Working Model of MIT $100 Laptop a Hit 440
capt turnpike writes "The One Laptop per Child association and its chairman, MIT Media Labs's Nicholas Negroponte, unvelied a working model of their $100 laptop at the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange (MITX) show, and the little laptop that might was a hit. It's got a version of Fedora Linux, is rugged, and each unit will work as part of a wireless mesh automatically. From the article: "However, as Negroponte put it in his address, One Laptop per Child isn't all about the laptops. The main goal is to tap into the ability of every child to toss away a manual and figure out how to make gadgets work on their own, thus helping children help themselves to learn." eWEEK.com also has photos."
Teach a kid to fish... (Score:3, Funny)
From Negroponte's address in TFA:
Negroponte then went on to say:
Re:Teach a kid to fish... (Score:2)
In all seriousness, these kids should not have been given linux.
They should be given the choice between windows (for that Real World Experience [tm]) or OS X (for the prettiness).
I mean why pretend that ending developing nations software dependance on the west is a good thing?
(winkie, smiley, etc for the humour impaired)
Re:Teach a kid to fish... (Score:5, Funny)
Also, since they have to be cranked, all those kids will also have Popeye forearms.
I would like to be the first to welcome our future giant forearm/elite hacker overlords!
Re:Teach a kid to fish... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Teach a kid to fish... (Score:3, Funny)
Popeye has TWO massive forearms. Since you crank with only one hand, I think you mean a Trogdor forearm!
--Rob
Re:Teach a kid to fish... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Teach a kid to fish... (Score:3, Informative)
A separate crank-powered charger is still a possibility. If cranked by a larger person, it could charge several of t
For the children (Score:3, Funny)
Re:For the children (Score:2)
Re:For the children (Score:5, Insightful)
Justfication for the design... (Score:2)
Rumour has it that the physical design came about because they were originally considering Windows XP as the OS platform and thought it would be best if the hardware and software were "visually integrated"
Re:For the children (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:For the children (Score:5, Insightful)
$130 (Score:5, Insightful)
Isn't that the $130 [guardian.co.uk] laptop? Or did they manage to bring the cost back down?
Re:$130 (Score:2)
Re:$130 (Score:4, Informative)
It uses NiMH. (Score:3, Informative)
Re:$130 (Score:5, Informative)
"According to Negroponte, the $100 laptop will initially cost around $135 and he expects the price to drop to $50 by 2010."
Re:$130 (Score:2)
Just for third world counties? (Score:5, Insightful)
The main goal is to tap into the ability of every child to toss away a manual and figure out how to make gadgets work on their own, thus helping children help themselves to learn.
I'm in an engineering degree, and I'm shocked at the lack of this ability in college students at american schools! I'm tickled by the fact that we're so set on helping foreign education, when our own educational system is in dire need of....some bloody education.
Re:Just for third world counties? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Just for third world counties? (Score:2)
Oh the potential SPAM
The Nigerians will have to take a back seat to the [Congolese Algerian Angolan Gabonese Gambian ...] spammers.
Imagine the possibilities.
Re:Just for third world counties? (Score:2)
Re:Just for third world counties? (Score:3, Insightful)
Your commenting on the wrong program. Your thinking of the $600 Microsoft Windows laptop strapped to every child in a third world country sweat shop working as outsourced tech support reps.
While OLPC is about teaching children how to learn and not about the laptop the Gates version is about the laptop and teaching children how to use MS Office for their future careers as clueless drones.
Yes I know, you were just being face
Re:Just for third world counties? (Score:2, Funny)
What is 400 / 20 ?
The student is supposed to guess
Re:Just for third world counties? (Score:2)
Re:Just for third world counties? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Just for third world counties? (Score:5, Interesting)
Every time I talk to a kid and they say something like "Algebra sucks. I'll never use this again in my life" I want to jump out of my skin. And hell, I didn't know it myself, because I was taught the same way. I just ended up in a lot of fields, not even complex fields, where you had to have a grasp on practical math.
If you teach the answers then people are always going to be looking for someone to tell them the answers. If you teach people how to find the answers themselves using manuals, newsgroups, and, if all else fails, their damn brain, then you'll end up with well educated people.
OMG THE SICKENING COLOR! :) (Score:3, Funny)
Everything else is great, but PLEASE TONE DOWN THE COLOR.
