Thank you, Francis, for extending an invitation to post on the Afrospear Freedom Technology Christmas blog. Now that the Christmas season has officially arrived, I will be posting more frequently on ideas that I have for making the most out of the gifts that Afrospear members and friends may be giving.
Here are a few ideas I have for Christmas gifts and gift complements of the Open Source variety. Expect more in the near future.
A laptop preloaded with Ubuntu Linux from Dell
Why a laptop with Linux installed rather than, say, Windows? There are several good reasons to consider Linux. The first is security and stability. Linux is less vulnerable to viruses. While it's true that virus writers don't attack Linux systems often due to it's small market share, Ubuntu is designed in a way that even if you do get a virus, the harm will be minimal. Of course, there are anti-virus and firewall programs for Linux as well, so you can always rest assured that your computer is at least more safe than a Windows machine.
Most Linux programs are open source and free. Installing programs is as easy as a mouse click, and to boot, you almost never have to restart your computer after installing a program, thus increasing your productivity. There is a Linux alternative to just about any Windows or Macintosh program you can imagine.
If you are buying for a child, there is a plethora of educational software available, all free of charge. Notably, there are the Edubuntu packages, which can be easily added to any Ubuntu installation.
Ok, so you're not ready to abandon Windows? That's cool.You can still compliment a new Windows computer or an existing one with all of the productivity software you need for a fraction of the cost.
For your Windows using relatives and friends - an OpenDisc CD.
It's loaded with productivity software. It's free. A great compliment to a new or existing computer.
A domain name.
Domain names are cheap. You can get one for ten dollars a year. You can give an aspiring blogger the domain name of their choice for two years for twenty bucks. For another ten a month, you can purchase a month of web hosting, and if you pay for a year in advance, you will end up paying significantly less. So, for under 100 dollars you can purchase a full year of blogging for someone. All they would have to do is install the Open Source Wordpress blogging software and they're ready to go.
While online services like Blogger, Wordpress, Typepad, etc., are all great, there are many benefits to owning and controlling your own site. Most importantly is that you own and control your site. There are no restrictions to what you can do with your blog (barring illegal activities, of course). If, for instance, the recipient of your gift is interested in podcasting, it is much easier to do on a site that they own and control than on a Blogger site. Once you own and control your own site, the possibilities become infinite.
Over the next few weeks, I plan on commenting on some of the ideas offered by the widgets on the sidebar here. If any readers have any questions about a particular product or technology, or want to know more about how to incorporate open source technology into their lives, please leave a comment letting me know and I'll respond in comments or write a post addressing it.
Happy Afrospear Freedom Technology Christmas!
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1 comment:
Kevin, thanks for posting about the best way to buy a laptop for your loved one this Christmas - with Linux software that makes it a snap to install free open source software, instead of spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on private software that isn't any better.
I have already started using open-source software by using the Mozilla Firefox browser as an interface to access the Internet. It resists viruses much better than the Microsoft alternative, and Mozilla (open source) has a lot of great functionalities that Internet Explorer doesn't offer.
Thanks again for helping to inform Black people and Happy AfroSpear Freedom Technology Christmas to you, as well!
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