Ncomputing: Sharing the power of a single computer

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Loved it, but...

I loved Ncomputing concept, it would really save our peoples a lot of money - I work in international education alternatives, especially geared to cooperate with developing nations, especially the poorest ones.

Having to spend limited resources for very expensive Microsoft software makes absolutely no sense in that context (besides that closed-source software is absurd when the goal is to help people help themselves), so I was very glad when I saw that Ncomputing advertized their stuff would run under Linux.

Well, as some other development schemes I've looked at, it just might, but not quite.

First, it was an incredible number of hoops I had to jump before they found me worthy to download their (proprietary) drivers for Linux. I actually had to request, and be approved, for a special permit from their people. Then, it turned out it required to use an already outdated version of Ubuntu.

By that time the X300 they had sent me on approval was running its 60-day trial clock, so by the time I had got everything, like an additional computer for the outdated Ubuntu, I had like a week left, so I decided it really was not worth even trying. I mean, even if it worked, from the point of view of a developing nation user, going through all that application process really made no sense, and even if people in need actually got the thing up and running, my experience with Ncomputing's support side established that maybe this company is getting too successful for their own good, answers were hard to get, people I spoke with were no longer available. These situations, when the best you have is dial-up, as many of our partners do, would be totally frustrating if anything ever went wrong.

I know of a small deployment of X300s in Bolivia, on Windows. I do not know if their software is legal or pirated, but I know very well that to be legal it would have had to be donated to them, I know those people personally, they wouldn't be able to afford it otherwise!

And that might be the problem. Unless you can access donated Windows, Ncomputing's solution is not more cost effective than free-standing desktops with Linux, or thin clients, or OLPC's XO.

I know that too many in need are rather cavalier about piracy, but from my standpoint as an educator, I cannot accept or condone pirated software because 1) it is stealing, in many of our countries the number one problem is corruption, we cannot pretend we are educating if we depend on stealing 2) it makes you dependent on Windows, so later, when you set up a business or whatever, you still have to pay Redmont's bloodmoney.

bottom line: Ncomputing using MS software doesn't save you money, and their Linux solution didn't work for me.

PD. They charged me for the X300, even though I had sent it back. Since August I am trying to get that sorted out - same story, nobody knows anything, they have changed their database, people I spoke with no longer there...

Posted by: Yamaplos   Posted on: 11/22/08 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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