One Laptop Per Child (XO)

[Roalith]

http://www.linuxtoday.com/infrastructure/2007010902326NWHWEV

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6246989.stm

Most of you have probably heard about it, but reading that article it actually looks like quite an interesting and useful device. Selling the XO to the developed world's public on a 'sponsorship' deal (You effectively buy one for a child in an undeveloped country, as well as one for yourself) is actually a very clever idea, especially if the device is desirable enough.

Looking at the technical specs, nice high resolution screen in colour, and even higher in black and white - with a flipable screen so it can be used as a tablet as well as a laptop. To me, that screams the device will be very usable as an Ebook reader, even more so than the piece of expensive crap Sony are planning on pushing on us in the immediate future.

I'm damn sure now I will be getting one myself.

 

[cHodAX]

Just what the world needs, more Nigerians fucking running internet scams

 

[cHodAX]

What the world really needs is one lapdancer per child, then everyone would be much happier.

 

[Roalith]

Wouldn't that result in a lot more children tho? ;p

 

[cHodAX]

Wouldn't that result in a lot more children tho? ;p

Fuck the kids!

Not literally! My surname is Finlan not Glitter Just imagine though, a billion plus lapdancers in the world. It would make daddy a very happy man, we could all have one each or at worst have to share one with a friend or collegue! Gangbang 4tw!

 

[Sparx]

yeah fuck giving them tools to grow food for themeselves, or clearing debt. Just give them laptops to look at porn

 

[Dukat]

Rofl, i can see it now, a starving ethiopian child sitting there with a laptop in the middle of his mud-hut village, looking for a 240v socket so he can play quake.

Sure!

 

[cHodAX]

yeah fuck giving them tools to grow food for themeselves, or clearing debt. Just give them laptops to look at porn

Sounds like a plan! Then Madonna's little lad will have something to watch when she goes off her world tour.

 

[cHodAX]

Rofl, i can see it now, a starving ethiopian child sitting there with a laptop in the middle of his mud-hut village, looking for a 240v socket so he can play quake.

Sure!

Read the article you daft bastard! He can either power it up with a special yo-yo or attach some kind of device to his arm so that wacking off to internet porn will charge the battery to max in 15 mins.

 

[Ingafgrinn Macabre]

I've read about it already, long long long time ago when it started, and my opinion still hasn't changed. Let them spend all that money they invested on that OLPC project, and build some decent plumming for that, or schools, or anything. Those guys there don't need computers yet...

20 years ago, we didn't have PC's and we faired pretty well.... I really don't see the benefit in them having PC's while most of the population there can't even frikkin' read :/

 

[cHodAX]

20 years ago, we didn't have PC's and we faired pretty well.... I really don't see the benefit in them having PC's while most of the population there can't even frikkin' read :/

That is why all the menus use icons and not text, we are gonna create a whole new pictograph langauge for the worlds illiterate. One day we will even educate the Scousers! A mighty goal but a noble cause to civilise the barbaric!

I am going to start a new project. One Hubcap Per Scouser!

 

[noblok]

An example: in some Latin-American country people have to fill in forms in order to take an exam. The certificate from this exam will give them plenty more options than they currently have (I would be more specific, but I can't remember the details). However, when you have to walk 50 miles to the nearest town in order to fill out such a form, there's no way they'll ever get to do these exams and thus no way they'll ever get a better job. Giving every household a PC is at least on the short-term more effective than fixing the infrastructure. I also guess these PC's will help the educational programs quite a bit. No more running around with loads of equipment, just carry your USB stick from one village to the next.

 

[Syri]

I've read about it already, long long long time ago when it started, and my opinion still hasn't changed. Let them spend all that money they invested on that OLPC project, and build some decent plumming for that, or schools, or anything. Those guys there don't need computers yet...

20 years ago, we didn't have PC's and we faired pretty well.... I really don't see the benefit in them having PC's while most of the population there can't even frikkin' read :/

when i was at school, my junior school had a couple of BBCs, but they were pretty much only used for that turtle drawing thing, and people slacking off playing text adventures when nobody was looking.
secondary school had some archimedes computers, but only a dozen and only for those that selected IT for one of their options and a couple for the design classes. just as i was leaving, they actually got a single PC for the library, with a copy of encarta.
and it wasn't THAT long ago i was at school, I left secondary school in 1995. and i still managed to read fine, and work fine and do maths fine... if anything, i'd say a pc would've probably distracted me more from what i should've been doing, having so many other things i could do instead right there in front of me...

 

[tris-]

ive used computers since i was 10 and now i cant spell without the paperclip

 

[Vladamir]

Rofl, i can see it now, a starving ethiopian child sitting there with a laptop in the middle of his mud-hut village, looking for a 240v socket so he can play quake.

Sure!

Hahahaha, repped

 

[old.Tohtori]

One bag of rice costs about a buck.

One can of beans, heck, half a buck.

One gallon of fresh water about 1.5 bucks.

So with one laptop...well...you do the math.

EDIT: Got bored. If the machine costs(ideally) 90 bucks, you'd get 40 gallons of water, 20 cans of beans and 30 bags of rice. For example...

 

[Roalith]

Well, at least it's sparked some conversation

Would it not be fair to say though, that the governments in on the scheme are the wealthier of the 3rd world countries? I know, I know, they could still better spend the money on infrastructure etc etc ad nauseum, but what use doing so if their future generations are completely technology-illiterate? Would those countries ever be able to catch up in terms of skill base with the rest of the world without such a scheme?

In any case, my interest in the machine is purely selfish. They actually look like semi-decent pieces of kit, especially for the low price point.

 

[Serbitar]

Just what the world needs, more Nigerians fucking running internet scams

i thought they ran fucking scams? at least that's what the emails seem to suggest