No Windows!

[ Thanks to Mike Johnson for this link. ]

"There was just no way I was going to get my step daughter a Windows netbook for Christmas. No way, no how. I couldn't find a good way to articulate why, and so for a couple weeks I was just responding, "No Windows!" to my wife's questions. I hadn't expected it to be controversial but I did eventually have to explain myself.

"Even after disregarding all of the security issues and the lame attempts at fixing administrative access, it was mainly an issue of freedom. Windows is proprietary and I was determined that her first computer would be more educational than a dumb terminal for homework.

"I got my validation yesterday. Not more than an hour after she'd ripped off the gift wrap and screamed in delight, she was showing off a drawing in a program that I'd never seen before. I've been using Linux for ten years and she'd already managed to show me something new. She'd found it all on her own. (It sure wasn't me. The only time I'd been allowed to touch the netbook was to type the wireless password.)"

Complete Story

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