French ISP hopes that Minitel 2.0 will be a Linux box

By Cory Doctorow at 6:12 am Tuesday, Apr 3

Thomas sez, "French ISP Neuf Cegetel just started offering Linux-based computers for mass consumer market. Taking inspiration from the Minitel [ed: France's old, wildly successful subsidised network terminals], they are aiming for those 49 percent of French households unwilling (not techie enough) or unable (not rich enough) to buy computers. They have developed a range of user interfaces, from the simple to more complex. I used the machine and it felt like a computer, despite costing only 10 euros (per month)."

"If one-third of the people in a building do not own a computer and see no reason to get broadband, it becomes a serious financial issue," Fogg said. "Some Internet companies have offered incentives for people to buy computers, but Neuf has taken it to the ultimate level in offering the computer themselves."

To Neuf, the issue came down to the difficulty that first-time computer users experience in dealing with Windows.

"Nearly 80 percent of all current customer calls relate to problems with Microsoft Windows," Charrier said. "We decided it was easier to build our own platform to limit potential problems."

"Our promise of customer service forced us to conceive everything from the consumer perspective in order to reduce calls," Charrier said. "This starts with the instruction book containing many photos, goes as far as the simplified computer interface and goes down to a redesign of the keyboard."

Link (Thanks, Thomas!)

(Photo thumbnail taken from a larger image by Richard Harbus for the International Herald Tribune))