thelinuxlink.net

So the Zonbu point is to make an internet-applicance / guest-computer / grandma computer PC.

There are 3 key factors:
- You can't break it
- All your data is online
- Is a monthly subscription

http://www.zonbu.com/home/index.htm

The problem is that it might be too expensive at 12dls a month for storage and you still need a monitor. $100 USD in total but you might need additional stuff for a CD/DVD burner, and other peripherals.

I watched their demo and read through some of the stuff on the main and developer site. I wonder how they are getting away with providing libdvdcss legally. I figure they must be paying someone, but is it possible to legally use that code? And if so, who do you pay?

Perhaps that is bundled in the initial $100 cost. The licensing for DVD and proprietary codecs and such.

It looks pertty cool, though, but I am not sure how many people are going to take them up on this offer, especially without a decent marketing campaign. Perhaps that is where they are going next, marketing to the masses, not the geeks.

I notice their angle are a eco-computer which is labeled as the first green computer. Which is an angle that hasn't been promoted much.

I think Zonbu is a excellent idea, but I look for it to be hacked to NOT need the service if it isn't already possible.

As for them using libdvdcss.....there IS a way to legally play DVD's on Linux without libdvdcss....you can use LinDVD.

http://www.intervideo.com/jsp/LinDVD.jsp

Yeah, Xine probably works better (as in I ain't forced to watch previews!).