Re: GNOME now

[Chris Leonard <cjlhomeaddress gmail com>]

On Wed, Nov 28, 2012 at 3:06 PM, Richard Stallman <rms gnu org> wrote:

> This is especially true given that there is NO tablet that can run a
> completely free operating system.  Only desktop and laptop machines
> can do that.  Thus, those of us who want to live in freedom need to
> avoid tablets.

The upcoming OLPC XO-4 still has a laptop form factor (casework
more-or-less indistinguishable from all previous XO models) with a
touchscreen.  Given it's hinged and pivoting segment design, it might
be placed in the "transformer" category as an e-book mode hiding the
physical keyboard is only a few twists and folds away.  Sugar Labs is
pushing to leverage all of the touch UI capabilities introduced in
GTK3 along with the Maliit OSK framework (LGPL) which survives from
Meego, in support of our major "distributor" at OLPC.

Of course, all of this work is free software and there are ongoing
investigations into customizing kernels and other adaptations needed
to run Sugar on other ARM tablets, because Sugar is not just for OLPC
anymore.

AFAICT, beyond that (and depending upon demand to actually ship) is
OLPC's XO-4 Touch, which would be a purely tablet form factor.  The
beauty of that will be the complete freedom from the tyranny of
physical silkscreening to achieve full i18n/L10n.

> GNOME must not abandon the desktop and laptop machines,
> must not consign them prematurely to the dustbin of history.

Nor should we fear facing the future.  Operating on ARM processors
providing a rich user and developer experience via touch interface
with on-screen keyboards are much needed to continue the placement
free software stacks (all the way down to Open Firmware) in the hands
of children over the world.


cjl
Sugar Labs Translation Team Coordinator