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OLPC's UI To Be Kid-Tested In February
dfoulger writes "The AP is reporting that kid testing of Negroponte's '$100 Laptop' starts in February. This article is some of the first mainstream coverage of just how different the user interface of the XO Computer is — it ditches the traditional office metaphors in favor of a 'neighborhood' and an activity-based journaling approach. Video of Sugar, as the UI is called, has been out on the net for a while, and Popular Science recently gave the color / monochrome display a 'Grand Award' in its 2006 technology roundup. What do you think of this new UI?"
Maybe I'm just a fundamentalist, but children first need to learn basic skills like reading and writing.
This is why countries like Japan and China kick the crap out of us in terms of education - they don't have this Montessori approach to education.
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I've just watched the video and it looks fairly good.
Why is there no URL bar? It explains there isn't one but why not? Seems a bit of a problem for visiting specific sites as you'd have to use Google for everything it seems.
Monkeyboi
Could this be a step towards ending Microsoft's dominance? Actually if its any good, im sure theyll just copy it.
Does anybody have a video file of that that can be downloaded and played in, say, MPlayer?
Please correct me if I got my facts wrong.
I'm waiting until it's mother-approved!
I understand why they did it but as a rule I hate icon based systems. I have a CG software I was trying to use that went that route. In that case they went too small with the icons to cram more in so they look like colored blobs. Instead of glancing at text I find I waste most of my time holding the cursor over icon after icon waiting for the roll over text to tell me what the function is. I was also surprised they were boasting of no text bar on the browser. Leaves you at the mercy of the search engine. In may be better for kids starting out the way they laid it out but how does it give them an education in computers when it doesn't teach them how any other computer on the planet works? They'd be better off with a ten year old Windows machine or far better off with a current Linux system. Nice idea but it seems completely pointless.
I agree. I'm not really sure how this is going to enhance learning. It is easy to waste a lot of time on gadgets when what you really need is quality time learning the multiplication table and working on reading comprehension. Those kinds of things are best done with pencil and paper. If you want to create a consumer culture that loves celebrity-gossip blogs and wants to chat online all the time, then maybe this thing is worthwhile. I actually can't think of a better way to pollute millions of childrens' minds with crap.
I think Microsoft Bob might have been a better choice for the UI.
First off, I'm a big supporter of the OLPC project. I think it's a fantastic idea that will do alot of good.
... accessible to students if they have the desire/skill to use it?). Hopefully that simple UI can be switched to a 'real' UI and this will be done for all but the youngest students.
The UI they have created (see video) seems like a strange choice, however. It is a very simple and seemingly restrictive interface. It appears childish and maybe even somewhat insulting to the user. I thought that the OLPC was supposed to specifically encourage children to (1) truly learn how to use computers (not merely use them as applicances), and (2) encourage them to tinker/modify the system.
With regard to (1) it should be clear that providing a contrived UI specifically tailored to 'kid tasks' may be useful for the first week, but ultimately is a disservice to the children, as they are not learning about the true power and beauty of computers. They are not learning about modern computer capabilities or conventions if they are stuck in a primitive UI.
With regard to (2), my understanding was that Linux was chosen as the OS specifically because it allows for the students to modify, tinker, extent, and customize. The idea was that (unlike with a proprietary OS), they would be able to learn about the inner functions of computers and become truly interested and skilled with computer work. A simplistic UI that hides the true behind-the-scenes working of the computer hardly accomplishes this goal.
I may be mistaken about the UI. Perhaps what we see in the demonstration is an introductory UI that will be used by very young students (with a more normal GUI and system behind the scenes?
Kids are very smart... and I believe they would have little trouble dealing with a modern, full-featured UI and OS. So why the simplistic interface?
They need to test with adults. There's a reason there's a cliche of "my kid fixed the VCR, computer, etc."--because kids' brains are sponges for new stimuli. They're still forming their how-the-world-works schemas and can easily adapt to new things. Adults, even ones who haven't used computers, are going to have more fixed ways of going about things, less willing to learn new concepts, less patient, less curious (just as a general rule.. I've known some older people who are insatiable learners).
It should be obvious by the off-topic nature of the post, but the parent is a troll copy-and-paste of a comment from a previous story: http://ask.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=214386&cid =17420470
Errr, they will *start* kid-testing this thing, just months
before the finished thing is supposed to be distributed
to millions of them? Didn't it occur to them to test it
earlier, like during design, or during early implementation???
Readin', 'ritin', 'rithmatic, and 'rong spellin'.
I put the 't' in electrical engineering.
