Woohoo! This is excellent news!! Sent from my iPhone Caroline Meeks 617-395-7966
On Oct 25, 2009, at 5:27 PM, Sean DALY <sdaly...@gmail.com> wrote: > one of those happy (for me) occasions I can say I told y'all so: > > Microsoft unwraps netbook Windows 7 upgrade tool > http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=8D089C46-1A64-6A71-CE5E2B4B5BE26477 > > "Microsoft has released a tool that lets netbook owners install > Windows 7 on their machines using a USB flash drive, sidestepping the > usual requirement of a DVD drive... The utility, Windows 7 USB/DVD > Download Tool, creates a bootable flash drive from a downloaded .iso > file, or disk image, of Windows 7, and can be purchased from > Microsoft's online store." > > MS announcement: > http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windows7/archive/2009/10/22/windows-7-arrives-today-with-new-offers-new-pcs-and-more.aspx > > "The Microsoft Store will be providing a tool called the Windows 7 > USB/DVD Download Tool (rolls right off the tongue doesn’t it?) – > or > WUDT for short. For netbook users without DVD drives, the WUDT will > take an ISO image and create a bootable USB device that can be used to > install Windows 7. The WUDT can also create a Windows 7 installation > DVD from the ISO file as well." > > For my part, I think "LiveUSB Creator" sounds a lot more professional > than "WUDT" :D > > This is fabulous news, because there is now incentive for every OEM, > tech site, blogger, etc. to describe how to set BIOS to boot from > USB!! > > Such instructions will become easily googlable, lowering the barrier > for booting Sugar on a Stick (or indeed any liveUSB system) > > Sean > > > > On Sat, Oct 10, 2009 at 7:14 PM, David Farning > <dfarn...@sugarlabs.org> wrote: >> On Sat, Oct 10, 2009 at 5:18 AM, Sean DALY <sdaly...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >>> This list from early 2008 is way out of date... for OLPC, they are >>> off >>> by a million machines or so :D >>> >>> Nevertheless, it is useful, thanks Tim >>> >>> I agree that any OEM deal will raise Sugar's profile immensely. >>> However, seeing OEMs is time and travel intensive, difficult with >>> our >>> limited resources. I should add that as we are dependent on an >>> underlying distro, all of which have encountered difficulties inking >>> OEM deals. >>> >>> It's my belief that the most promising OEM deals with GNU/Linux >>> distros and "Sugar on top" will happen over non-x86 processor >>> architectures such as ARM - in other words, on machines which can't >>> run Windows. This is how EeePC started the retail netbook craze; >>> Windows couldn't run on the lowest-end netbooks, and even where they >>> could, they didn't wish to be price-squeezed at the bottom of the >>> market. Their response has been to pressure OEMs to beef up netbook >>> specs and drop GNU/Linux distros, to rename netbooks as "ULCPCs" (a >>> total failure), and to insure that Windows 7 will be technically >>> able >>> to run on netbooks. They are claiming this for the launch later this >>> month, but what's missing is how they intend to ease the upgrade >>> path >>> from Windows XP (wipe and install necessary) on machines with no >>> optical drives. Is online update of the whole OS an option? Or >>> requiring price-conscious netbook owners to buy an external optical >>> drive just for the upgrade? I myself believe the rumors that there >>> will be a Windows USB stick SKU, possibly with a tool for saving and >>> reinstalling WinXP data. None of the major tech journalists >>> following >>> Microsoft are talking about this problem which leads me to believe >>> they have been briefed on Microsoft's plans under embargo. >>> >>> Our approach up to now has been to establish our identity parallel >>> to >>> but separate from OLPC, in order to minimize the impact of their bad >>> press, while at the same time supporting OLPC as our primary >>> installed >>> base. OEM deciders need to know about us - Mike Lee mentioned how at >>> NECC in Washington DC a few months back, he showed Sugar on a Stick >>> running on an EeePC to a surprised Asus executive - so we work on >>> raising our public profile and building a meme that "Sugar runs on >>> everything". Press launches raise buzz and the news reaches NGOs >>> too. >>> We are also planning promotional work to NGOs with the FSF. >>> >>> Concretely, what this means is I try to add the names of OEM execs >>> to >>> our press mailing list, and we are making efforts to be present at >>> education tech shows and conferences where OEMs can see us. >>> >>> How do you think we could better reach OEMs? There is of course >>> working the phones, which David and Walter do a lot of. >>> >>> Finally, there is the community aspect. OEMs will take risks >>> choosing >>> any GNU/Linux distro and for a Sugar-branded machine in particular. >>> They want to know that our community is vibrant, growing, active in >>> the distro ecosystem, and well-governed. >> >> Sean is spot on with this assessment. OEMs are not particularly >> concerned with the sugar product. They are interested in the Sugar >> Labs project. If they just want Sugar, they can fork it. The value >> for an OEM comes from being able to build a competitive product on >> top >> of the 'output' from Sugar Labs. >> >> As an example, 10 years ago there were dozens of kernels and >> operating >> systems for embedded devices. Now we are down to a handful. The >> quality of the remaining kernels and operating systems is good enough >> that it is seldom worthwhile for a embedded device manufacture to >> roll >> their own. >> >> Embedded device manufactures collaboratively develop Linux while >> competing by selling devices which run Linux. >> >> The relationship between Sugar Labs and OLPC is a case study in the >> nature of a relationship between sugar Labs and any other OEM. OLPC >> (or other OEMs) must: >> 1. Build the hardware. >> 2. Pick sugar over (or in addition to) other learning platforms. >> 3. Pick a Linux distribution. >> 4. Combine Sugar with a standard Linux distribution to run on their >> hardware. >> 5. Optimize the standard Sugar/distribution for their hardware. >> 6. Sell the hardware/distribution/sugar 'product.' >> 7. Support the hardware/distribution/sugar 'product.' >> 8. Generate enough Return On Investment to make it cost effective to >> repeat steps 1-7. >> >> An interesting note is that from an operations point of view, SoaS is >> very similar to a 'normal' OEM relationship. But in this case the >> hardware is a USB memory stick which runs on other systems. >> >> david >> > _______________________________________________ > SoaS mailing list > s...@lists.sugarlabs.org > http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/soas _______________________________________________ Marketing mailing list Marketing@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/marketing
