Re [Oberon] An Alternative to Microsoft Gains Support in High Places

[cglur at onwe.co.za]

Doug wrote:

> I attach an article that appeared today in the New York Times
> that *may* have bearing on Bluebottle and Native.  At least
> alterntives to Microsoft are being considered.

This is vitally important to us:
-  hiding in the shadow of linux, gives some protection against MS.
     (any computer device or service I buy is "in terms of Winxy").
-  linux code being open can be copied (or used for ideas). eg. for
     new hardware drivers.    Tapping into a big brain-population.
-  apart fom the technical, the (more slippery) socio/psychological
     aspects of open, collaborative efforts are being pioneered by linux;
     from which we can learn.   Also what NOT to do.
- it's nice to be able to re-confirm that native oberon is faster, smaller
     easier....


> Yet Mr. Jiang also spoke glowingly of Microsoft's involvement in China. The
> company set up a research laboratory in Beijing and recently made a 
> commitment to invest $700 million in China over the next three years in
> education, training and research, and in investments in local companies.

Yes, giving free software to schools is a great move:
1. the marginal cost is near zero
2. build another generation that thinks computer is spelled
     m i c r o s o f t.

Same principle as giving narcotics to the youth.  A sure winner.

Some of you might know of my (so far futile) effort to spread 
n-o to ex-soviet societies, to tap into the ample brain power,
by using the mass of redundant/scrap PCs in the G7 countries.

The Russians have a 'smart-arse' attitude to life - "if it's not 
expensive, it's not good"; which I think the south asians don't 
suffer from.   When I was in India, Sri lanka in 1985, I correctly
predicted that is would be ideal for a software factory - obvious.

Especially since it's so easy to make any character fonts, I imagine
that for any left to right script (arabic is right to left), a few scrap
PCs to some bright, keen Indian kids for experimenting with n-o 
could escalate like a forrest fire.

Do any of us still remember the early PC revolution: wiring pcbs
and chips ?   Not the whole world is driven by the McDonald,
Microsoft, Disney model - yet.


-- Chris Glur.