One Laptop Per Child

[FP]

Link

Pic

This could go in Hot Deals or Hardware but I was wondering if anyone plans on getting one of these? Basically you buy a laptop for a child and one for yourself ($400 total). The laptop is actually pretty cool. It can be charged without an outlet, has a really long run time, creates a mesh network for internet access and is extremely rugged.

Has anyone been able to play with one? A friend of mine was able to demo it a few months ago and loved it. A very cool geeky item.

 

[badkarma1399]

awsome. Now kids can surf Youtube and myspace instead of paying attention in class.

 

[Pliablemoose]

I dunno, call me selfish, but why would I want kids in another country to have an advantage?

Where the hell will I get my $2 underwear made if they're all busy writing code or trying to scam me?

 

[FP]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
I dunno, call me selfish, but why would I want kids in another country to have an advantage?

Where the hell will I get my $2 underwear made if they're all busy writing code or trying to scam me?

You can still be selfish... You get a pretty cool laptop for $400. Plus, I think the lack of clean water and sanitation systems still leaves us with a slight advantage, oh and you don't have to ride a stationary bike to get yours to work.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: binister

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
I dunno, call me selfish, but why would I want kids in another country to have an advantage?

Where the hell will I get my $2 underwear made if they're all busy writing code or trying to scam me?

You can still be selfish... You get a pretty cool laptop for $400. Plus, I think the lack of clean water and sanitation systems still leaves us with a slight advantage, oh and you don't have to ride a stationary bike to get yours to work.

Maybe the $200 for their laptop should go to that instead.

EDIT: Sorry to hate, I am being negative

 

[MixMasterTang]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
I dunno, call me selfish, but why would I want kids in another country to have an advantage?

Where the hell will I get my $2 underwear made if they're all busy writing code or trying to scam me?

Or you could be selfish in another way, and want more people working towards solving our world?s problems and you can start by offering a lot of people that could have genius potential an opportunity to learn with modern day tools and possibly become someone great. And you can do this while you selfishly drink beer while watching sports center and hope someone else is working on saving our planet. :beer:

 

[Pliablemoose]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: binister

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
I dunno, call me selfish, but why would I want kids in another country to have an advantage?

Where the hell will I get my $2 underwear made if they're all busy writing code or trying to scam me?

You can still be selfish... You get a pretty cool laptop for $400. Plus, I think the lack of clean water and sanitation systems still leaves us with a slight advantage, oh and you don't have to ride a stationary bike to get yours to work.

Maybe the $200 for their laptop should go to that instead.

EDIT: Sorry to hate, I am being negative

Yep, I see that as a win win for me, if they're healthy 12 year olds because of the better water & sanitation, they can make more $2 underwear for me, hell, Wal mart will get it down to $1.85 if they can turn out more/day.

:thumbsup:

 

[ponyo]

What a total waste of money.

 

[Gigantopithecus]

Any info about the specs? Given what I might use it for, it might be well worth $400. (Charity is against my principles. )

 

[Pliablemoose]

Originally posted by: MixMasterTang

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
I dunno, call me selfish, but why would I want kids in another country to have an advantage?

Where the hell will I get my $2 underwear made if they're all busy writing code or trying to scam me?

Or you could be selfish in another way, and want more people working towards solving our world?s problems and you can start by offering a lot of people that could have genius potential an opportunity to learn with modern day tools and possibly become someone great. And you can do this while you selfishly drink beer while watching sports center and hope someone else is working on saving our planet. :beer:

Perhaps the first shipment could go to Nigeria, I need more internationally sourced spam...

 

[FP]

Originally posted by: Gigantopithecus
Any info about the specs? Given what I might use it for, it might be well worth $400. (Charity is against my principles. )

Yep, full specs are here.

Hardware specs are here.

It runs a flavor of Fedora Core 6 which means it will be pretty easy to customize.

While I do think clean water would be more useful I also think access to a computer will provide a huge opportunity for these children. I personally became interested in computers after using my parent's TI-99 back in the day. It led to my career and started me down this path.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Originally posted by: binister

Originally posted by: Gigantopithecus
Any info about the specs? Given what I might use it for, it might be well worth $400. (Charity is against my principles. )

Yep, full specs are here.

Hardware specs are here.

It runs a flavor of Fedora Core 6 which means it will be pretty easy to customize.

While I do think clean water would be more useful I also think access to a computer will provide a huge opportunity for these children. I personally became interested in computers after using my parent's TI-99 back in the day. It led to my career and started me down this path.

Sigh, if you want to help disadvantaged children overseas, why not give them food, water & a school?

Seriously, if any of you want to donate some $, I'll hook you up with the redhead in this picture, or her organization Kaci, works for Dr's without borders...

 

[ultimatebob]

That OLPC laptop only has 256MB of RAM, a 433 MHz AMD CPU, and a puny 1 GB of flash storage. That's woefully underpowered for $200 laptop, let alone a $400 one!

Hell... I could probably pick up two older laptops on eBay that would run circles around these things for $400, plus I could install whatever OS I wanted on them.

 

[FP]

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
That OLPC laptop only has 256MB of RAM and 433 MHz AMD CPU, which is woefully underpowered for $400 or even a $200 computer!

Hell... I could probably pick up two older laptops on eBay that would run circles around these things for $400, plus I could install whatever OS I wanted on them.

Umm, perhaps you are missing the point. You are really buying 2 laptops for the $400.

