[Robotgroup] OLPC manufacturer to sell $200 laptop in developed countries

[Shane Geiger]

I actually had my hands on some of these laptops at PyCon 2007 in 
Dallas.  The first keynote speaker, Ivan Kristic (sp), was EXTREMELY 
impressive.  The fact that almost all of the software on the system will 
be written in Python was very impressive.  (Filesystem and windowing 
interface re written in Python.)  There is also a "View Source" key on 
the keyboard for viewing the Python source.  Everyone was very impressed. 

Yes, Mr. Krisitc said they will be selling these.  He also made it clear 
that they will be giving away a lot of these to developers who look as 
if they could help out with writing software.

Join the #olpc channel on irc.freenode.net if you have questions.

Yes, this is a grand-slam swing that may not connect.  It's effects 
won't be seen immediately but perhaps in our lifetimes.  It is a 
long-shot, but I am glad some people are doing this rather than doing 
something to turn a buck. 

You should probably read this to get an idea of the importance of the 
project:  http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/node/2088  Mr. Kristic's 
talk was amazing.  Really.  It's too bad it isn't online.
 
Note:  This project is about enabling youngsters to learn from each 
other and learn by doing.  It has been shown that children don't need to 
be taught to use a computer--that they can figure it out on their own.  
It is a sad fact that in many places these laptops will land, very few 
adults will be around to teach the children, as they have been wiped out 
by AIDS. 

About the comment on hunger:  It is my understanding that world hunger 
is not a technology or food problem--it is a political one.  Repressive, 
brutal governments the problem.  As much as I would like to "solve the 
world hunger problem" before giving nifty green toys to children, I'm 
not sure things can work out that way.  While the OLPC project may not 
present these laptops as tools to democratize power, that's what they 
can do.  The laptops are presented as an educational tool for 
children--something that on the surface is non-threatening to the status 
quo.  This project, however, may contribute to the changing of history.  
I don't know what you do at your job each day, but I have been thinking 
what they do at OLPC is probably a heck of a lot more important than 
what I do.



Def Egge wrote:
> Interesting, if true.  Previous inquiries regarding sale of these 
> cheap laptops in developed countries were rejected outright ... at any price.
>
> Perhaps, reality caught up with idealism and the sale of a more 
> expensive version to those that can afford it will (inadvertently?) 
> fund distribution in the developing world.
>
> By damn!  You may not have enough to eat but you will be able to blog 
> / email / spam about it.  By the way, who is funding the ISP(s) 
> through which the underprivileged children of the world will connect 
> to all of the information on the WWW?
>
> Another jaundiced view through the squinting eyes of a 
> cynic.  Discount it as necessary.  Post your views to this list, 
> i.e., do not respond privately to this address.
>
>
> All the best....
>
> Mike
>
>
> At 21:02  2007/03/31, you wrote:
>   
>> This was posted by "Les" linuxles at yahoo.com on the Good Will Linux Group list
>>
>>
>> OLPC manufacturer to sell $200 laptop in developed countries:
>> http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070329-olpc-xo-manufacturer-to-sell-budget-portables-in-developed-countries.html
>>
>> OLPC manufacturer to sell $200 laptop in developed countries
>> By Ryan Paul  | Published: March 29, 2007 - 08:31AM CT
>>
>> Quanta, the company manufacturing the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC)
>> project's XO laptops, plans to begin selling low-cost budget mobile
>> computers for $200 later this year. According to Quanta president
>> Michael Wang, the company plans to leverage the underlying
>> technologies associated with OLPC's XO laptop to produce laptop
>> computers that are significantly less expensive than conventional laptops.
>>
>> The OLPC project, which hopes to bring inexpensive Linux-based laptops
>> to the education market in developing countries, selected Quanta (the
>> laptop manufacturing company that produces mobile computers for HP,
>> Dell, and Acer) to produce the individual XO laptop units. OLPC
>> project founder Nicholas Negroponte says that OLPC has no plans to
>> make XO laptops, which are "designed for the poorest and most remote
>> children in the world," available to ordinary consumers in developed
>> countries. OLPC plans to sell the laptops in bulk to governments,
>> which will then distribute the hardware to school children.
>> Related Stories
>>
>> Quanta's announcement will be welcomed by the throngs of technology
>> enthusiasts in the US and elsewhere who have expressed interest in
>> acquiring one of the OLPC's budget-friendly laptops for personal use.
>> Quanta plans to create a new "emerging PC" business unit to focus on
>> establishing a new global market for low-cost computers. Although few
>> details are available at this time regarding the software that Quanta
>> will ship with its own XO-like laptops, it is known that the company
>> intends to use open source software. Since virtually every element of
>> the OLPC platform (including the unique user interface) is available
>> under various open source licenses, Quanta could easily ship its own
>> computers with the exact same software used on the XO.
>>
>> With luck, Quanta's increased involvement in the low-cost mobile
>> computing market will allow the company to further decrease
>> manufacturing costs and help the OLPC project reduce the XO's total
>> cost per unit. This move by Quanta could also help make modern
>> technology more accessible to underprivileged families around the world.
>>
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-- 
Shane Geiger
IT Director
National Council on Economic Education
sgeiger at ncee.net  |  402-438-8958  |  http://www.ncee.net

Leading the Campaign for Economic and Financial Literacy