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Internet Café Invaded by Linux Desktop

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A while ago, I was in an Internet café at a tiny mall here in Bohol for a quick check at my Email. The place has around 40-50 desktop computers with decent tech specs and with LCD monitors. I've been there before and have noticed that most of their machines ran in Windows, while a few ran in Mac OS X. Linux was nowhere to be found.

But today is different. I saw a monitor displaying brownish desktop wallpaper that made me smile. Yes, it's definitely Ubuntu. I later found out that they have installed Ubuntu in about 10 of their PC's.

I then picked a computer to use, and of course selected a Linux one. To start using the PC, you have to insert (like a jukebox) a 5-peso coin that would be good for 10 minutes.


I learned that they are using Ubuntu "Hardy Heron" with the still buggy Beta version of Firefox 3, so I hope their technicians will do an update as soon as possible. Anyway, I think Hardy is pretty much stable with their hardware, and there were no other major annoyances that I have encountered. I just hope a lot of people will notice how speedy Linux is compared to Windows.

There's a pretty cool scene at my side. I saw 3 girls that were busy working with probably their school projects in an Ubuntu desktop.

I took a photo (not of the girls) but of my display so that you will believe me that I'm actually using Linux (hehe). I used my phone's camera so please bear with me if it's a bit blurry:


If you're still not convinced, the Internet café is located at the topmost floor of BQ Mall in Tagbilaran City, and its name is Megabyte :-)

You may ask why I'm happy about this recent experience. ---Well, I really want Linux to succeed, and seeing it now being used in a Windows-dominated Internet café business is a telltale sign that the Linux desktop is geared up for the mainstream crowd. So, cheers to that!

MattBD #
I'd say that Linux is well suited to use in an Internet cafe, especially Ubuntu. The Linux Terminal Server Project is used in Edubuntu and is available in Ubuntu, and that would be ideal as it would mean you could use old hardware as the thin clients, and would only need to update the install on the server.
Anonymous #
ibang klaseng cafe :D parang sa arcade. maghuhulog ng coins.. hehe.. at astig may linux din.. waaaaa dito puro windows karamihan.. tapos naka IE pa.. T__T
Anonymous #
We also have some PCs here in Lipa that have Ubuntu 8.04 on it. However, you mentioned that there are PCs that have OSX on it? Hmmm .. using kalyway, iDeneb, uphuck? Did you manage to browse those PCs to check them out? Maybe they are authentic mac-minis I suppose. Great post by the way! It's really great news that people are considering using Linux nowadays!
Jun #
@Mattbd: That's true. Linux can be deployed with less hassles and without cost.

@Jehzeel Laurente: hehee IE 6 pa kadalasan.

@Anonymous: Thanks.

That's good to hear. Yes they have Mac here, probably Mac Mini. I'm not sure because it's enclosed but I'm sure it's a Mac using an older version of OS X.
Anonymous #
thats great news. I was also an internet cafe owner before and it was so hard to deviate from the status quo without affecting my little shop's sales. that is good start..hopefully more cafe will realize that this is a cost effected solution! More power to them.
Anonymous #
Good news. Expect to see more businesses using Linux to cut expenses during this economic crisis.
Anonymous #
Wish I could see other computers with Linux. Here in the States, I've still never, in my entire life, seen a computer running anything other that Windows or Mac OS, and I've never met anyone who knew much about Linux. Linux is perfectly suited, especially Ubuntu, to be used anywhere, but most of my friends are on Windows or OS X, and at school (I'm still in high school) we have literally hundreds of Mac's with OS X. My school's IT people still haven't realized that they have spent literally hundreds of thousands of dollars on new Mac hardware and software (every time a new version of OS X comes out, they buy it and put it on every single computer in the building), as well as spending even more on Microsoft Office for Mac. While I still love Macs, Ubuntu (and Linux in general) is still better than anything else that you could pay for.

Of coarse, it is a school, so it's pretty much saved from this economic crisis, but there's no way that Linux could do anything bad. Still, trying to get a network together is easier on Edubuntu is easier, and much cheaper, than an OS X Server, but people have little trust in products that are free (except Wikipedia, which some people at my school worship).

In general, geographically, I'm in my own little Linux island here in North New Jersey, surrounded completely by Windows and OS X.
Anonymous #
I know the place, and didn't see Ubuntu a year ago, but am happy. I have been advising people in Bohol to run Linux for years, and with the increased push to use only legal software, this may see many followers. Note that 5 pesos is 10 cents US, so internet access costs about 1 cent per minute, and competition is pretty tough.
Anonymous #
Your mentioning of the school girls using the Ubuntu desktop beside you reminded me of this story (http://www.linuxworld.com/news/2008/012908-23000-linux-pcs-forge-education.html) making the news earlier this year. It may explain why they either made for that machine when spying it, and/or felt quite at home using it.
Anonymous #
Seen this?

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=621320
Anonymous #
You might want to look at this site here. This might be of help to you and all you believers out there.

http://pinoygeek.org/forum/index.php/topic,703.0.html

Its kinda long cause its all contained in one long notes of what I encountered along the way. It basically highlights some of the games I installed on my Ubuntu machine. Maybe you can add more to it.

Would appreciate that very much.
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