one laptop,one child

General discussion about PLUC and Linux in Pakistan.
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osmansiddiq
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one laptop,one child

Post by osmansiddiq »

What's so bad about a $100 laptop?
http://trends.newsforge.com/trends/06/0 ... 3241.shtml

Miller also makes the good point that, despite what MIT Media Lab professor Nicholas Negroponte and father of the One Laptop per Child initiative has said, it may very well cost more than a $100. Still, putting a laptop that's as cheap as possible into the hands of children is a laudable goal.

Linux will be powering these basic laptops, and an entire generation of third world people will grow up knowing Linux before Windows?
osmansiddiq
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Post by osmansiddiq »

I think the author has a lot of good points to make. First of all, it is a good idea to charge people something for these laptops, otherwise they won't treat them the same way.

remember yellow cab by nawaz sharif ,i can still see a lot of them rotting abondoned etc, but the current lease by bank method is working great

How will these be marketed?
The laptops will be sold to governments and issued to children by schools on a basis of one laptop per child. Initial discussions have been held with China, India, Brazil, Argentina, Egypt, Nigeria, and Thailand. An additional, modest allocation of machines will be used to seed developer communities in a number of other countries. A commercial version of the machine will be explored in parallel.
for full q&a
http://laptop.org/faq.html

Besides - I would also want to get one of those $100 laptops :wink:
lambda
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Post by lambda »

osmansiddiq wrote:Besides - I would also want to get one of those $100 laptops :wink:
they're very underpowered.
phoenix
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Post by phoenix »

they're very underpowered.

better than not having a laptop at all.
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Pakistan - Kashmir
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osmansiddiq
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Negroponte: 'Software is too fat'

Post by osmansiddiq »

Negroponte: Slimmer Linux needed for $100 laptop

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/applic ... 232,00.htm
and
$100 Laptop: Great for the world, great for Linux
http://insight.zdnet.co.uk/software/lin ... 162,00.htm
also
Editor's Notes From the Road: Laptop for World's Children: Priceless
http://www.linuxtoday.com/news/2006040401926OPPBEV
osmansiddiq
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New OLPC : 500 MHz, 128MB RAM, Windows CE and no hand crank

Post by osmansiddiq »

New OLPC deets: 500 MHz, 128MB RAM, Windows CE and no hand crank

Posted Apr 4th 2006 2:57PM by Marc Perton
Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops

Given that a number of companies have been boasting of their computing plans for the developing world in recent weeks, it's kind of a relief to see Nicholas Negroponte back in the spotlight talking up the One Laptop Per Child project. Especially when he's willing to be so free with the box's specs. Speaking at the LinuxWorld conference in Boston, Negroponte shed some light on his plans for the OLPC, including more concrete specs than we've seen before. The mini-laptop will be powered by a 500 MHz AMD processor, will have 128MB RAM and 512MB of flash memory for storage. It'll also include an LCD display that will switch from an 1180x830 black-and-white mode for daylight viewing to 640x480 color for indoor use. He also revealed that, despite Bill Gates' reservations about the OLPC project, Negroponte is working with Microsoft on a version of Windows CE that will work on the computer. Negroponte also said the laptops will be extremely stingy when it comes to power consumption, using just 2 watts, one of which will run the display. However, despite that low power, he said that one of the most recognizable features of the original OLPC prototype (above), its handcrank, will have to go -- not because it can't generate enough power, but because it would put too much stress on the box (more recent prototypes have already jettisoned the crank). However, an adapter to allow the machine to run on pedal power is planned. Negroponte also had some bad news for his hosts at LinuxWorld (as if anything could be worse than saying he supports Windows CE): he said the penguin OS is as bloated as Windows, and will need to slim down to run on the OLPC. We suspect that his words didn't go over very well -- and that a half-dozen open-source projects to shrink Linux down to size were started within an hour.

According to Engadget the One Laptop Per Child project won't go with Linux at all.

"despite Bill Gates' reservations about the OLPC project, Negroponte is working with Microsoft on a version of Windows CE that will work on the computer"

Could this be why the change of heart?
Negroponte: Slimmer Linux needed for $100 laptop
asaf
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OLPC (One Laptop Per Child)

Post by asaf »

The OLPC is a great project that will bring about a positive change in the lives of school children in the developing countries. The project is on track and production will begin shortly. The sad thing is that Pakistan has missed the opportunity of becoming a recepient of these laptops.

OLPC requires an official request from a country wishing to receive these machines. The date has already passed and a number of countries including India, Egypt, Nigeria and Brazil will be receiving these machines by 2007.

Secondly, these laptops will be given to the governments directly for distribution among local schools. These laptops can not be sold or purchased. OLPC is a non-profit organisation and aims to reduce the "digital divide" through this project.

A few weeks back I sent a letter to the president's website urging him to submit a request with OLPC on behalf of the GOP. However, there has been no response so far.


Asaf Maruf
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Asaf Maruf Ali
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lambda
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Re: OLPC (One Laptop Per Child)

Post by lambda »

i wonder if it would've been more appropriate to send a message to the government directly (the pm's web site, or something like that). after all, they are the "government" (the president is just the head of state), and it is their primary responsibility to respond to such proposals.

speaking of which, is there a web site with details about members of the national assembly? i tried searching for it, but couldn't find anything.
asaf
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OLPC

Post by asaf »

Hello Lambda

Actually i submitted an online letter at www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk website but just noticed that the last letter that was responded to was in september 2005.


And yes it is the govenment's responsibility to keep tabs on such forums and to act in time.


Asaf
Asaf Maruf Ali
PING Systems
Network Security-Linux-Consulting
605, 6th Floor,
Clifton Centre, Block 5,
Clifton, Karachi-75600
Pakistan
Tel # 5872438, 5868275, 5833971-2
Fax # 5868927
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