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One of the biggest complaints many enthusiasts have with software, being Windows and MS Office notorious examples, is that it too bloated or excessively large. But is Linux, too, becoming “fat”? The pioneer behind the sub-$100 laptop seems to think that is the case. In designing his machine, Mr. Negropante of course has to focus on efficient software, and apparently Linux isn't going to cut it:

"People aren't thinking about small, fast, thin systems," said Nicholas Negroponte, chairman of the One Laptop Per Child nonprofit association, in a speech at the LinuxWorld Conference and Expo here. "Suddenly it's like a very fat person (who) uses most of the energy to move the fat. And Linux is no exception. Linux has gotten fat, too."
That's not to say there is not another motive behind this – after all, the machine will initially be running a modified version of Windows CE most likely. While the machine is certainly going to be a “light” box, consuming a minuscule 2 watts of power when active, being too light for Linux is certainly saying a lot. After all, the Linux kernel is used in thousands of embedded devices all around the world, from wireless radios to firewalls and more. It will be interesting to see how “light” the modified Windows CE will become.