In an effort to extend their reach and make their name better known, Sugar Labs, the developers of the open-source platform originally designed for the XO-1 laptop will soon make the software available in an entirely new format. Nicknamed “Sugar on a Stick,” the software package is being released for 1GB USB flash drives, so that any PC can turn into a fully-functional educational desktop.

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"so that any PC can turn into a fully-functional educational desktop. "
So is this company making a linux based OS on a 1gb flash drive for educational purposes? I think a computer with xp, vista, or OSX probably has more opportunity...?

"Based on Fedora, Sugar on a Stick comes well after Sugar Labs split off from OLPC, and represents a part of their effort to get computing into the hands of everyone in the world."
Again, I assume everyone with a computer doesn't need an extra operation system...?

hellokitty is right, macosx or xp has better potential.

plus linux is gay,

that simple, its not going to go mainstream.

it trys and trys, but its not happening.

I'm sorry but Linux on a USB stick just isn't that unique. All you would have to do is install Ubuntu on a USB stick and that's pretty much it! there are heaps of guides on how to do it.

That "aging or obsolete hardware" must have ability to boot from USB, right ?

+1

It must have a USB, sure. But there's a lightweight floppy or CD image which just boots the USB, so you don't need the BIOS to know how to do that.

Looks like a lot of people are taking a narrow perspective on this.

Yes, you can run XP or whatever Windows flavor you want. But it is expensive and will not run well on an old PC. Mac? Waaaaay too expensive for may third world countries.

Linux? As long a there are some good educational programs, fine.

For older students needing basic keyboarding skills, something as simple as Puppy Linux runs without installing from a live CD. Free programs such as Abiword or Open Office can provide experience in writing and basic spreadsheet or presentation use. Kompozer can provide a very good start at web page design and Scribus can help create a newsletter or newspaper.

Most Linux distros can run from a USB stick, providing the PC BIOS allows booting from USB. But a $5 preset solution with software is a good deal, IMHO.

the article didn't mention "Linux on a stick", that was a presumption made by another computing snob.