For any parent, myself included, setting your kids loose on the net is a daunting prospect. We have to do it because the net is a fact of life – it’s in our schools, the workplace, public libraries and in many if not most homes of the developed world. Therefore, do we really have any option but to give them Linux?When I first conceived this article I considered giving it the title “can we afford to let our kids use Windows online”. However, I felt that taking a positive tack would be more constructive. The fact is that these days security is paramount with kids surfing the net, exchanging emails and chatting online while still in primary school. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/dd>\n
- The Cost of running Windows<\/dt>\n
- Wal-Mart’s Cheap PC is only $199. It runs Linux. Oh, but if you want it with windows, that’s $298.<\/dd>\n
- Windows Is The Wrong System For the Security-Unconscious<\/a><\/dt>\n
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It’s one thing to make a computer easy to use, but if you’re going to do so, you must also make it secure. If you’re not going to develop a secure OS, then at least give more thought to your emphasis on “Ease of Use”.A dear old Aunt recently sent one of those stupid chain e-mails – you know the ones, “forward to as many people as possible” – simply because she agreed with the sentiments it expressed. What she obviously never gave thought to was that she just might be passing along a trojan horse to the rest of the family. When I responded that she might be jeopardizing other people’s computers, she got upset, responding that she only sent the e-mail because she agreed with it.She uses Windows. ….<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The rest of this story<\/a>, as you can imagine, is not pretty. <\/dd>\n
- Do Your Customers Hate Vista? Rip and Replace with a Twist<\/dt>\n
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So, you just delivered that new PC to your customer and gave them a quick tour of what’s new and then watched their eyes glaze over with confusion.After a few seconds, the questions start. Questions that should be easy to answer, but turn out not to be! Where is my start button? Where are my programs? What happened to the Menu in Internet Explorer? Why is the system constantly asking for my permission to do simple things? Why does my system take so long to boot? Now your eyes glaze over, not with confusion, but with frustration and you have to ask yourself: What did I do to deserve this?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
the rest of the story…<\/a><\/p>\n
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- Oh, and there’s this:<\/dt>\n
- Top-10 gift ideas for the Linux Gadget Geek<\/a> … (email me for my mailing address if you need to. The phone is nice.)<\/dd>\n
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Can we afford not to give our kids Linux? For any parent, myself included, setting your kids loose on the net is a daunting prospect. We have to do it because the net is a fact of life – it’s in our schools, the workplace, public libraries and in many if not most homes of … Continue reading Operating System Choices<\/span>