I just want to clarify the comment on ThinkPenguin systems as there are
several layers of reality to contend with as far as free software goes. There
isn't a perfect solution right now anywhere. We're all using some non-free
software. Some systems are better than others though as far as freedom goes
and you have to make a decision where you threshold is. You can choose not to
use any non-free software, but that probably means not using any technology
at all.
Everything that can be done is being done as far as free software goes on the
ThinkPenguin systems. Not everything can be free'd that said. That's the
reality of it. You have to get the cooperation of other companies and if you
can't your stuck. That's where things are right now. We're talking about
billions of dollars if you want to start designing everything from scratch so
it's just not going to happen that way.
What Gluglug did was utilize older laptops with fewer free software problems
and then worked around the problems that existed. Great. Unfortunately it is
a dead end and has some unfortunate side-effects both from a free software
side and a performance side. But in either event this is the best option for
a completely free system right now (or as close as it gets taking into
account all options).
The future is uncertain, but there may be some hope for Gluglug-like laptop
(ie less performance, etc), but designed off newer non-x86 tech (ie built off
other technology more from the ground up, what Todd *should* have done if he
had actually cared about free software).
