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Novel OS Drives the '$100 laptop'
jrwr00 writes with a link to a CNN story about the $100 laptop's unique operating system. We've discussed the OLPC's UI before but the article offers a few new piece of information on the project, which is expected to roll out this year. From the article: "The XO machines are still being tweaked, and [OLPC UI] Sugar isn't expected to be tested by any kids until February. By July or so, several million are expected to reach Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Nigeria, Libya, Pakistan, Thailand and the Palestinian territory. Negroponte said three more African countries might sign on in the next two weeks. The Inter-American Development Bank is trying to get the laptops to multiple Central American countries."
You can't expect any commitment from a coward like him.
Personally I think the whole $100 laptop thing is a huge marketing gimmick to prime the populations of third-world countries for consumerism (Linux aside, $100 cost aside, it still falls victim to engineered obsolescence). You and I can do a lot more by donating to charities or 'adopting' a child through a group like World Vision.
I used to work for an electronics recycling company, whose business was increasing partially because of SB20 and SB50 and partially because a lot of companies were no longer being allowed to ship their junk computers (many components of which are toxic waste) to third-world countries to be disposed of or scrapped, as opposed to properly recycled stateside, for a fee. We got all kinds of junk, from Dreamworks to Viewsonic, but I couldn't handle the third-world pay anymore.
I think the "OLPC" is just a first wave in a new corporate strategy to "legitimately" dump difficult-to-dispose-of old hardware and then sell new hardware in developing countries.
I may make you feel, but I can't make you think.
By July or so, several million are expected to reach Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Nigeria, Libya, Pakistan, Thailand and the Palestinian territory.
Oh, fantastic... There goes my hard-earned taxpayer money.
Nothing like a populist solution for a stuctural problem.
You have to realise that this is not a "computer" in the sense that you think of one.
This is an abnormally large cellphone. Its feature set is roughly equivalent to what you'd find on a modern 'smart' phone.
They don't market it like that because you'd have a hard time justifying giving free cellphones away to kids as a way of improving their lives. They sell it as a 'laptop', even though it really isn't what people think of when they use the term. It could never survive in a free market - this is a monopoly-based device. Like any device targeting a monopoly market, it is less than ideal.
Frankly, I think the OLPC project's vision is rather small. It could have been so much more.
But hey, you know what they say - give a man a fish, and he'll be fed today. Teach a man how to fish, and he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day. For some reason, people think that is an appropriate objective, and aim no higher.
Computers have so much more to offer than that.
Like inexpensive, never-ending pr0n!!
I have something in common with Stephen Hawking...
This laptops are for CHILDREN, you sick fuck.
Obama likes poor people so much, he wants to make more of them.
In Nigeria, Malaysia etc, I expect Muslim fundimentalists to take them all away.
No doubt they will all end up being used to train Al Qa'eda recruits in computer skills.
Yay.