Re: One laptop per child
 

It's cheaper to set up cell towers than string cable. That's one of the reasons for cells being more popular in 3rd world countries. At least that's what they told me in Oman.... I can tell you from first person experience, laptops don't teach kids anything other than getting around web filters, and that they don't make good dodge ball targets.

Re: One laptop per child
 

I suspect that it was probably a mistake to call it a 'laptop' because most of the critics have made the assumption that the OLPC XO is simply a cheaper version of a regular laptop - or if it isn't then it should be.

It really is nothing like a regular laptop, nor is the software much like the software on a laptop.

Perhaps the naysayers could take a longer look at the device and think outside of the laptop box. It could as well have been called 'One Library Per Child' or 'One Laboratory Per Child'.

Technically, I think that the OLPC XO contains some really interesting innovations that I hope can be migrated into our world. For example: the screen technology, the power management strategy, mesh networking, the physical robustness of the unit, its ease of field repair and the Sugar UI. Oh, and it is cheap to manufacture too.

Maybe it won't be successful for its intended purpose - I think and hope that it will be successful- but even if it fails we will all benefit from the innovations that the OLPC has made.

Re: One laptop per child
 

Just to keep it in the same thread -
There are some pics of the OLPC versus the N800 at:
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/conte...0252/173/1/16/

Re: One laptop per child
 

OLPC is enjoying sporadic success (see article linked below). I hope it does very well! Linux can use the exposure, and this device helps level the playing field for people traditionally relegated to a serving class.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/ptech/1....ap/index.html

Re: One laptop per child
 

you're very, very wrong on the price. they are $400, you get one, an african gets one. so you could get 2 n800's for the price of one xo laptop. get a clue.

Re: One laptop per child
 

There is no call for insulting posts like yours, eleseur. You've been reported.

Re: One laptop per child
 

I decided in November to buy an XO laptop through the "give 1 get 1" program and it arrived on Dec 15th. It's an interesting device. I have been parading it around town trying to drum up support for the project before the Dec 31st deadline. I have gotten about a dozen people to buy one for themselves or the child in their life. Few, if any, are Linuxheads or gadgeteers.

Adults seem to have problems with the Sugar interface (no "desktop", "windows", "folders" etc), but kids just focus on the activities and don't want to give the laptop back. The track pad is the only hardware problem (it needs recalibrating every so often but will be fixed in next firmware).

This is definitely not a consumer gadget, at least not without software modifications. I've installed Adobe Flash and Helix media player but for now I will leave the Sugar interface in place. My guess is that people will get other distros running on this very soon.

I bought a 770 two years ago ($350 + $50 MMC) because I thought it might be a cool, hackable device that ran Linux and I wanted to vote with my dollars to encourage development in that space, i.e. handheld tablets.

I bought an XO laptop ($400) because I thought it might be a cool, hackable device that ran Linux and I wanted to vote with my dollars to encourage development in that space, i.e. durable low-cost computing to help ease the global digital divide.

Re: One laptop per child
 

Well put, Alaska.

Re: One laptop per child
 

Hmmm, must be in a different town. :D

Re: One laptop per child
 

Truly in the giving spirit of Christmas!
Posts like this by peeps that do not know the facts are almost laughable.
When the thread was started the N800 was still way up in price. Even now it only occasionally drops to $200 or below.
Note also that there are tax implications for those of us who make enough to write things off, so the $200 donated laptop would likely put a much smaller dent in our pockets.