Re:OMG THE SICKENING COLOR! :) (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:OMG THE SICKENING COLOR! :) (Score:2)
Re:OMG THE SICKENING COLOR! :) (Score:2)
I love Ubuntu, but I hate the colors.
Re:OMG THE SICKENING COLOR! :) (Score:5, Informative)
Seriously, aren't bright reds and oranges supposed to make you a little nuts if you're surrounded by them too much?
Not really. Colors have different effects depending upon the culture. For example, Americans tend to associate orange with hunger, but in the far East it is considered soothing. Some colors do have cross-cultural implications, like splatters of red increasing blood pressure and stress, but those are usually less prominent. Offering a variety of colors provides options for different regions.
Re:OMG THE SICKENING COLOR! :) (Score:5, Funny)
This will all be worthwhile (Score:5, Funny)
Re:This will all be worthwhile (Score:5, Funny)
KUNTA PSOT!
It's not a toy / specs (Score:5, Informative)
The specs?
500 Mhz chip
128 MB RAM
512 MB Flash Memory
no manual? (Score:3, Funny)
>and figure out how to make gadgets work on their own, thus helping children help themselves to learn.
So in other words, a global pandemic of people who don't know how to RTFM.
Re:no manual? (Score:2, Funny)
You're at /. You're already experiencing a global pandemic of people who don't know how to RTFM
Third worlds gap widening (Score:5, Insightful)
This device and plan, if it can be pulled off, could be the single most import thing in helping third world populations on a large scale over the long term.
It's not the technology itself, per say, but the communications that it enables. Getting cell phones into places is a similar type of project. Things as simple as finding the market price of lets say rice, can apparently make big diferences in building economies.
Re:Third worlds gap widening (Score:2)
So your claim is that impoverished nations, too poor to help themselves, are capable of helping other impoverished nations? The primary cause of national poverty is tyranny.
The phrase you are looking for is "per se".
OMG NOES! (Score:2, Funny)
It's cute! It's almost kitsch!
It'll be a hit with the /. crowd which will drive up the price through demand.
Heck, I already want one for the kitchen!
Want one? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Want one? (Score:2)
And here is the pulse, and here is their finger, far from the pulse...
They'd probably sell an order of magnitude more of these at only double the third-world price, thus providing more machines.
I'm willing to pay double. I'm not willing to pay triple. $300 will get you a used laptop that beats the living shit out of this thing (aside from the low power consumption and foot-pedal charger.)
Re:Want one? (Score:2)
Re:Want one? (Score:2)
They are thinking from a western POV.... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:They are thinking from a western POV.... (Score:2)
Well, about as long as it takes for them to use the laptops to get to eBay for the first time, I'd say.
Re:They are thinking from a western POV.... (Score:5, Insightful)
In reality this isnt focused at those people, but rather the ones that have overcome that daily struggle and have what is considered a decent live there, education is the next goal for them.
Re:They are thinking from a western POV.... (Score:2)
Re:They are thinking from a western POV.... (Score:4, Informative)
They are fairly clear that they are looking for national ministries of education to purchase them in bulk and distribute them nationally through schools on the basis of "one laptop per child", not only is this goal reflected in the name of the project (One Laptop Per Child), but detailed more specifically in the FAQ [laptop.org]:
How clear can they be?Re:They are thinking from a western POV.... (Score:2)
You are thinking from a narrow POV (Score:4, Insightful)
It certainly does, and if you were paying any attention you'd find lots of organizations devoting to addressing those immediate needs.
OTOH, if they don't deal with the longer-term needs of education and economic development -- both of which dirt cheap, mass-produced computers that are nearly universally available can help with -- those underlying problem driving those "immediate needs" that are temporarily alleviated by cash and food will simply worsen, and more cash and more food will be required to acheive the same results.
Usability? (Score:2, Interesting)
Does anybody else think the demo model resembles a Speak & Spell, with its bright orange color and its handle? :)
Re:Usability? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Usability? (Score:3, Interesting)
Use multiple desktops, and your screen could look like this:
Seniorix desktop [seniorix.de].
Sorry, only available in German yet, since we only cooperate with local retirement home yet...
There are a number of things you can do (Score:3, Interesting)
2: Get rid of menu bars, status bars, process bars, window borders, titles etc.
3: Go full screen for every application
Unfortunately we're still getting portable machines, handhelds, pdas with very limited screen real estate ridiculously cluttered by windows, borders, menus, button bars, status bars. Qtopia for instance is a pain in the arse because of this.
