Up close with the One Laptop per Child XO
by Julie Bryce
You’ve heard about the One Laptop per Child project. We’ve written about it. So have Wired and Popular Science magazines. Eager to see how this child-friendly laptop will work? What it will look like?
Download this video: [Ogg Theora]
Boston-based Chris Blizzard leads the Red Hat team that’s developing the desktop interface for the computer. In this video, he demonstrates some of the cool features unique to XO and explains how these thoughtful additions will help kids in developing countries learn and network with the world beyond their backyard.
February 7th, 2007 at 5:53 am
well,a good idea and a good work.
February 7th, 2007 at 7:12 am
It is fantastic to see the XO in almost final version!
(But maybe you could upload a video without those black stripes.)
February 8th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
It is great to see that so much effort is being put into the children of today and tomorrow; not just for the children here, but in all parts of the world. Keep up the great work cause it will show in the end!!
February 10th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
I always believe still there are some good people who dream for a better world. This will be a very good work. I hope children of all parts of the world will be included.
February 10th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
Wow, I believe it could be usefull not just for kids. But i do really support the idea. If i could buy one at higer price so some money would be putted to make the price for kids around the world lesser i would be Happy.
February 21st, 2007 at 7:42 am
It’s even better, Sophia, i’ve read somewhere you’ll be able to buy one but another one will be sent to a child in the places where it is really needed.
A really great idea: You pay 2 and one will be for someone else elsewhere.
Does anybody know if it is true?
February 22nd, 2007 at 2:39 am
Looks very cool :) I bet kids will love it.
February 25th, 2007 at 11:58 pm
Brilliant idea and great design! :) I wish I was a kid! And the pay-for-one-help-a-kid-get-one theory sounds really good.
Keep up the good work guys!
Cheers!
Y?
February 27th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
Aha, I believe that’s called sponsored purchasing. For $100 they do seem pretty cool and small; I especially liked the windup charger, but I think they removed it? Oh well…
February 27th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
Wow! I think my grandchildren would love to own a machine like that. But has the crankup charger gone? What about solar cells? And which version of Linux is running inside? How about localization? (there are about 300 main languages on this planet… with many alphabets). What are the main applications? Which networks can be accessed? A greater and more useful project than the Manhattan project!
February 28th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
The new generator is the Yo Yo style of pull string generator, as shown on http://potenco.com
It is more like starting a chain-saw than turning a crank. Crank is good for about 30 minutes- then you are tired. Pull String uses
your big muscles so you don’t tire. And it is hard to break a string, and if you did you could replace it.
February 28th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
I think that this is an outstanding idea. Ever since the word got out on this concept, I have been keeping tabs on it to see if it was for real. I am an OEM builder in a small town that has no computer stores around and income levels are pretty low, I wouldn’t mind getting one to test out to see if it could be useful in my area.
Due to the low storage of this unit and it uses USB storage devices, would these countries have the resources to buy USB memory units? Either way, good job by all!
February 28th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
I put the first TRS-80, Commodore Pet, and Texas Instrument machine
in my classroom. We sold cupcakes and other food products to pay the $50.00 per month to acquire the machines. Wow, look where we have come since then. I love the fact that children around the world will have
access to the WWW and other kids plus the huge wealth of knowledge.
The world will change as kids are connected and the world will be better as they communicate with others and share their ideas and inventions.
GWMattos
February 28th, 2007 at 10:33 pm
Really a worthwhile effort and an example of cool design. The idea of paying for 2 and getting one for yourself is also useful. With that strategy, I would conjecture that the sales in the developed world will probably make this gadget available to 1/4th of children from developing nation without any cost!!
March 1st, 2007 at 7:59 am
A really great idea and another step toward a Microsoft free world. Shows what a collective of caring, intelligent people can do when they put their minds to something other than the acquisition of wealth. Well done.
March 26th, 2007 at 4:32 am
amazing. I heard mention of this 2 years ago and have been eager to see something in the flesh. It looks great. I would love if they started a program as mentioned above about buying one for a higher price and having one donated. Anyone familiar will TOMSshoes.com Love the concept — willing to support.
May 30th, 2007 at 1:18 am
To: GW Mattos
yes, I remember. I was in that class of 5th/6th graders. I think we paid about $700 for that TRS-80 with a whopping 4k of memory. Those were the days.
Fancy, meeting you here. :-)
-=Evette=-
July 17th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
SOG knives
Interesting ideas… I wonder how the Hollywood media would portray this?