$100 Laptop Takes Flight in Thailand

EmperorKagato writes "Nicholas Negroponte's project for every child to have a laptop will come true for over 500 students in Thailand. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra expects each child to receive a laptop instead of books as the books will be provided electronically. The laptop, mentioned previously on Slashdot, will now be brought to children in Thailand in October and November, with hopes for future shipments to Nigeria, Brazil and Argentina in 2007." This story selected and edited by LinuxWorld editor for the day Saied Pinto.

Comments

Only 500

[NekoXP]

There are only 500 children in Thailand?

If not "a laptop for every child" is a bit short :D

where can I order mine?

[ems2004]

Where can I order mine?

Re:where can I order mine?

[joe 155]

according to this site; http://www.laptop.org/index.en_US.html you won't be able to buy one, although I had previously heard that you could buy them for $300 as a way of donating 2 to children in the 2nd/3rd world

Re:where can I order mine?

[Kadin2048]

Give it six months after the first really big deployment (not this one; this is just 500 units, basically prototypes) and they'll be all over eBay.

Subsidizing the hell out of something and send it to the Third World is a good way to guarantee that it'll end up being sold right back to the First World, if there's any kind of demand.

Re:where can I order mine?

[88NoSoup4U88]

Yes, and I seriously wonder why, everytime (after the announcement of the 300$-project) this story has come up after that, the editor hasn't bothered to keep including the link to that.

When this project is brought up (and it had its share of /. frontpage-posts), I always see a lot of posts of "I wouldn't mind getting my hands on one of them just for tinkering", and 300$ gives you AND good karma, and a very funny lil' computer.
By keeping to mention the 300-dollar deal, I think it's easy for the editors to keep people aware of this possibility, and do their little contribution to which is, imo, a very good start in helping the third world countries partially keep up with the rest of the world.

Re:where can I order mine?

[lmfr]

http://www.pledgebank.com/100laptop, and you're right, that movement was external to the project.

It's a trial run.

[Whiney Mac Fanboy]

There are only 500 children in Thailand?

It's a trial run - from tfa:

More than 500 children in Thailand are expected to receive the machines in October and November for quality testing and debugging.

Re:It's a trial run.

[soft_guy]

There are only 500 children in Thailand?

It's a trial run - from tfa:

Thanks for clearing that up. We all seriously thought that there might be only 500 children in Thailand. The GPP did not pretend to misunderstand this point purely for comic effect.

Anxious to see them in action

[OakDragon]

I am anxious to see these laptops in action. I have heard a lot of criticism that rather than laptops, the poor children of the world need clean water and nutritious food first. This is, of course, true. But such criticism supposes that all the poor are living in mud and filth. Not true - some have their basic needs somewhat met, and perhaps education is next on the list of needs.

Re:Anxious to see them in action

[vga_init]

Right, but this is the way I see it: A lot of people blindly convert commidities into cash. If you consider the resources and labor that go into the production of electronics, you'll notice something--it's different! Electronics are made from plastics and metals in factories, by factory workers. Could these facilities produce food? Maybe...probably very poorly. Could these workers convert to managing a different kind of production? Sure, but they'd be less efficient!

Furthermore, the facilities and workers for producing such laptops are in place, and they themselves cannot benefit 3rd world children in terms of food and water and health care. But can they contribute? Yes, they can, and that $100 going in exchange for the production of those laptops is not equivalent to $100 dollars worth of food! If things are balanced right, the value of the machines will be right and will not outweigh money spent on other items such as food.

Food and water are essential, but it's unfair to say that the laptops would not be beneficial just as well. More pressing needs may exist, but every little thing helpful counts.

Re:Anxious to see them in action

[DieNadel]

This is completely true. I've taught at a poor comunity in South America whose members were able to provide for their basic needs, like water (pit) and food (familiar agriculture and livestock), but were clearly lacking in education.

The problem lies basically at bringing the information to them, and a laptop like this would create a path for the information to flow (it could even be preloaded with classes' material) and teaching means as well (it could have educational and interactive software).