Looks to have a little less power and user friendliness than a Mac Plus circa 1986. The word processor is just a joke. It reminds me of the horrible times I had trying to get text to format correctly with the limited alignment and font options they used to have.
I find it truly amazing that nobody on the development team realized the obvious icon collision with their primary symbol... the "child" splat and this much older, and more universal symbol.
... in 2006 word processors are easy to use and do exactly what you want and are so simple that your 70 year old [grand]mom can figure them out by herself while sipping tea.
In some 2006 in some other alternate universe, that is.
*shaking head*
The reality disconnect here gets pretty bad at times.
Apparently the OLPC folks dont care about kids being victimized by phishing sites.
To those wondering why would kids be targetted for phishing? Here's one example: a pedophile run site pretending to be disney asking for their personal information?
It's an ebook reader among other things, and is way more cost effective than shipping in millions of dead tree books, and a lot easier to keep updated an customised for the child/grade/subject, etc.. If you go to their main page and READ about the project you can see this is an education project, not a laptop project per se, they just determined that a cheap tough laptop was the best way to get the most educational resources to the most deserving kids in the most efficient way. It is designed for them to read, write, create, discover, get access to knowledge.
Now the other
In the US, grades K-6 we do well on an international scale, but after that, 7-`12, we fall behind because multiculturalism and other sorts of feel good isms and professional sports indoctrination and learning your place in the upcoming two class society become the primary focus of the schools. As soon as you realise that, we do well, because that is the goal, to raise serfs who mind their masters. Get 'em thumb scanning young, get 'em turning into good little stasis, get 'em tuned in to following orders unquestionably, get them brainwashed to jump and follow the orders of any authority figure with no questions, get them used to random searches and lockdowns, etc.. Basic education is way way WAY down the list of goals. They don't want educated citizens, they want drones and proles, get it? If your kid is in the public schools today they are being raised to be a corporate resource, either in the civil sector or as a corporate mercenary for the endless wars for profit.
The thing that was most noticeable about the prototype was the triple wide touch pad. It's useful for alphanumeric writing practice and character input for non keyboard compatible languages. The keyboard had better than expected tactile response. The screen was small and a bit dark, but very legible. The unit felt rugged and was quite light. I'll likely buy them for my young children when they become available
Hate to be harsh, but some of the OLPC UI design decisions dont seem to acknowledge tinkering ability. Kids are more adaptable to learning new things especially interfaces.
IMHO, the design decisions seem to be geared towards old people trying to use the OLPC versus kids using it.
If they're only just involving children in the design process then they're product is doomed not to be user friendly.
Online & Feelin' Fine
Much like Windows is a rip-off^W^W inspired on Mac OS, that Candy interface looks rather similar to Kai's Power Tools. But is that good or bad? I'm not sure...
Circumcision is child abuse.
>Kids are very smart... and I believe they would have little trouble dealing with a modern, full-featured UI and OS. So why the simplistic interface? Give these to kids, and I'm sure in a week they'll have escaped out of the UI to a shell so they can send comprimising videos of their classmates across the neighbourhood.
They should:
... how many of the OLPC developers actually gone to school in a developing country (or visited them and interviewed kids to gain an understanding)? No disrepect to their intentions though, and what their doing is better than the nothing most of the rest of us do.
a) Target mid level developing countries - $100 education budget on kids in the poorest countries could be better used on teacher funding and books. Books are less likely to get stolen/broken. By mid level developing I mean that median income in that country should be over $90 a month. The laptop.org website claims they are targetting the "poorest kids" instead.
b) Sell the laptop. That's right, make people pay for it. Even a small amount ($25?). People will value and protect it more.
Note: For a variety of reasons, I grew up going to schools in multiple developing countries
Finally, we'll get to see what that thing can really do.
I wonder how long untill it will get Mother Approved.
Wanna fight ? Bend over, stick your head up your ass, and fight for air.
I downloaded the QEMU image and converted it to VMWare and ran two copies, which I named Tom and Dick. There are some neat ideas. Tom opens the web browser and goes to slashdot.org. Tom shares the web browser. Dick looks at the neighborhood view and sees Tom with a shared web browser. Dick clicks on Tom's web browser. It opens up to . . . google. What happened to slashdot? Tom is still looking at slashdot. Tom closes the browser. Dick is still looking at google. Tom looks at the neighborhood view and sees Dick looking at his web browser still, so he clicks on it and gets slashdot. Dick can't close it. Tom can close it, but Dick is still looking at it. Ok, switch to console, killall -HUP sugar-shell. Now it behaves like it should. It is really pretty neat when it works.
