Reply
Thread Tools
barry99705's Avatar
Posts: 641 | Thanked: 27 times | Joined on Apr 2007
#11
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.
__________________
Just because you are online, doesn't mean you don't have to form a full sentence.


SEARCH! It's probably already been answered.
 
Posts: 334 | Thanked: 55 times | Joined on Aug 2007 @ Eastern Ontario, Canada
#12
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.
 
Posts: 833 | Thanked: 124 times | Joined on Nov 2007 @ Based in the USA
#13
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/
__________________
N810, iGo bt kb, Diablo, 10Gb storage onboard instead of a Thinkpad
OTG w/ unlimited storage!!
Put a penguin in your pocket!!
PLEASE use the Wiki
 
Texrat's Avatar
Posts: 11,700 | Thanked: 10,045 times | Joined on Jun 2006 @ North Texas, USA
#14
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
__________________
Nokia Developer Champion
Different <> Wrong | Listen - Judgment = Progress | People + Trust = Success
My personal site: http://texrat.net
 
Posts: 77 | Thanked: 53 times | Joined on Dec 2007 @ Chester, CA
#15
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.
 
Texrat's Avatar
Posts: 11,700 | Thanked: 10,045 times | Joined on Jun 2006 @ North Texas, USA
#16
There is no call for insulting posts like yours, eleseur. You've been reported.
__________________
Nokia Developer Champion
Different <> Wrong | Listen - Judgment = Progress | People + Trust = Success
My personal site: http://texrat.net
 
Posts: 7 | Thanked: 3 times | Joined on Mar 2006
#17
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.
 

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to alaska770 For This Useful Post:
Texrat's Avatar
Posts: 11,700 | Thanked: 10,045 times | Joined on Jun 2006 @ North Texas, USA
#18
Well put, Alaska.
__________________
Nokia Developer Champion
Different <> Wrong | Listen - Judgment = Progress | People + Trust = Success
My personal site: http://texrat.net
 
barry99705's Avatar
Posts: 641 | Thanked: 27 times | Joined on Apr 2007
#19
Originally Posted by alaska770 View Post
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.

Hmmm, must be in a different town.
__________________
Just because you are online, doesn't mean you don't have to form a full sentence.


SEARCH! It's probably already been answered.
 
Posts: 833 | Thanked: 124 times | Joined on Nov 2007 @ Based in the USA
#20
Originally Posted by eleseur View Post
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.
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.
__________________
N810, iGo bt kb, Diablo, 10Gb storage onboard instead of a Thinkpad
OTG w/ unlimited storage!!
Put a penguin in your pocket!!
PLEASE use the Wiki
 
Reply


 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 12:48.