After much hard work, and some delay, we are pleased to bring your the second version of our popular Linux Desktop for Kids!
Special Thanks
First off, I'd like to thank Brian Hall for once again providing the amazing artwork that makes Qimo so special and appealing to children of all ages. I would also like to thank Jonathan Carter for patiently helping me learn how to create Ubuntu packages and get them uploaded into the official repositories (more on that below).
What's New
We have introduced a new character to Qimo, her name is Illa, a cute and cuddly little polar bear. Illa (pronounced 'ee-la') is an Inuit word that means "friend", and we know she'll find her way into the hearts of your kids. She also has her own wallpaper featuring the artic landscape at dusk, filled with hues of pink and purple with the Auroa Borealis shining in the sky. Choose from a variety of Qimo and Illa wallpapers to find the one that is just right for your child.
Have more than one child? With Qimo 2, they can each have their own user account! The Xubuntu session is still there too, so you can create an account for yourself as well.
If you are already running Ubuntu 10.04, there's no need do a fresh install to get Qimo. Now you can add the qimo-session package from the Universe repository using Apt-get or Synaptic and you'll get all of the games, artwork, and desktop session installed.
We have had one game change in version 2. Replacing eToys on the launcher is Laby, a very simple and easy game that will teach even the youngest aspiring programmer all the basics. Tested on an actual 5 year old, Laby has proven to be a very approachable and effective teaching tool that we hope will inspire a new generation of software developers.
Download
Our direct download mirrors are busy updating to the new release. If you can't get through to one of them, you can download it via Bittorrent. Our Download and Shop pages will be updated as we hear from our partners.
Torrent: http://www.quinncoincorporated.org/qimo-2.0-desktop.iso.torrent
MD5: fcc629f107e8ca8766b15bc6e5c32e5c
SHA1: 3e328b74b2eb9fcc179b2fa93afeccea55b59ca6
Direct downloads are available on our Download page!
Press
We have produced a collection of screenshots from Qimo 2.0, including the desktop, installation process, and each of the included games. Feel free to use these images when talking about our new release. Please contact info@qimo4kids.com for additional information or comments.
screenshot_tour.zip (5.19 mb)