[SGVLUG] Chumby is Linux-based

[John E. Kreznar]

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"Emerson, Tom (*IC)" <Tom.Emerson at wbconsultant.com> writes:

> I hadn't even heard of a "chumby" until your post -- which of course
> interested me enough to look it up.

It's exciting to see yet another popular gadget come along which is
Linux-based.  Earlier there was the OLPC (One Laptop per Child).

> Owners of the boxes can, of course, modify things to their heart's
> content

Yeah, that's the appeal.  As the LA Weekly article said, "The device
is open-source, which means that anyone can write software for it."

A quarter-century ago, we hoped that the increasing popularity of
low-cost computers would lead to a general enlightenment.  Sadly, the
actual outcome was the reverse.  Natural human curiosity about the
potentials of the machine got blunted by a shroud of proprietary
software.  Today, we are all the victims.

Things like Chumby and OLPC might turn this around and poke through
this software illiteracy.  It's a good sign when even the popular
press is touting user-programmability as a virtue.

> ... are you "singing the praises" of this device ...?

Yep.  :)

- -- 
 John E. Kreznar jek at ininx.com 9F1148454619A5F08550 705961A47CC541AFEF13

              LINUX: Take back your computer!

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