I also was at Open Tech yesterday at popped into the Computer Fair.
Just to clarify - the Computer Fair is the one that used to take place in
Tottenham Court Road.
Apparently the building on TCR they used to be in is to be demolished - so they
have now moved the fair to be every Saturday on the first and second floors of
ULU
http://www.ulu.co.uk/
Agree with the points Martin is making.
--
Tony Scott
http://tonyscott.org.uk | http://twitter.com/tonys |
http://2011.portsmouth.wordcampuk.org | http://lpd.bectu.com |
http://orangecoconut.com
>________________________________
>From: Martin Houston <[email protected]>
>To: [email protected]
>Sent: Sunday, 22 May 2011, 11:28
>Subject: [ubuntu-uk] Race Online 2012 - lets give EVERYONE buying a second
>user PC a chance to try Linux.
>
>
>I was at OpenTech yesterday and there was a massive computer fair going on at
>ULU at the same time.
>There were many people selling ex corporate PCs (mostly Dells and
HPs) for prices that looked better value than the Race Online
Scheme!
>
>A typical example was a dual core desktop with 1G ram and 80G hard
disk for 79 quid with flat screen monitors going for 30-40 quid on
top of this.
>
>Yes no delivery, no after sales support but a lot more computer for
the money!
>All these machines came with a basic install of XP only. I asked one
of the vendors why they did not offer Linux as well. He was
interested in the prospect of appealing to a wider audience with his
reconed PCs. I found out that the image the fresh XP install onto
PCs over the gigabit network that is standard in ex business PCs of
the age that are available at the moment.
>
>He said that getting a fresh XP image onto a pepurposed machine this
way takes just 4 minutes!
>
>As the minimum hard disk in the reconditioning marketplace is 40G
with 80G and above more common I suggested to him that if 20% of
that disk was given over to letting people try Linux there would be
no real downside, Linux can access the XP partition so if people
have music etc on it it can be played. If people really truly did
not want Linux they have an extra drive letter they can use (when
they get around to needing that last 20% of the disk). On the other
side of the coin it would be no real hassle to axe the XP either.
>
>Microsoft is clearly going to want to put a lid on free thinking
like this so we need to start a public clamour for it so they can't
stop their 'Authorized Refurbishers' form giving into public demand.
>
>The hard disks in the Race Online PCs are all 80G at least so why is
dual booting not an option there as standard. Why are people being
forced to choose before they know anything?
>
>One good reason for dual booting is that if they manage to scramble
one of the OSes beyond use (no prizes guessing which one that is
likley to be) they still have the other one to be able to go online
and seek help.
>
>I know we have the Boot the Ubuntu CD option but that is that little
bit more complex and hard to explain to people they have to be
patient because the CD is slow.
>
>I am going to try to get the Guardian involved in running this as a
campaign. Why should anyone buying a reconditioned PC be denied the
chance to try Linux?- If it is only a matter of the right disk image
getting put on in minutes?
>
>--
>Deluxe Technology Ltd
>Linux Consultant
>[email protected]
>http://www.deluxe-tech.co.uk
>Mob: 07970 850961
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>https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
>
>
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