Advocacy - Was: Re: Window dressings - a maddog story (Was: Any Opinions on SuSE 10.0 vs other Distros)

[Bill McGonigle]

On Dec 22, 2005, at 12:16, Brian Chabot wrote:

>  When they're done checking their
> Yahoo mail or LJ or whatever, I ask if they had any trouble using it.
> They look at me strange... and then I let them know they just used 
> Linux
> and it obviously wasn't as difficult as they may have thought.

That's a good story.  I was just reading about the new X.org X11 
release and one of the features buried down at position #87 in the 
release notes is 'multiseat capability'.  Apparently HP/UX has had this 
for a while, but it was harder on linux/PC.  Roughly, you put in n 
video cards/ports, hook up n/monitors and keyboard/mouse combinations 
and let n users work off of the same computer.  Given spare CPU 
capacity (say, with a dual-core chip) you add users for the cost of a 
RAM stick.  With dual-head cards you ought to be able to server a dozen 
'cafe stations' off of one 'server-class' computer.

Sounds like an 'Internet Cafe in a Box' to me for someone sufficiently 
motivated to market such a product.

Now there's a significant linux benefit.

-Bill

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