[geeks] OLPCs for sale...

[Lionel Peterson]

>From: Dan Sikorski <me at dansikorski.com>
>Date: 2007/11/16 Fri AM 09:03:01 CST
>To: The Geeks List <geeks at sunhelp.org>
>Subject: Re: [geeks] OLPCs for sale...

>Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote:
>> On Fri, Nov 16, 2007 at 07:23:15AM -0600, Lionel Peterson wrote:
>>   
>>> Negroponte likes to point out that the family can use it as a light source at 
>>> night, since they don't have electricity in their homes... Really, this is 
>>> what he said on 60 Minutes. I was floored - why not send them small solar 
>>> panels with rechargeable batteries and an LED light array? I would probably 
>>> cost, oh, about a hundred some dollars less than a freakin laptop!
>>>     
>>
>> Because with the software and education they are getting that's all
>> they can do. :-(
>>   
>I can't really understand why people here are trying to slam the OLPC 
>from every possible angle.  Can you really make fun of Negroponte for 
>trying something different to improve the lives of children?


I'm not slamming the OLPC, I took issue with several of their initial requirements/assumptions:

 - their OLPC had no place in the developed world
 - the magic of a personal computer would suddenly improve life in 3rd world countries
 - We'll only talk to folks willing to buy 1 Million units at at time
 - You can only run our software on the laptops
etc...

I think the arrogance of the organization to dictate from Harvard Square in MA what the needs of the folks around the world are and how they should be addressed was amazing.

I *much* prefer the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation approach - they address real-world problems with proven answers (i.e. vaccines, clean drinking water, etc.). The $100 laptop appeals to techie motivations (my TRS-80 cahnged my life, maybe the OLPC can do the same for the kid in India - here's my $400).
 
>Are the laptops perfect and a solution to all of the world's problems?  
>No.  Will there be enough of them for every underprivileged child in the 
>world?  No.  Will the laptops provide food, shelter, immunization, and 
>clean water for them?  No.  But regardless of how the laptops are used, 
>they have made a monumental effort to improve the lives of the people 
>they are giving the laptops to.  Would the LED light work better as a 
>light source? You bet, but none of us would be talking about this, or 
>participating in the "give one, get one" program if they were making 
>solar LED lights.  There are already efforts to provide the necessities 
>for the children getting the laptops, so why duplicate the efforts of 
>those charities?  Negroponte is aiming to do something different, and 
>attract charitable donations from different sources.  Based on the fact 
>that they are actually shipping these laptops, I would guess that it 
>must be a successful effort.  

They are not shipping laptops yet and I think they have one country, Rwanda, that signed on back in Jan., 2007 AFAIK

Lionel