I guess this is pretty typical of how computers work. Throw 'em in the water, they'll learn to swim. Hopefully somebody was taught how to use ps, grep, and kill.
The masses are the crack whores of religion.
Many of the comments so far have suggested that the XO machines interface was limited, and it does appear that some things look more restrictive than they probably ought to be.
Still, the thing that most struck me in the demo was how easy it was for kids to build applications using EToys, a "Logo, Smalltalk, Hypercard, and StarLogo" influenced (see http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Sugar_EToys "authoring system"/direct manipulation programming language. The demo didn't take that very far, unless you consider the game widget that was demoed. Clearly, this "langauge" provides a lot of room for kids to step beyond other limitations of the system. Etoys applications can apparently be uploaded, shared, and played through the browser. I can't tell if the browser can be used from within etoys, but it would be interesting if it could be.
Beyond that, it appears that it is possible to install other software on the XO laptop (see http://http//wiki.laptop.org/go/Sugar#Hacking. Does anyone know if how easily children will be able to do this? I assume this means that a child can grow the function of laptop over time (to do things like extending the word processor with the functionality that is now missing).
The OLPC laptop wiki addresses the question indirectly, by stating that (http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_software_task_list )"the $100 laptop will not be tied to a specific set of software or content. It will have the flexibility to change with the requirements of the student. Individuals will inevitably find individualized uses; certainly local, regional, and national requirements will drive much of the base configuration." But that is a statement of requirements rather than function. Where do things actually stand relative to that goal?
Davis http://davis.foulger.net
The article makes the process sound old fashioned and backwards; testing only after building it?!
:)
Surely the concepts have been tested and designed with kids beforehand and especially while building it?
Kids are great to design together with, especially as they don't attempt to hide their dislikes or disorientation in a UI as much as adults tend to. And they can come up with really cool ideas, out of the blue.
Cool, it has Etoys. :-) Etoys is amazing; a great way to get started with writing software, especially games. And it's a nice stepping stone to Smalltalk, which is a very nice programming language.
Please correct me if I got my facts wrong.
Looks like Negroponte is trying to resurrect Smalltalk :)
(If the OLPC succeeds, that is.)
I can be moderated as Inciteful...
Everyone remembers their first computer, and gradually learning the possibilities, wanting to do more and more with it. Where's the oppurtunity for expanding this simple interface when they grow tired of looking at the same things?
I just received one of the OLPC beta test laptops, and I've played around with it and started porting some X11 software to run on it.
The hardware is very nicely designed, and has a cool, unique look and feel, although it's in the very early stages and still has some rough edges and unfinished pieces.
The touch pad doesn't currently work very well, due to a combination of hardware and software problems: the cursor jumps around and stalls, and the left and right sides (for writing with a stylus) are not currently active. But a USB mouse works just fine. The keyboard is hard for me to use because it's so tiny, but it's good for kids because it's simple and spill proof, and only requires a light touch.
The screen turns around and folds over so you can use it in "book mode" without the keyboard or touch pad. The game controller buttons (and camera and microphone) on the screen are usable when it's in book mode. The round four-direction joystick pad and the triangle/square/circle/x game pad seem to send the same arrow key escape codes, and don't auto-repeat, but I think that's a matter of software that will be addressed in the future.
The camera is on the right edge of the screen, and doesn't turn inwards, so your face appears at the edge of the screen instead of being centered. It would be nice for the camera to be centered at the top edge of the screen, but currently there is no any room for that, and it would require a redesign of the case. The directional pad sticks down sometimes when you rock it to the left, but I trust that and other problems will be shaken out in future versions of the hardware.
There is an SD card reader hidden on the bottom on the screen, but no disk drives showed up when I typed "df" after I inserted an SD card, and the spring loaded ejector didn't work so I had to pull it out with my fingernails. Again, I expect this kind of software and hardware stuff to be fixed in later versions -- that's why they're doing this beta test: to shake out problems like that.
The antennas are very cute, and give it an anthropomorphic look like a puppy dog's ears, that I think kids will dig. (Somebody's got to port XEyes, XNose and XMouth to OLCP so it has a face, to complete the look!) It took me a minute or so to figure out that they also function as latches to allow the screen to be opened. I was excited to open the screen the first time I saw it, but I was careful because didn't want to hurt it -- however, kids might break something by trying to pry the screen open before they figure out you have to rotate both antennas to unlatch the screen. I'm afraid that they might get broken off easily, and they're kind of clumsy when then laptop is in "book mode", if you don't tuck them in by opening the screen a bit so they will rotate around to their closed position. They don't latch the screen closed over the keyboard in book mode. When in laptop mode, the screen does not fold back as far as would be convenient. If you want to use a USB mouse or other USB device, external microphone or headphones, you must open up one or both of the antennae, which makes it more possible that they might get broken off.
