BarbieOS: Barbie switching to Linux

[conjur]

Barbie switching to Linux

"Making a bid for a piece of the emerging desktop Linux market, Mattel, Inc. announced the immediate availability of downloadable beta ISOs for BarbieOS 0.99, and said it hoped the final 1.0 retail version would be on store shelves in time for Christmas. The new OS was created by Mattel to power the upcoming revision of its popular B-Book line of laptops for girls between the ages of four and eleven. The original B-Book laptop, which ran a modified version of PalmOS, was a huge hit with consumers last holiday season, so much so that many stores had trouble keeping them in stock. This year, Mattel is upping the ante by making the B-Book into a full-fledged desktop replacement targeted specifically at toddler through preteen girls who are currently Windows users but may be seeking alternatives, possibly due to increasing licensing fees or out of a desire to break free of vendor lock-in.

"BarbieOS, based on Debian Linux, had been in private beta for more than six months prior to yesterday's public release. Initial reaction to the company's announcement has been mixed, as some analysts have claimed that the desktop Linuxmarket is already over-saturated given its current size, as other major players such as Lycoris Desktop/LX, Xandros Linux, and LindowsOS are already competing for the rather small percentage of home desktop users willing to try a non-Microsoft OS. Still, Mattel says it is confident of the potential of BarbieOS 1.0 to find a niche market of young girls under thirteen who are dissatisfied with current Microsoft offerings and are looking toward maybe asking mom and dad for a full-powered Linux laptop running BarbieOS this Christmas..."

Are pre-teen and teenage girls *that* concerned with licensing fees and vendor lock-in when Daddy buys the damn PC in the first place?!?! :confused

 

[djheater]

yeh, wierd.

Strangest marketing decision ev4r.

 

[atom]

I can just imagine it now, "Mommy, help me recompile the kernel!!!"

 

[damiano]

this is quite funny

 

[MercenaryForHire]

I'll have a McWTFWich, and supersize it.

- M4H

 

[Ameesh]

The linux fanyboys are insane what does a 4 year old care what OS she is using or how much the wendor had to pay to license it.

 

[PanzerIV]

Originally posted by: atom
I can just imagine it now, "Mommy, help me recompile the kernel!!!"

LOL. I honestly don't know any preteen girls who are going around telling me how unhappy they are with Microsoft's current licensing schemes. On the contrary they usually are discussing boys, music, clothes and how they are wearing their hair that day. This is one of those truth is stranger than fiction scenarios.

 

[alkemyst]

seriously targeting an OS at a popular toy line is smart....get them while they are young.

I don't know if BarbieOS is a joke or not, but the idea has merit....I pity the parents though.

 

[notfred]

That has to be a joke, here's some quotes from the "complete story":

This kind of attention to detail and thorough understanding of female limitations also shows in the step by step Barbie Wizards that guide girls through the process of partitioning their disks, formatting volumes, mounting Samba shares, and installing packages. During the installation, girls are allowed to play a fashion-plate game or view a slideshow of rainbows, kittens, and Mattel products.

Mattel has pledged to support and play fairly with the GPL and the Linux community, and has announced it will fully indemnify little girls from possible legal action pending the IBM-SCO decision set to go to trial in 2005.

BarbieOS 1.0 is the result of almost a year's worth of marketing research into what pre-adolescent girls want in a mobile Linux solution aimed at being a desktop replacement. The studies included human interface interaction, real-world usability, and rich media analysis to determine where the needs of girls are not being served by current Linux or Microsoft solutions.

 

[Savij]

The source of the story also has a link to an article titled "One Child Dead, 3 Wounded in Daycare Piracy Raid"

 

[gistech1978]

very strange.

 

[DaveSimmons]

"Most girls up through adult women become frightened and confused, often hysterical when presented with a traditional command prompt," Cesterino explained, "therefore the console program available through the B-Menu in BarbieOS features pink text on a flowered background so as to not intimidate or threaten females, and all windows are circular instead of the usual square, since most females unconsciously associate a circular shape with inclusiveness and the womb."

LOL, this is a great satire on the (sadly real) talking barbie "math is hard!" line.

 

[alkemyst]

I think the article presented a good idea at marketing.

Kids get underestimated a lot when it comes to PC's and Electronics...if there is a possibility to play it they will figure it out (that is until they discover porn and just need to hit 1-2 sites and be done with it).

If *NIX was to be developed targeting them, that would probably be what it takes to take them to the next level, if not now....in 5-10 years as these kids grow up and have their own businesses and what not.

Sure you can just theme XP or whatever other OS, but like clothes and do-dads, kids may want the REAL OS.

Å

 

[DurocShark]

One of the replies:

JaseP - Subject: It's not April Fools yet... ( Oct 24, 2003, 04:18:43 )
OK, who is reprinting joke articles???
This one circulated amoung the Linux savy about 2 weeks ago.

 

[SinfulWeeper]

LoL