The XO - OLPC

[guyjin]

The 'one laptop per child' computer seems to have finally arrived.

http://www.xogiving.org/

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/04/technology/circuits/04pogue.html?em&ex=1191643200&en=54a7e1d4ece85192&ei=5087%0A

the review makes it sound interesting to me - i need to get back into programming, and being able to rewrite programs as easily as they say you can sounds ideal. I'm willing to deal with the limitations, especially since I already have a DS for gaming.

Your thoughts?

[rolins]

I'm not, but it would be interesting to take one apart and see what sorts of mods you can apply to this thing. Anyone remember the Netpliance I-Opener?

[Kitsunexus]

I think that you have gone loco, my good sir. You could do more with the iPaq internet appliance.

You could even do more on Intellivison

[SignOfZeta]

You could even do more on Intellivison

No. You couldn't. The Intelevison barely has enough memory to contain most of the emails I send.

The $100 laptop is really appealing to a lot of people, and I have to agree that its cool looking. The fact that its so interesting to people who already have iBooks, and Thinkpads really says more about how boring your average laptop is though than anything else.

I really doubt I'd get much use out of one, personally, and sadly I have to wonder if the target audience will either. I hope they do, I just wonder if it isn't all money better spent in other areas.

[Kitsunexus]

No. You couldn't. The Intelevison barely has enough memory to contain most of the emails I send.

Then either:

1. You fail to get your point across efficiently.

or

2. You're one of those annoying "RE:RE:RE:RE:FW:FW:FW:FW:LOL FUNNY VIDEO SEND TO 10 PEOPLE" people.

[rolins]

I really doubt I'd get much use out of one, personally, and sadly I have to wonder if the target audience will either. I hope they do, I just wonder if it isn't all money better spent in other areas.

Yeah, rather than providing a luxury item, donations should be pooled to provide something important like decent water filters.

[Turbo D]

I agree with Rolins. I think that its a waste of time and money that could be used for better things. Seriously, all we need is for those little poor kids to be looking at pron, lol.

[Necromancer]

Rolins is 100% correct.  A laptop is worthless without the infrastructure to support it anyway, and I'm pretty sure that most of the kids that get one would rather have shoes and a sandwich.  It remains a mystery why anyone in the US would be interested in a 433mhz, 256MB, 7.5" LCD laptop - other than as a way to show everyone what a good person you are.

[guyjin]

Yes, people need clean water, and food, and toilets, and shoes, and a roof over their head, and lots of other things.

but education helps them get these things for themselves. And in the 21st century, that really does require a computer.

[GUTS]

I agree with guyjin, you can give free food and clothes to these people for eternity and nothing will ever change, but educate the young generation with something like this and in 10-20 years they will be adults and most likely working to improve their situations.

[Kitsunexus]

I agree with guyjin, you can give free food and clothes to these people for eternity and nothing will ever change, but educate the young generation with something like this and in 10-20 years they will be adults and most likely working to improve their situations.

Or playing Daggerfall in Swahili.

[rag-time4]

Rolins is 100% correct.  A laptop is worthless without the infrastructure to support it anyway, and I'm pretty sure that most of the kids that get one would rather have shoes and a sandwich.  It remains a mystery why anyone in the US would be interested in a 433mhz, 256MB, 7.5" LCD laptop - other than as a way to show everyone what a good person you are.

I think that there are some very very interesting things mentioned in the article...

- Mesh networking = built in internet infrastructure
- Mechanical pull-cord charger = battery charging in the poorest of countries
- Solar panel = charging in poor desert countries
- Efficiently programmed software that doen't require massive technical specs (perish the thought)

It seems like a very good idea. One point raised in the article is that some governments may not be interested in it because it is seen as a "low-end" machine, so political arrogance and chest thumping may be barriers, but to me this laptop seems like a sensible option to start levelling the playing field for many poor countries and communities.

Any communications type tool like this computer can make a difference.

To me, the best use of it seems to be as a way to make computer technology more widespread in places where funds are not available to build the infrastructure necessary to support higher-end machines at this point in time.

I voted "probably" because I think it's a good idea! My concerns about the machine are upgradeability and whether or not it has USB ports.

[Turbo D]

The idea is just idiotic to me. There are just going to be more countries pulling internet scams like those Nigerian bastards. Don't you guys watch the news?

[rag-time4]

I voted "probably" because I think it's a good idea! My concerns about the machine are upgradeability and whether or not it has USB ports.

I went to the homepage and found that they have actually posted technical specs:

http://www.laptop.org/laptop/hardware/specs.shtml

The laptop has 3 USB 2.0 ports, which was a concern of mine.

I'm inching closer to definitely.

[Necromancer]

Yes, people need clean water, and food, and toilets, and shoes, and a roof over their head, and lots of other things.

but education helps them get these things for themselves. And in the 21st century, that really does require a computer.

This is quite possibly the most foolish thing that I've read in weeks.  Basic educational needs are easily met with traditional methods.  Don't intimate that it's required / easier to learn to read from a screen than it is from a piece of paper, that typing is more important than hand writing, or that basic math is best learned by using a calculator.

- Mesh networking = built in internet infrastructure

Not quite.  That's built-in networking between machines, and not a connection to the internet. 

To me, the best use of it seems to be as a way to make computer technology more widespread in places where funds are not available to build the infrastructure necessary to support higher-end machines at this point in time.

That was kinda the point in my previous post.  Infrastructure is absolutely necessary, regardless of how powerful the connected computers are.  Who will provide the connection to the internet or at least a neighboring village?  Who will teach people how to use these laptops?  Who will maintain them?  These laptops would be most useful as digital textbooks, but who will provide the .pdf textbooks?