The screen is amazing. It's quite small, but extremely high resolution (200 dots per inch). The application I'm porting was designed for a large workstation screen, and it comes up with the text and graphics looking very tiny, but quite sharp. By default the display runs in 16 bit mode, at a resolution of 1200 x 900 (201x201 dots per inch resolution according to xdpyinfo). The supported depths are 16, 1, 4, 8, 15, 24 and 32.
There are buttons on the keyboard that switch the display between color and monochrome mode, and control the brightness. The monochrome mode is handled by hardware -- the X server still thinks it's in 16 bit color mode, and the colors are translated to gray scales. However some of the monochrome gray levels show up as weird colors or diagonal cross hatching, unless the brightness is turned all the way down.
Anywhere it
Take a look and feel free: http://www.PieMenu.com
Now, what if you can't find a site on google, but you know the address. How do you get to the site without an address bar?!
If you're in a 3rd-world country, and this is the only computer you have access to, your reality becomes essentially limited by Google. As long as something doesn't exist on Google, it doesn't exist in your world. Behold, the google conspiracy!!!!!!!!!
(other questions: can you change the homepage; can you install a different browser... can you use the eToys scripting button to recreate an actual browser?)
Personally, I don't find it easy to use at all. When it first boots up, you get a screen with a little symbol in the front. Clicking it does nothing. Eventually, if you happen to leave your cursor on the side of the screen, a little thing will pop up. You then have a few strange, ambiguous, unlabeled icons. Only one of them really indicates what it does (the chat one), and it probably wouldn't to people who had never seen a computer.
Even if you figure out what those buttons do, the interface is very tedious. The only way to switch "activities" is to move your cursor to the side, wait, click a little, unlabeled button, and click another unlabeled, ambiguous button. In other systems you just click the (I'll admit, likely unlabeled) button on the taskbar/dock. It might seem like I'm complaining over nothing, but trying to, say, take notes off a web page in abiword would take much longer than with with a book, paper, and pencil, even assuming the person using it could type (unlikely).
How is this easier than GNOME, KDE, Aqua, XFCE, or even Windows?
Stupidity is like nuclear power, it can be used for good or evil. And you don't want to get any on you.
Will it have AntiVirus software, Firewall, Parental filtering etc in it?
I know I am sceptical as to the real benefits of the One Laptop Per Child project as to it's contribution to fighting poverty in the world. It is possible for some time to download the virtual image of the OLPC Linux version and I decided to give it a test drive. The main criterium I looked for wass desktop usability. Does it make sense and will it make life easier on the kids that have to work with it.
The main screen looks okay, but navigating it is very awkward. You have to move the mouse to the top and only then the dark grey menu bar appears. Then you have to move around the edges to get to the bottom where the applications are located. The buttons in the top left corner deal with various screen layout options. One option allows you to set all applications to the center of the screen.
Then you realize there are actually only five applciations available: an RSS feed, a chat program, a program that identifies itself with a drum but that doesn't make sense initially and Abiword. Strange enough the webbrowser is not loaded in the center screen option, but it is there.
That's it. Five applications, three of which you need an internet connection for.
Abiword is already a very light and versatile word processor and adding it to the OLPC really makes sense. But why does it have to be an extremely stripped version of Abiword. Even the complete version leaves a very small footprint. And where is the ubiquitous spreadsheet program? Is it not necessary for the kids in poor countries to be able to calculate?
The inclusion of the webbrowser does make sense, but you can only hope that the schools or the villages are willing to spend some money on a decent internet connection. Since you can hardly expect that, it leads to the conclusion that the disk space spend on chat and the RSS feeds has been wasted.
The overall usability is low. Very low. The interface and the icons are far from intuitive. And, for heavens sake, who decided that purple, light grey and dark grey are attractive colors for children? That team should have been sent to the likes of Toys R Us.
Nope, this interface and the choice of applications only add to my scepticism. The idea behind the project might have been good, but in the end it is disappointing.
"I know I am sceptical as to the real benefits of the One Laptop Per Child project as to it's contribution to fighting poverty in the world"
OLPC was never meant to fight poverty in the world, what is does do is provide low cost technology to people who could otherwize never afford it.