At least someone will be learning engineering ... (Score:5, Funny)
... so that by age 18 they can change their professional name to "Bob" and tell Americans weaned on PlayStations that "WiFi connections do not involve 'gremlins,' sir;" "any software company offering free pornography for each install probably should not be trusted" and "there is no 'feng shui' component on your iPod, and if there were it would not be defective, and if it were defective then no, it would not be covered by AppleCare."
Yay capitalism ;->
butt-ugly, but (Score:2)
Weren't there plans to create one for the western market too? Even an ugly laptop would be worthwhile, for such a low price. But it shouldn't go above 200 euros', otherwise they will just create a black market where 3th world countries (at least, their citizens) will sell it back to rich western dudes.
Ah, well, give it a black color, and put in something which doesn't need the crank always to power it up, and for 100 euros, you have a
Re:butt-ugly, but (Score:5, Funny)
Huh, that laptop already exists (Score:5, Interesting)
Oh that's right. $800 back in 1997. By Moore's law, that should be about $25 now. So with a color screen, USB, and wireless, $100 isn't bad. Lost the touchscreen though. :-(
Re:Huh, that laptop already exists (Score:2)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore's_law [wikipedia.org]
Brilliant, MIT Media Labs (Score:3, Interesting)
Speaking about the OS, great that it uses fedora core.. Open Source for a Good Cause. Way to Go.
BTW, fire the designer for that orangey look..uh..wait..may be this might catch on like the old ibook..keep him for the timebeing.
n00bies on the raise (Score:3, Interesting)
As a future warning for Fedora community, expect sudden jump in n00b questions in several different languages. Also keep in mine that those n00bs are mostly children. Please refer "RTFM" as "Read The Fine Manual" and "STFU" as "Stop Talking Fast, User".
And most importantly, every time you use "LOL" and "ROTFL" and "LMAO", just remember; You are laughing with them, not at them.
Thank you,
concern citizen from Softer Gentler Linux community
An idea (Score:3, Interesting)
But hey! I have an idea. Let's make the price $200 in western world and each computer that we buy, will give one for free to someone in developing countries! $200 isn't much for a working computer. Plus, atleast for once, you get a good feeling for buying something that you don't really need
Re:An idea (Score:2)
Re:An idea (Score:4, Informative)
0=360 (Score:3, Insightful)
But then, IBM said it was impossible to keep its HD and PC businesses before selling them to Hitachi and Lenovo. Those companies are making big profits continuing the business.
Making money and new products when you're positioned at the top of the computer business is now so easy that it's looped all the way around from "impossible" to "inevitable".
Why just third world? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Why just third world? (Score:5, Insightful)
Forgive me for saying this, but:
b/c those same kids have PSP's, Ipods and cell phones... If their parents wont buy them a computer why should the public give them one for free.
I only support this, if they don't dumb it down (Score:2)
The suppliers of educational material are inept. My kid doesn't want a toy cell phone, he wants to play with a real one. He doesn't want a heavily restricted laptop, he wants a real one... not that Leap educational laptop-shaped abomination.
If these units are regular Linux laptops, a bit light on the hardware specs
It has to be said.... (Score:5, Funny)
Longer article on WorldChanging; hw-hackable! (Score:3, Informative)
http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/004543.html [worldchanging.com]
I found this bit fascinating:
unknown keyboard layout again! (Score:2)
What are you suposed to do with a laptop? Well, type on the keyboard, no? So the accessibility and position of cursor keys, Home/End, Page-Up/Down, Backspace/Delete etc. are important. I want to know where they are and make sure there are 8 cursor keys, not 4. Even if the laptop is only $1
Awesome! (Score:2)
Now what does it actually DO, besides impress Linux fans?
The educated tend to leave (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Food? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Food? (Score:3, Insightful)
The most powerful thing in the world is an idea.
Some people want to blame guns for violence, but one little book called the "Communist Manifesto" is responsible countless deaths.
Also, there was this guy named Ghandi with an idea. Ever hear of Martin Luther? Or how about Martin Luther King Jr.? All of those were just otherwise ordinary guys who had ideas that changed their countries.
