| Test drive a live Linux desktop on the web |
May 12, 2005
In an effort to raise awareness of Linux and other Open Source within government, corporate, and private sectors, the Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corp. has created a live, interactive online Linux demonstration. Thanks to unexpectedly high popularity among fellow Germans, the group has now translated the demo into English.
Notwithstanding the availability of screenshot tours and LiveCDs, Linux-curious computer users can now explore Linux at their leisure -- 24 hours a day, completely risk-free, and without installing or even inserting anything -- via the web.
The Open Source Demonstration Center is currently showcasing SuSE Linux 9.1 with KDE 3.2 (no surprises here). Like LiveCDs, the demonstration allows users to sample some typical applications available to Linux users, including Firefox, the OpenOffice suite, and The GIMP. (So, for example, you could use Firefox to access the site, then run the demo and start Firefox. We tried it -- it can get interesting!)
The Open Source Demonstration Center is part of the Open Source Stuttgart Region initiative, a two-year initiative determined to "help implement the free software idea in industry and public administration."
"We support the trend towards free software as it reduces costs to the users and offers small and medium IT service companies promising business opportunities", says Stuttgart Region EDC general manager Dr. Walter Rogg. "And since major drivers of the open source development like HP Germany, IBM Germany, and MySQL have their German headquarters in the Stuttgart region, it just makes a lot of business sense."
The pertinent details on accessing the demonstration are here. Linux and Mac users must find their way in through the FAQ. Try it -- it's easy and fun . . . and a bit weird!
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