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One Laptop Per Child Gets 4 Million Laptop Order

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the tall-orders-to-fill dept.

An anonymous reader writes "DesktopLinux.com is reporting that four countries have together ordered 4 million low-cost, Linux-based laptops from the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project. The countries of Nigeria, Brazil, Argentina, and Thailand have each placed the 1 million unit orders."

4 of 419 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I'm in the minority, but I think this is useles by DavidinAla · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    You're an idiot. I wouldn't normally be so blunt, but your stupidity, rudeness and prejudice justify it in this case.

    Good intentions don't necessarily mean results. And you're truly a moron if you believe that my judgment that this project won't help people means that I am a racist. For your information, I've been on trips to a couple of places with "brown people" to actually work for improvement in their lives. But you're dumb enough to think that it's racism if I think a project doesn't make rational sense.

    The funny thing is that YOU are the prejudiced one in this case who makes assumptions which aren't justified by the reality of the what I said.

    David

  2. You must be American, you are so ignorant... by fantomas · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    "MUST be good for impoverished kids in mud huts"



    You must be American, because you are so ignorant.



    Just joking to make you sit up, one terrible stereotype deserves another....

    I'd suggest you visit some of these countries to open your eyes and learn a little more about them, or if this is not possible, at least go to Wikipedia and read a little about them. It's a shame you make this comment because it devaluates the quite reasonable statement you make about querying the value of computers in education.

  3. Re:I'm in the minority, but I think this is useles by pembo13 · · Score: 1, Flamebait
    Even if we assume that the corruption which normally gets in the way of everything in countries such as this

    And what perfect country are you from pray tell?

    Computers require both infrastructure

    And so the designers designed it to be self container, there for needing NO infrastucture.

    previous basic education to make them worth anything

    So you're saying that none of these countries can find 1 million children with said level of education?

    Some people seem to think that computers somehow make people smarter and better-educated all of a sudden

    Some people do think that, however this is not the driving premise of the OLPC project.

    but real education can happen far cheaper with much more basic and traditional tools

    I would like to hear your suggestions on this.

    but I see zero evidence that computers in U.S. classrooms are making education better

    I agree here. However you see computers as the failing parameter. I happen to think that in this case the average American is the failing parameter. If you don't believe me, go to a university with a good, but fairly priced Computer program and compare the ration of Americans to non-Americans. Then go to MySpace and do the same.Although the fact is computers are not a cure all. But one such laptop can potentially replace thousands of textbooks.

    I see even less likelihood of it making education better in Nigeria

    Why? If I had to guess I would say that the average Nigerian child has more raw potential than the average American child.

    Since it runs Linux, most geeks think it's cool enough for them to want one

    If you take a close look at Slashdot for example, you will notice that most geeks are still slaves to Windows and other shinny things. This $100 laptop fails to meet the more shallow "cool" requirements of the average "geek". Of coure real Linux geeks will truly be drooling for one.

    so it MUST be good for impoverished kids in mud huts.

    No one is saying that it MUST be good. A few of us just seem to think it is worth a shot. There are non impoverished kids outside of "the West" just as there are impoverished kids IN the "the West". Throwing the "mud huts" in there was simply ignorant and anal.

    David, I agreed with you on this but I post but I can't agree with you here. Makes it seem like you've never stepped outside of Alabama.

    --
    "Thanks for all the money you paid to us. We've used it to buy off ISO among other things" -Microsoft
  4. Re:More importantly by Abrax · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Relax with the racism