Pliablemoose: While I agree that food/water are important, $200 (or even $10 million) isn't going to be installing water systems or feeding people for long but a laptop (or 50,000) might spark the mind that solves those problems.

Give a man a fish or teach him to fish...

 

[ultimatebob]

Besides... If you really wanted to help out starving kids in Africa, I'd recommend buying them GUNS. Perhaps they might stand a chance at defending themselves against the warlords that are terrorizing the area.

Most of the relief organizations like CARE and the Christian Children's Fund seem to overlook this in their ads. They spends millions of donated dollars to rebuild devastated villages, only to have them pillaged by the warlords again a few months later.

 

[warmodder]

Can you use this as a tax write-off and get a free laptop? I wouldn't mind having an ultra portable to take with me to class since all I do is use the internet anyway.

 

[ponyo]

Originally posted by: binister

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
That OLPC laptop only has 256MB of RAM and 433 MHz AMD CPU, which is woefully underpowered for $400 or even a $200 computer!

Hell... I could probably pick up two older laptops on eBay that would run circles around these things for $400, plus I could install whatever OS I wanted on them.

Umm, perhaps you are missing the point. You are really buying 2 laptops for the $400.

Pliablemoose: While I agree that food/water are important, $200 (or even $10 million) isn't going to be installing water systems or feeding people for long but a laptop (or 50,000) might spark the mind that solves those problems.

Give a man a fish or teach him to fish...

What good is a freaking POS laptop going to do them? You think playing with laptop is going give them ideas to solve their freeding or water problem? :roll: They could probably use used books, pencil, paper more than a stupid laptop. What a stupid idea and horrible waste of money.

 

[crumpet19]

So.. after they capitalize on each other and start trading these things for goats, do you think we'll see them for sale cheaper on ebay?

 

[ultimatebob]

Originally posted by: crumpet19
So.. after they capitalize on each other and start trading these things for goats, do you think we'll see them for sale cheaper on ebay?

Maybe... Would YOU be willing to purchase something on eBay from Nigeria, though?

 

[0roo0roo]

total a complete waste of money.

american children are swamped with computing power.

tell me... what do they use it for?

learnin the maths? or using myspace?

olpc is wasting poor countries money. its arrogant and unethical bullsh*t.

its so absurd its painful. they even thought of making a hand generator because they think some children using it won't even have basic stuff like electricity. so the governments in those countries should buy children laptops, when they can't even supply them with basic infrastructure? the problem is some rich geek wants to stroke his ego by changing the world and gaining fame. you don't gain fame by giving people electricity or textbooks, so bs like olpc happens instead. powerlines last for decades. olpc might last for a year before the kid drops it one too many times

 

[flashbacck]

Originally posted by: binister

Originally posted by: Gigantopithecus
Any info about the specs? Given what I might use it for, it might be well worth $400. (Charity is against my principles. )

Yep, full specs are here.

Hardware specs are here.

It runs a flavor of Fedora Core 6 which means it will be pretty easy to customize.

While I do think clean water would be more useful I also think access to a computer will provide a huge opportunity for these children. I personally became interested in computers after using my parent's TI-99 back in the day. It led to my career and started me down this path.

Any child in a third world country with an interest in electronics will not ever be able to develop it into a career because the infrastructure does not exist to support it. Additionally, how can anyone study for it if they must spend most of the day looking for food and water?

I don't think these countries can be developed by giving them more technology or gadgets. Technology might help with producing enough food, but what about corruption and roaming warlords? That's not exactly something you can throw money at to fix.

 

[flashbacck]

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
Besides... If you really wanted to help out starving kids in Africa, I'd recommend buying them GUNS. Perhaps they might stand a chance at defending themselves against the warlords that are terrorizing the area.

Most of the relief organizations like CARE and the Christian Children's Fund seem to overlook this in their ads. They spends millions of donated dollars to rebuild devastated villages, only to have them pillaged by the warlords again a few months later.

I was under the impression that guns were already readily available in Africa. Anyone know?

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: flashbacck

Originally posted by: binister

Originally posted by: Gigantopithecus
Any info about the specs? Given what I might use it for, it might be well worth $400. (Charity is against my principles. )

Yep, full specs are here.

Hardware specs are here.

It runs a flavor of Fedora Core 6 which means it will be pretty easy to customize.

While I do think clean water would be more useful I also think access to a computer will provide a huge opportunity for these children. I personally became interested in computers after using my parent's TI-99 back in the day. It led to my career and started me down this path.

Any child in a third world country with an interest in electronics will not ever be able to develop it into a career because the infrastructure does not exist to support it. Additionally, how can anyone study for it if they must spend most of the day looking for food and water?

I don't think these countries can be developed by giving them more technology or gadgets. Technology might help with producing enough food, but what about corruption and roaming warlords? That's not exactly something you can throw money at to fix.

bingo, people are missing the point of infrastructure. our wealth is built upon infrastructure built for the long term, whether it be the water projects that give us tap water, or our sewage system. stuff built by previous generations that we still enjoy. stuff that lasts. china knows this and its why its graduating so many engineers, to build its country from the ground up. skipping steps like with olpc just doesn't work.

 

[Xylitol]

I'd rather give those countries food before laptops. Plus - I don't want to give any money to foreign till my local problems and national problems
are solved with my tax money

 

[biggestmuff]

Sometimes people are too smart to be of any use. How about water sanitation, electricity or disease prevention education?

Oh those poor people! How can they live without an HD TV and HD player?!

Never mind that they're living in the dirt and getting dysentery eight times a year.