On Fri, 27 Aug 1999 23:39:55 -0300, hammer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> This sketch could well be the core to develop some kind of
> "develoment model" of IT (&net &everything) access.
It's cost efficient, so it's indeed an ideal "development model"
for IT/educational-related urban projects in development countries
and such.
> The "cafe" model could as well be a "co-operative", and the LAN
> type connection to the one somewhat more powerful server needed,
> could as well be a dial-in type of local connectivity, right ?
Well, maybe. All you need is an TCP/IP X-Terminal emulator which
can connect to the server through PPP/SLIP. Thin client packet
traffic is somewhat like telnet or IRC -- relatively high traffic,
consisting mainly of small packets. Most likely will be a lot
slower than directly via LAN, but possible.
Alternatively, perhaps someone could write a web interface for
X-Windows terminal. Using this and a HTTPd, any DOS browser
program could remotely access the server.
However, this approach definitely not advisable for countries
where local phone calls charged by minutes (the very reason why
this thread get started ;-) In this case, alternative
connectivity methods probably would be better:
* The plain old coax (digital, short distance)
* Intercom modem (also via cable, but audio-modulated, so could
reach longer distance)
* Radio modem or WaveLAN
* Infrared or LASER modem
* Another alternative connectivity methods that could bypass
telco network.
> Would I be wrong to perceive of that as a higher form of the "shell
> account" pattern which worked quite well (not so much seen under a
> technical but foremost organisational/economical angle: eg., the
> Univ type of "communities"/LANs) until that got outflanked by
> commercialisation through the push into individual-elitist, high-
> power (and high cost) "personal" 'puter + commercial ISP
> (subscription and/or advertising bonded such) ?
Basically an X-terminal is just a dumb terminal, only graphically.
It's only act as user interface device, while the actual applications
run on the server. That's why a powerful server is required.
BTW, did you know that Windows NT/2000 also using this monolithic
user interface method? Try open task manager and kill "explorer.exe"
process, then see what happens ;-) You could recover by starting
explorer again from Win32 directory. In fact, there are some ROM-
based WinNT thin client terminal already marketed -- a lot more
expensive than Linux-SurvPC approach off course.
> And a well-tied (and modular, extendable) "starter kit" for the
> (co-op) "members" each using/needing only "small" resources (at
> least for to start with) could get it rolling.
There should be a TCP/IP X-Terminal emulator somewhere. All needed
is this program and a tiny Linux distribution (the later already
discussed before). But for 286s and below, probably we should wait
for the ELKS project, or wrote a 16-bit DOS port of that X-Terminal
emulator.
> In fact, this could form *the* alternative to hardware-softbloat-
> overpushed, over-"innovated", M$NT-monopolised-type of (ripp-off)
> ISPs, and would be highly economical and *use*-profitable for
> anyone taking part. *And* it could be that from the 1-server-
> plus-1-user to any a (1+n) users situation.
Definitely yes <g>. IMHO, it's OK to have IT trends goes that way,
but only if the country's GNP high enough to support it. In fact,
this situation fueled further IT developments, resulting cycles of
mass older hardware overstock which usually occurs each 2 years or
so (when people forced to upgrade their hardware to run newer/bloater
OS and apps).
> And for instance, it could be a counter-model to the heavily
> (foreign/imported, heavily) "equipment"-depending model of
> "telecentres" which they discuss in some of the African
> "(IT-)development policy" groups and threads.
Yes, but you still need a bunch of SurvPCs for this model. That's
why I asked before about the possibility of exporting surplus
older hardware from the US (and other advanced countries which
have older hardware overstock) to development countries.
While the individualist-elitist methods are more suitable for
countries with high GNP, the same will leads into exclusiveness
of IT to smaller group of wealthier people when applied in less
fortunate countries. Information and better education means
power, so in long run, this might create larger and larger gap
between the poor majority and the have.
> // Heimo Claasen // <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> // Brussels 1999-08-27
> HomePage of ReRead - and much to read ==> http://www.inti.be/hammer
PS- To new posters on this list, please trim/delete unnecessary
quotes when replied. Scroll way down first before sending,
you might have the entire original post quoted there ;)
--Eko
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