"Does it make sense and will it make life easier on the kids that have to work with it"
That remark smacks of white mans burden. Since when will working a computer make life difficult for these kids. If they are like kids elsewhere, they will end up teaching the adults how to use it.
"Then you realize there are actually only five applciations available"
What's stopping the 'natives' extending the system. After all they are not constrained by some licensing restriction.
was A noble idea, but lacking in proper execution (Score:1 OLPC FUD)
davecb5620@gmail.com
Wow, you must have a problem with race here. But let's focus on the arguments.
..
With the lack of a decent educational system where teachers are both sufficiently enumerated and equiped with regular educational tools I fail to see why the distribution of low cost technology would actually benefit the kids. "Low cost" is a relative term, since the $ 150 the OLPC is going to cost would constitute an annual income for the parent in quite a numberof countries. Yes, for us in the richer part of the world that kind of money would be peanuts.
True, there are no licensing restrictions so local developers can do whatever they like with the software. But... will there be an extensive training for local developers? And who is going to maintain the whole thing? And, with the specifics of the hardware in mind, will it even be possible to hack a more complete package on the OLPC box? Are all the hardware specs open source as well? See, having the permission to do something doesn't actually mean it is feasable. Out of the box the OLPC has only five applications, three of which require an internet connection. A default Google page is nice, but I don't consider that a proper replacement for real educational tools.
Bridging the digital divide is a great goal in life and I can only support any real attempt to make that happen. Is the OLPC going to contribute to that? I hope so, but I was and am disappointed by what OLPC is providing right now.
Was OLPC FUD
Wow, you must have a problem with race here. But let's focus on the arguments.
..
How dare you accuse me of racism. It's me who is arguing that the locals can manage enough and it's you who is saying thay can't handle the new fangled technology.
With the lack of a decent educational system..
You're doing it again, it's you who seems to have a problem imagining the 'poor' part of the world being able to manage their own technology. Your's is the same kind of argument put forward by the British when they were forced to hand over control of the Suez canal. You see the locals wouldn't be able to run it without the advanced west. That you pretend to not understand what I meant and accuse me of racism just shows you and your whole specious argument up for what it really is.
Key FUD terms:
extensive training, lack of a decent educational system, real educational tools, regular educational tools, sufficiently enumerated, the digital divide
Arguments, not race (Score:1)
davecb5620@gmail.com
I am not accusing anyone of rascism, but you brought the issue of race into the argument.
..
Anyway, if you have some time at hand I can encourage you to read Robert Chamber's "Putting the last first". He gives an interesting insight into why many projects directed at the poorer countries of the world actually fail. In short, it the bias of western specialists focusing on high-technology development, big center oriented and easily accessible locations. There is some more to his arguments, but this will suffice. His key question is: Does anyone actually ask the people there what they want and why? He doesn't stop there, because he also challenges the way we ask it. What does this have to do with the OLPC project?
For me, it is the Green Revolution all over, in a new digital jacket. It will put a strain on limited resources in countries where education is hardly a top priority. Just check public and private spending in the poorest countries of the planet. When teachers are forced to look for side-jobs in order to feed themselves and their families I feel it in my right to promote proper pay for them. When teachers do not have school books or other educational tools I feel it in my right to promote that children get access to that first. No FUD, but a reality in the poorest and not so poorest countries of this planet. I was responsible for educational innovation in a small country, where the middle aged teachers were still using the same books they themselves used when they were kids. Those teachers and kids need new books, no new toys. Unfortunately, the richer part of this world was unwilling to donate/loan $ 350 mln over a ten year period which would have been sufficient to upgrade the whole primary, secundary and higher education, including the buildings, the teachers and the educational tools. So when I promote a decent educational system I know exactly what I am talking about. Decent meaning tailored to the real needs of the country and the people, to make them more self relient, a system that is not a runway to higher education in the west.
Now, one other thing we should keep in mind: not all countries and parts of countries are alike. When Lybia and Argentina decide to buy the OLPC that is different from -lets say- the Central African Republic or the rural area of Liberia. Where you focus on big cities with their accumulation of intellectual capital I am confident you will find the expertise needed to maintain and upgrade OLPC boxes. It's the other areas I am worried about.
was yet more OLPC FUD
The poster above was not talking about race. I suppose the benefit of a British Commonwealth education (eg. Australia to Zambia) or even listening to the Goon Show is that the "white man's burden" comment above is recognised as a historical reference to the responsibilities of colonial government. It is not a racist phrase just because the word "white" is part of it - it has a context. I'm not being racist when I order coffee or buy paint either.
Another thing to remember is that these computers ARE books and are a cheaper way of getting a library into a small community.