The XO - OLPC

[Keranu]

Think Karen Carpenter versus Nell Carter...topless. That's the comparison we're talking about here.

In that case I would take Nell Carter in a heartbeat. She's nice and thick with a lovely smile and eyes and is not fragile like a stick with a pointy nose like that other chick you mentioned .

[rag-time4]

I'm glad that you now view me as Jesus for my great wisdom 

In terms of the bible story I view you more as the Levite.

[Turbo D]

I'm glad that you now view me as Jesus for my great wisdom 

In terms of the bible story I view you more as the Levite.

Why, is it because I'm wearing Levite jeans? 

[rag-time4]

I'm glad that you now view me as Jesus for my great wisdom 

In terms of the bible story I view you more as the Levite.

Why, is it because I'm wearing Levite jeans? 

LOL

No it's because you seem like you are willing to at least look at the problem but may not be willing to take positive action.

I do understand what you're trying to say about the need for taking care of myself. I think it's important for everyone to try to be the best person they can be... so if you feel like the best thing to do is to push me to take more intiative on my own, I respect that.

I don't see how the children's benefit would be decreased by having an Intel laptop. Intel is providing them with a laptop that is a little better for a little more. Either way someone is paying for the laptop, whether it be people like you or the governments of these poor countries. I do see the point you are making about the profit/ nonprofit deal. But I don't think that shareholders of intel are going to dance around because of some cheapo laptops being sold. These laptops are made of parts that have been sitting around for years. Intel makes its money on the technology of today. When you compare the processors they sell to these laptops, you can see that its not going to affect Intels market share, lol. I bet you think that children will benefit less by having an intel based laptop when they need that high framerate in counterstrike that they can achieve with the amd 

Firstly, I don't agree that Intel's classmate laptop mentioned in the article above is better. The processor is more powerful, and there is more flash memory, but the screen display may consume more power and there is no mesh networking, which I think is a key feature of the XO laptop. Further, the display of the XO seems to be relatively new technology, and not something that's been sitting around for years, though I'm not the most knowledgeable person by any means.

The biggest detriment of Intel providing competition is with regards to OLPC's goal of providing a $100 laptop. Intel, as a for-profit corporation, may or may not lower the price in resonse to market pressures.... while OLPC has made it a mission statement to drive costs down and pass the savings on to the children.

The way the for-profit computer industry has developed is that operating systems and software have become bloated, in the eyes of many, forcing consumers to spend money on upgrading their machines to account for the higher demands of modern software.

One question I have regarding Microsoft and Apple are why they don't want to release an open-source version of their operating system? This is an honest question because I don't know much about the difference between an open-source and a closed-source operating system....

I don't understand how it would hurt Microsoft or Apple to allow people to tinker with their operating systems.

[Kitsunexus]

But how will learning about computers make THEIR world better? Computers won't filter their water, break up their soil, plant their food, etc... I'm glad that people are taking the initiative and deciding to help those less fortunate than we are, but I just can't help but think that the priorities are a little skewed here.

And I understand about the "teach a man to fish" thing. But would you be teaching a man to fish if you taught him to play badmitton? Of course not. So by teaching these kids about computers we may be helping them gain valuable computing skills but unless they have a thing for eating CD-Rs and drinking lithium-ion juice, this computer won't be teaching them anything they really need.

Also, someone touched base on this a while back in this thread, but I thought it was a good point so I'll bring it up again. This "Here's your laptop, figure out what to do with it." teaching method is a JOKE. A BAD JOKE. What if you did the same with a gun? How many seconds would the kid last before he tries looking down the barrel while he squeezes the trigger? I think that if they would set up schools and that the laptops became learning aids like they're supposed to be instead of replacing the teachers, the kids would learn a lot more.

However, for all the bad jokes I've made during this thread, and for all the attitude of not caring I've shown, I really do feel sorry for them. I've already linked www.thehungersite.com and even though it's kind of capitalizing on their plight, I still click it everyday, I reccomend you guys do as well. (Don't buy the merchandise though, that's just going too far).

But really the most important thing is that I'm here bitching about the laptops they're receiving instead of being over there receiving a laptop. I'm really grateful that I have enough to eat, that the only thing I have to worry about in my life is that I don't stay up 'til 4:00 again playing Dagger Sometimes I superfluously say my life sucks, but seriously, if some circumstances had been different, it could be sucking a LOT worse right now.

