WYSE, or something custom with the cool new Acme Fox processor can be achieved far more easily. They also have lower power consumptions, no moving parts, and have many other advantages over regular PCs. If you connect WiMAX (or something comparable) wireless technology with this and have a central server room on UPSes, solar augmentation, and regular line power, you could really have something. Or swap out the WiMAX (or something comparable) with satellite communication. So this is what I see to be the future for computing in underdeveloped countries and communities around the world -- labs filled with terminals.

Even MS Used Open Licensing To Their Favor

So evidently this report shows that MS wants to slam the GPL license and the BSD license for software, but they themselves used it to create the TCP/IP stack on WinOS (starting with NT). Without that, MS probably wouldn't have had TCP/IP on WinOS as soon as they did and we'd probably still see too much NetBEUI traffic out there on our nets.

http://www.kuro5hin.org/?op=displaystory;sid=2001/6/19/05641/7357

http://www.microsoft.com/PressPass/features/2001/may01/05-03csm.asp

In fact, there's proof that they didn't rewrite pieces of the BSD code and used it as is inside their earlier TCP drivers!

Any Linux Hack Worth His Salt

Any Linux hack worth his salt should surely have this cute Tux PC sitting on his desk, if not for anything but bragging rights!

Someone took the Tux icon and molded a plastic case that can hold the new, tiny, FOX PC with embedded Linux on it.

Tux case posted at linuxdevices.com

PostgreSQL Emulating Oracle - Save Cash

If anyone touts Oracle to you ever again, consider this:

http://www.enterprisedb.com/

It's built with PostgreSQL for Linux (and another for Windows) and both are 100% free. You only pay for tech support.

So why is that exciting? Well, because you can load Oracle applications on it, that's why! Check this baby out:

http://www.enterprisedb.com/solutions/compatible.do

"...EnterpriseDB runs most applications written for Oracle unchanged, virtually eliminating the great expense and the risk of failure typically associated with technology migration. Enterprise-class features, including PL/SQL syntax, cursors, data types, triggers, stored procedures and views are the same in EnterpriseDB as they are in Oracle. Any Oracle developer or DBA can work with EnterpriseDB without retraining, and EnterpriseDB's tools will be immediately familiar to them. Of course, applications written for EnterpriseDB can also be run on an Oracle database at any time..."

Perhaps some potential downsides are:

* Company was founded in March 2004.
* Company shipped first product in May 2005.

Wallace Now Cowers Under A Rock

It appears in the GPL case in the courts by a Mr. Wallace, he has lost and the GPL has not only won, but it has been reinforced by winning the case. Hurray once more for the GPL.

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20060320201540127