Comments on: OLPC: The Revolution Begins?

By: paralleldivergence

paralleldivergence — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:09:32 +0000

Hi Rangan. Unfortunately my software is not compatible with the XO.

By: Rangan Srikhanta

Rangan Srikhanta — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 09:29:49 +0000

Stu – an old thread that is still current. We have a couple of teachers interested in using some of your software on the XO. Can you assist?

By: Australia’s Digital Education Revolution? « Parallel Divergence

Australia’s Digital Education Revolution? « Parallel Divergence — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 08:51:02 +0000

[...] designed for Australian school needs will be required. Thanks to the global influence of the “$100 OLPC Laptop“, several companies including Asus, HP, Dell and Intel have produced sub-notebooks, all less [...]

By: paralleldivergence

paralleldivergence — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 03:48:33 +0000

Thanks for this Ivan. I’ve also found an interesting report about how a 9year old UK child might find the OLPC – http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7140443.stm

By: Ivan

Ivan — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 08:39:06 +0000

The first rollout of OLPC (beyond testing) started this week in Uruguay with almost 100,000 units. Another 260,000 will be going to Uruguay. Have a look at the images from the Uruguayan rollout:

http://radian.org/notebook/first-deployment

By: paralleldivergence

paralleldivergence — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 09:17:43 +0000

Well, it seems just 9 months after this article was written, very little if any of it actually eventuated. Right now it *is* available on a one-for- two basis – buy two, get one and give one to a developing nation. But all of the deals OLPC thought they had stitched up with developing nations seem to have all but dried up.

Why? The Intel Classmate with it’s massive marketing and promotion in the third word is trumping OLPC everywhere they try to make inroads. Have aread about it in this update:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119586754115002717.html

By: paralleldivergence

paralleldivergence — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 01:20:58 +0000

Also… here’s a first look at the interface of the OLPC:

http://www.ivr-usability.com/olpc/olpc.html

By: paralleldivergence

paralleldivergence — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 00:48:19 +0000

Thanks BronzeTrinity. As I said in the article, the IT community does have a big role to play – while it may not relate to staples of life like food and shelter, communication and education is very important if we expect to ever get nations out of the third world. OLPC might not be the revolution we’ve all be waiting for, but it’s a start and I’m sure we’ll get a lot of hard evidence about what it does offer and where it is lacking.

The first set of notebooks rolled out to Nigerian classroms recently. Take a look at the first images:
http://news.com.com/2300-1041_3-6175025-4.html?tag=ne.gall.pg

By: BronzeTrinity

BronzeTrinity — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 23:10:04 +0000

I think its a great idea. Having access to computers may make it easier for people to help themselves. The IT community can prvide this and other agencies can provide other things. I disagree with the argument that all money and projects have to be devoted to one thing. Even in developed countries like Canada, there are homeless people and poor people who can’t afford the necessities of life, so should the government ignore education initiatives, the environment, and new technology because of that. In my opinion no. They can just divide their efforts and money towards many different activities. Providing food is not going to provide sustainable change anywhere unless the people find a way to sustain better living conditions. No, I don’t think that every child needs a computer, but I don’t think if would hurt if a lot more kids had one.

By: paralleldivergence

paralleldivergence — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 04:01:43 +0000

Hi tobeme. Yes, it would make sense to get the basics right, but the whole problem of bringing the disadvantaged forward is multi-faceted. I like that the IT world are doing their part. If only the other areas would do theirs effectively. THere’s more useful info on the OLPC project here: http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/mar2007/id20070301_063165.htm

By: Jannette

Jannette — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 19:58:06 +0000

no prob pd. shift-you make a good point, I agree.

By: tobeme

tobeme — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 23:01:43 +0000

PD,
Great post. It does seem strange that someone would be concerned with providing technology to children who do not have the basics of life. Kind of a backward Maslov’s hierarchey of needs, isn’t it.
Education is indeed needed and is a noble endeavor, however, it seems only to make sense if one first has clean drinking water, adequate food and shelter before one can have the ability to benefit from the education.

By: paralleldivergence

paralleldivergence — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 03:44:32 +0000

Thanks for adding to the discussion Jannette and shift! It’ll certainly be a great initiative to keep our eyes on.

By: shift

shift — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 00:15:15 +0000

i personally like this idea. even though, yes, the children don’t have the essentials of life, a push for technology will most likely create awareness for that region and its troubles.

but, a support group, like it’s been said earlier, must be created for education.

otherwise, we’ll be back where we started at.

nice post.

By: Jannette

Jannette — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 22:09:47 +0000

I like the idea of the children in places like Argentina and Brazil receiving the laptops. I like the idea of the laptop reaching the developed world as well, but must agree with wayan that it probably wont happen.

By: paralleldivergence

paralleldivergence — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 20:46:05 +0000

Hi 30plusteacher! Wayan’s comment at the top might answer your first question somewhat – (wayan’s from OLPC). As for the kickbacks you mention with current hardware rollouts, that is a real concern.

As for 2., the OLPC cannot simply dump the laptops in each country. It must be followed up with resources, training and support or else we’ll end up with a giant lime-green and white landfill problem.

By: 30plusteacher

30plusteacher — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 19:22:25 +0000

I see many good things that can come out of this, however, two things are nagging at me—-1. Why wouldn’t this product be marketed here in this country where we are spending millions on computer equipment that are outdated as soon as the tech guys install it…not to mention county officials in trouble for kickbacks, etc, and the wear and tear our little darlins put on the machines?

2. So what we are going to tell the kiddies in these countries is, “Gee, hon I know your hungry but just use this little green thing and your problems will be solved.”

By: paralleldivergence

paralleldivergence — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 00:50:01 +0000

Great thought Mark, and thanks for the book recommendation. I haven’t read it, but I’ll chase it up.

By: paralleldivergence

paralleldivergence — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 00:41:33 +0000

Hi wayan. Yes, I agree that Teachers’ unions are going to be hard to convince when it comes to technological change, but that doesn’t mean the argument should be dismissed. In any case, OLPC just needs to convice the governments and the governments need to convince the Teachers’ unions. I’m also not suggesting it be sold through retailers. Take your exact model you have right now and offer it to the governments of deveoped nations on the 1-for-2 basis.

Steve, you’re absolutely right, and it’s about to happen: http://tinyurl.com/y7rqsr

By: mark

mark — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 22:57:51 +0000

Hi Stu

Have you read Friedman’s *The World is Flat”?
http://tinyurl.com/l9z2l

The olpc is useful in countries/regions/ghettoes that are becoming flat. Even though a country may be plagued by malaria and aids, there will be people within that country that are working towards a global (outsourced, horizontal) world. They need the olpc!

Wayan gets it right (kind of) when (s)he states that there is opposition by unions and retailers. The opposition comes from those who still think the worls is round (in Friedmans terms). This view will not persist.

Maybe I’m being a bit hopeful when i state that their 20th century viewpoint will not persist, especially when I see interests endeavering to have creationism taught as science, but hey, I’m an optimist.

The olpc doesnt belong in any country or region as defined by a 20th century world-is-round viewpoint. It belongs wherever there are groups of people who are awakening to the fact that the world is now flat.

That may be in a first world inner city, or a third world plagued desert.

Think Flat.