[SignOfZeta]

But how will learning about computers make THEIR world better? Computers won't filter their water, break up their soil, plant their food, etc...

Why not? Here in the US computers do, in fact, do all the water purification, soil cultivation, and food planting. Its not an autonomous process, but computers are integral. Computers, grandpa, are bascially integral to every single thing I can name. Furthermore, even if these things will be done by hand a computer is probably the best way to train people to do anything.

This "Here's your laptop, figure out what to do with it." teaching method is a JOKE. A BAD JOKE. What if you did the same with a gun? How many seconds would the kid last before he tries looking down the barrel while he squeezes the trigger?

That's a totally idiotic analogy. Even with the best training all a kid can do with a gun is shoot somebody since that's all guns do, shoot.

[Necromancer]

@SignOfZeta:

The OLPC isn't meant to run processor intensive software like extensive photo and digital video editing.  OSX could have been scaled down to meet the needs of the OLPC program - just like Linux was.  A full featured install of Linux and open-source productivity software would easily overfill and overpower this little laptop. 

I can't speak for you, but nobody is forcing me to buy a new computer.  My five year old computer runs the same software that it did when it was new and some newer stuff too.  It's unreasonable to expect it to be able to run any and all software that may or may not be released in the future.

@rag-time4:

In this case, Quanta, AMD, and the rest are providing "corporate sponsorship", but are not in control of the project itself. If the relationship between the OLPC program and the hardware suppliers is reason for you to lack faith in the program, I really can't blame you.

The little rolling eyes smiley was meant to show that I did not believe the sentence preceding it.  My point was that AMD is charging for the processor and motherboard chipsets that it provides and that Quanta is assembling everything for a price (these laptops aren't free).  Even if these for-profit companies provide their products and services at cost, they still benefit from lowered costs due to higher production volumes and from whatever tax allowances they can get.  Intel could be doing the exact same thing; they aren't necessarily evil.

One question I have regarding Microsoft and Apple are why they don't want to release an open-source version of their operating system? This is an honest question because I don't know much about the difference between an open-source and a closed-source operating system....

I don't understand how it would hurt Microsoft or Apple to allow people to tinker with their operating systems.

Open-source generally means that the source code of a program is made available free of charge to the general public for their use and modification.  Microsoft and Apple wouldn't make much money if they gave their software away for nothing, so there isn't much incentive for them to do so.  I can't really speak for OSX, as I haven't used it a whole hell of a lot, but nearly anything can be tinkered with in windows.  Linux is more streamlined, but it isn't any more powerful and is far less user friendly.

[SignOfZeta]

The OLPC isn't meant to run processor intensive software like extensive photo and digital video editing.  OSX could have been scaled down to meet the needs of the OLPC program - just like Linux was.  A full featured install of Linux and open-source productivity software would easily overfill and overpower this little laptop. 

Just booting OSX takes 512 MB of RAM. Stripping down enough to run on a machine like this would transform it into a different thing totally.

[Necromancer]

Yes, but Linux is also a totally different thing.  AppleTVs and iPhones both run stripped down versions of Leopard, so I don't see any reason that the OLPC laptop couldn't use it too.

[guyjin]

Basically, they want their users to be able to share software at will, and propagate patches in a similar way... non open software, even if free, would impede this.

[Necromancer]

I understand that, but I don't see a bunch of neophytes having the ability to fix a broken operating system without outside help.  Even worse, each village without an internet connection would have to cobble together their own patches.

[SignOfZeta]

He's not talking about the users...

...my God...why is this so hard to understand?

[Necromancer]

He's not talking about the users...

...my God...why is this so hard to understand?

OK, so where were these internet lacking users supposed to get the patches?  Carrier pigeon, perhaps?  Software updates aren't exactly trade secrets and tightly controlled.  Once loaded onto a single laptop, they could be easily distributed regardless of the OS used (depending on whether MS would de-draconian its "Genuine Advantage" bullshit).

Why is so hard to understand that Jobs was not offering the exact same software and experience that customers in the US receive?  Any software beyond the OS is a non-issue, as plenty of open source software is available for Windows and Macs.