I am not an expert on Africa. However, I get the impression that part of their problem is environmental
Re:Food? (Score:2)
Indeed! While I admire the drive behind this project... I really think it's quite useless when they lack basic drugs, water, food, stable governments, etc. Computers aren't the solution... look at the US... everyone has computers and we still lag behind countries that barely have electricity.
http://psychicfreaks.com/ [psychicfreaks.com]Re:Food? (Score:3, Insightful)
How about this: These laptops aren't meant to replace food, and they're not gonna throw them after people that's starving instead of food. But these people also need to LEARN. And that's what these are for. Man, you people just wanna feed those poor kids instead of learning them how to feed themselves.
Re:Food? (Score:2)
Re:Food? (Score:5, Insightful)
Typically, people starve in the third world because they lack the skills and/or resources to provide anything to the global economy that can be exchanged for food, and because the subsistence agriculture that they do have the skill to do is inherently risky, threatened by pollution and climate shifts, and often not the way that the people in power can make the most money; further the crop failures are as often the result of bad agricultural methods as they are by actual drought.
Enhancing education helps deal with the underlying problems that cause starvation. OLPC is certainly neither the whole solution, nor the component most related to short-term needs. But there are lots of other groups involved in addression the problems of the developing world, and pissing on OLPC because it doesn't address all the problems, or the one piece you think is most immediate, is idiotic.
The people doing OLPC aren't hurting the efforts of organizations like the Red Cross or Food for the Poor. Indeed, it seems to me like it goes hand-in-hand with the efforts of small business development and microcredit in the third world that have demonstrated that building economic capacity by providing basic assistance aimed at enabling individual productivity can have considerable effects in dealing with the crushing poverty that produces hunger.
This is, really, about helping developing societies develope more of the tools they need -- in terms of human capital -- to feed themselves.
Re:Food? (Score:3, Funny)
I love seeing poor grammar in a post about education. It's a hoot. :)
Re:Food? (Score:5, Insightful)
This is for children that have overcome the daily quest for food.
Why do people insist on thinking this is for children that dont have any food and live in ditches.
Not every poor person falls into that category.
Re:Food? (Score:2)
Re:Food? (Score:2)
Oh and you are completely wrong about some area's not being suitable to live. Considering Africa has some of the earliest civilizations... they obviously have been there for a while now and the environment has little to do with the problems. Wars, slavery, more war, and psychopathic dictators are why much of the continent is so terrible.
It isnt a misconception, it is a fact of the world. Education = better life. The more education, the more
Re:Food? (Score:2)
Some areas just aren't meant for human inhabitation.
You mean like Los Angeles (not enough fresh water)? Netherlands (under sea level)? Calgary (subzero temperatures)? Phoenix (way too frickin hot)? Or does this maxim just apply to Africa? There are actually very few places on earth which meet all environmental requirements for comfortable human habitation, unless we use technology to improve them.Re:Food? (Score:3, Insightful)
I think this is a great humanitarian initiative, showing that there is more to living than just staying alive. I'm not saying we should stop with the food, but this here i
Re:Food? (Score:2)
Re:Food? (Score:2)
Food AND an education! (Score:4, Insightful)
This has been addressed many times.
Yes, kids need water, food, vaccinations, a place to sleep, and if they and their communities are to be successful and self-supporting an education also.
Is a $100 laptop extravagant for supporting an education? No,because it's multipurpose tool offering information, tutorials, communications, and soon after distribution locally built & relevant applications. By offering these kids access to the larger world, to an education in their own language, to contribute and distribute materials, it gives they, and their communities, opportunities to break their cycle of poverty.
It's not an either/or proposition between food and education, BOTH are needed, one fills the short-term need and the other the long-term.
Re:Food? (Score:2)
There are many organizations providing food to starving, malnourished children across the third world (probably nearly as much as teh physical and political infrastructure can deliver with any kind of effectiveness -- possibly more than that). OTOH, there are plenty of people in the "developing" (an optimistic term) world that aren't presently starving, but are at risk
Re:Food? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Where's the crank? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Where's the crank? (Score:3, Informative)
"This working model sported many differences from the early prototypes that were seen previously. The biggest change is that the laptop no long features a directly attached crank for powering the laptop in areas without electricity--the crank has now been moved to the power supply."
Re:Where's the crank? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Where's the crank? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Governments and Charities will be buying (Score:2)
Re:Me so hungry (Score:4, Insightful)
If all we did was feed starving people, they'd be dependant on us forever, and would have rampant overpopulation and disease. By educating the parts of the continent that is slightly better off, they can help themselves, and then help their neighbours help themselves.