On Sun, 2002-11-17 at 08:09, Ben Devine wrote: > Didn't you help make the terminator?
Sort of. I helped disuade DSE from using Lindows, and encouraged the choice of Mandrake. No harm in telling the whole story now, I guess. I also did independent QA and the last generation of modifications to the recovery disk and desktop configuration as part of my regular day job (I didn't set up the HAM modems but I did test them a bit). I introduced DSE and the New Zealand Open Source Society for their mutual benefit: I don't get a cut for this! It did put me in a very good position to write a short review of the product, which I will be paid for by PC World. I don't get to keep a Terminator or anything like that. The credit for actually making it belongs to Chris Day of DSE. He's very enthusiastic about Linux and has some promising ideas for new products. I hope to be involved with these, together with the NZOSS. The whole excercise is Dick Smith's first real introduction to Linux, and is making them much more aware of the requirements and benefits of the Linux community. You can look forward to seeing more thought towards Linux compatibility when DSE choose their products, for example; they'll be asking suppliers for a Linux driver. This is a Kiwi initiative, by the way, not an Australian-led one. I'm very positive about the Terminator, and I'm sure you'll understand that I'm doing this on its merits as a Linux product. While you and I can go out and put something similar together at a slightly lower cost, the general public generally can't. The only way Linux is going to get adopted widely is when pre-installed PCs like the Terminator are sold by large retailers - though the Knoppix CD I got on PC World was a good start. I feel privileged to have been part of the start of this process. Vik :v)