I think that basic needs MUST be addressed first, but if you want these people to progress in the society, the only way to achieve this is through education.

Re:Ebooks for the poor

[BigNumber]

Must...Not...Make...Masturbation...Joke...

Laptops instead of books

[YrWrstNtmr]

each child to receive a laptop instead of books as the books will be provided electronically.
While good to get some tech in these kids hands, I can't help wondering about permanence. Without the printed page, past facts are easily changed to suit current attitudes. I know this isn't quite the case yet. But as we go farther down the road with ebooks, it will be a concern.

Who are we at war with today?

Re:Laptops instead of books

[Penguin Programmer]

Do you remember elementary school? The books you had access to at school were the ones that the school decided you should have access to. It's no harder for the school to say "only books that say ________ is evil are allowed" as it is to change e-books to say "_________ is evil."

I think this is a non-issue here.

Re:Ebooks for the poor

[XxtraLarGe]

These poor kids are gonna end up with right arms like Hell Boy.

At least they could put a crank on each side so the kids can look like Popeye!

Re:Ebooks for the poor

[mrchaotica]

Reading DRM'd books on an 8 inch screen.

The books are NOT DRM'd. The entire system is strictly freely-licensed.

And all you have to do is turn the crank madly to see anything.

It doesn't have a hand crank anymore.

So, in other words, STFU because you're either ignorant or trolling.

Re:Warranty coverage?

[gardyloo]

I know these laptops are built to be rugged, but is it really a good idea to send them flying through the air?

      It's all the rage. Jon-Benet's killer was apparently doing it there, too.

Taking flight?

[Coopjust]

Looks like Ballmer got to them first...

And yet, here in the US...

[HoboMaster]

Public school children are mostly prohibited from having laptops in class, many private schools only allow laptops with special permission, and the private schools that use laptops still force their students to deal with paper textbooks. What I want to know is, when do we get "a computer for every child" in the US?

Sounds like a good idea, but questions remain

[Harry Balls]

I understand these 500 notebook computers are merely a trial run, the actual quantity needed is probably around 5 million.

I see some problems, however.
The minimum wage in Thailand is just below $100 per month. That's right, $100.

What if the notebook computer gets damaged through fault of the kid?
What if the notebook computer gets damaged through no fault of the kid?
What if the notebook computer gets stolen?
What if the notebook computer gets sold by the kid / his [drug-addicted] [financially distressed] parent?

A family with one minimum wage earner could be pushed into financial ruin by any of these events.

Re:It's a trial run^H^H^HFFlight

[ackthpt]

$100 Laptop Takes Flight in Thailand

I certainly *want* a flying laptop! And for a meager $100, too. I suppose the FAA, BAA and IATA are keeping these out of other hands around the world. Those lucky thai!

I for one welcome our new flying laptop overlords

the only problem is...

[Anonymous Coward]

Replacing books with e-books causes all sorts of problems. No notes on the side of the page, no highlighting, harder to share / look on with a friend, harder to work collaboratively, harder to read at length, harder to transport.

Books are *great*. Reading off of a computer screen is *terrible*.

Re:Untested tech = snakeoil

[fullmetal55]

hence the 500 unit real-world test environment... if this was a 5 million unit deployment... I'd understand this post having validity... but this is a 500 unit deployment... a real-world test... I don't understand your getting irritated calling this "snake oil" because it hasn't been tested... well, this article is a bunch of propaganda about the product, based around the 500 unit test. don't call it snake-oil yet. let the real-world test go through its paces before you get defensive...

After work conversation...

[Mister Whirly]

"Hi honey. What a day. Do we have anything to eat?"
"Um, no, but we do have this ghetto laptop."
"Can you eat it?"
"No."
"That's great. Maybe we can look at pictures of food then."

Printing??

[Six Feet Pete]

How are these kids going to print stuff. The price of ink is higher than the laptop!!