Five days with the Classmate PC and Mandriva

I can't get over the feeling that, while the Classmate is a nice product by itself, reading this article it just compares really badly with the OLPC. The classmate has all the benefits and drawbacks a regular Linux PC has for Linux newbies. While that's usually no problem in the western world (lots of people know Linux. Wired internet is everywhere and cheap) it can lead to some trouble in the intended markets.

I think people are the same all over the planet. Given the chance, they can and will learn all about Linux and how to run it. We are talking using Linux in an educational setting where people are supposed to be learning new things. Like all kids, these students are highly motivated and curios -- a great combination for learning Linux.

I find the OLPC folks to be incredibly arrogant, wanting to become the Microsoft of the third world by forcing their top-down approach and attacking anyone who disagrees with them. The most arrogant thing about OLPC is that it is running a locked-down, crippled version of Linux which is rigged to allow the government to shut down individual units at the hardware level, on-demand. Of course, we all know the governments won't abuse this technology by using the serial number to track political dissidents or to control what people say... ;)

With all its shortcomings, at least the Classmate allows the user the choice of running any OS they want, not just a crippled, locked-down one that can be tracked by Big Brother.

What message are we sending to children by forcing them to use a DRM'd PC like the OLPC unit?

I wish Intel luck as they compete with OLPC!