The One Laptop per Child project will make Linux as popular on the desktop as it is on the server today, according to Nicholas Negroponte, head of the project and co-founder of the MIT Media Laboratory. Speaking on the final day of Red Hat’s annual user summit, Negroponte told an audience of Linux enthusiasts and technology professionals that the OLPC project will lead to mass adoption of the operating system, if the software that powers it is efficient and usable enough.
The One Laptop Per Child project won’t directly impact “desktop linux” as we know it. The reason the entire software stack is OSS is so the children can learn software development and hack on the code themselves. Instead of desktop Linux, it will increase the number of developers working on Linux based software which in turn increases the number of users on desktop Linux…
Redhat is spending millions of dollars on this strategic initiative and will reap the reward in 10-15 years. Simply brilliant.
That project won’t impact anything. The OLPCs fit no one’s needs. It’s another one of those idealistic ventures that people “need” to do.
Kids will go back to Internet Cafes. They’re available all over Asia and Africa.
Get out of your bubble dude. Try going to one of these impovrished countries once and get over yourself.
Or is Microsoft and Intels plan of renting out PCs at inflated prices with time limitations and top-up cards a much more honest thing to do?
Edited 2006-06-02 22:58
“impovrished countries” all have Internet Cafes.
By reading your last sentence, it’s obvious that it must be you that is in a Bubble… Or more like an alternate reality. *sigh*
People can’t write software, and can’t educate themselves in Internet Cafes. Surfing the Net all day does not compare to owning a laptop running opensource software, designed as an education tool.
Frankly, your commercial lazy attitude disgusts me. But I don’t want to hear your opinion on that as well.
Kids will go back to Internet Cafes. They’re available all over Asia and Africa.
You’re kidding. I have to drive 45 minutes to an hour to find one right here in the backwoods, this the part of California that you don’t see in the movies.
Everyone is right to some extent.
On one hand, in California it may be hard to find an internet cafe, but that is probably because people can afford their own computer.
On the other hand, in the African countries I have been to internet cafes were easy to find, but that doesn’t mean that people don’t need their own affordable computers. Especially school aged children.
It has been my experience that internet cafes are easier to locate in poorer countries. After all anyone can afford to part with a few Kwacha/Shilling/Rand, but few can part with tens of thousands of that currency to get their own computer.
Therefore, despite the fact that computer access may be easy to get temporarily in less well off countries, there is still a very real need for people to be able to get their own affordable computers. Which will allow them to do much more than they could at an internet cafe, like homework and research.
there is still a very real need for people to be able to get their own affordable computers
That word; it does not mean what you think it means.
Oookay. That’s a pretty basic word with an acceptable definition of: (from the dictionary):
“low-cost, low-priced, cheap, inexpensive”
And that’s exactly how I meant it. It apparently doesn’t mean what you think it does. That or you just didn’t understand the post.
Note to self: sarcasm does not convey well on OSnews.
“inexpensive”, “impoverished”, and “$135US” form an oxymoron.
Reality check isle 12!
You have no idea what kids want.
Kids will go back to Internet Cafes. They’re available all over Asia and Africa.
There’s nothing like having your own puter:P
In the article, he talks about MSFT, INTL, etc. Is he trying to supply toys to 3rd world countries or to make the establishment mad? If it’s charity work, keep the politics out of it. If it’s business or politics, be a big boy and go sell the product (Unix derivatives are good enough to be sold.
Yo cannot keep politics out of charity work. There is a reason why charity is needed, and you cannot be oblivious to it, because *it has to be fixed*.
Politics and business are not exactly the same thing (at least some places outside the USA), or they certainly shouldn’t be.
“AMD is our partner, which means Intel is pissing on me… [snip] … if I am annoying Microsoft and Intel then I figure I am doing something right..”
Why is this guy intent on annoying a possible partner? Since ths software is built on Linux it seems like it would be highly portable to other architectures. As Intel has a lot of resources, it seems rather short-sighted to have it as an enemy.
Please, read around before spitting disinformation.
AMD is their partner because they have a highly integrated PC on a chip which uses remarkably little power. Do Intel have that? No, they don’t. Does that mean Intel puts OLPC on their list of enemies? Maybe, but that is Intel’s problem, and will have to be worked out later.
Redhat is their partner because they are willing to mold a powerful, complete desktop operating *environment* (os and apps) and fit it in the device *for free*. Does Microsoft have that possibility? Is it willing to do it for free? No an No. There you have it.
I’m not spitting disinformation and what you stated is irrelevant. AMD currently fits the needs of OLPC with their highly integrated, low-power PC on a chip. Even if Intel does not have this *currently* it could definitely be a strategic partner in the future.
It does appear they are interested in similar markets with their “Eduwise” product. Even though it is priced higher, if it is successful (or the OLPC is successful), I wouldn’t count out Intel to put additional R&D into these types of chips. I just feel it is bad business to state a company is “pissing on you” when (as far as I can see) they simply don’t have the product nor the _current_ desire to put out a product that would be customer specific and most likely have very little profit margin (possibly even a loss).
As far as Microsoft, once again, they don’t have a product that fits the needs of the MIT project. Linux and FOSS makes a much better fit as it is much more accessible to the target market (versus a freebie Windows but then $$$ for everything else..).
Didn’t they just announce like 2 days ago that it would be $130USD and not $100?
Actually you can buy them for $300 US from http://www.pledgebank.com/100laptop but only if 100,000 other people also pledge to buying one.
One of the commenters from the linked article on CNET points out that Fry’s was selling a $400 laptop last week.
Others have mentioned that these things won’t even be running standard Linux installs, but cut down versions tailored to the low end hardware specs.
What is the real educational gain to these people in developing nations by getting a crippled Linux distro on non-standard hardware?
<it>What is the real educational gain to these people in developing nations by getting a crippled Linux distro on non-standard hardware?</it>
Err.. That’s one damn nice lookin crippled desktop
http://www.0xdeadbeef.com/images/2006/05/23/img_2810.jpg
No, they are NOT using an off the shelf Liunux distro.
Negroponte, the head of the project (and guy in the original article) made the following comment:
“Suddenly it’s like a very fat person (who) uses most of the energy to move the fat. And Linux is no exception. Linux has gotten fat, too.”
Source: http://news.com.com/Negroponte+Slimmer+Linux+needed+for+100+laptop/…
That article is titled: “Slimmer Linux needed for $100 laptop”
The article you posted dates on April 10, 2006 while the linked picture display May 23rd, 2006 making the former outdated. If you have bothered to read the post I submitted, you would know the slim version of Linux distro (Fedora Core 5) is already running on this OLPC prototype.
If you have bothered to read the post I submitted…
So I say the laptop will be running a “crippled Linux distro” and you guys object to my comment and point out that it will be a “slim version of Linux distro (Fedora Core 5)”.
So a hacked version of Fedora Core 5 with no KDE or Gnome and many common applications removed is not “crippled”?
Well I guess now I know, thanks.
I don’t know why I bite, but …
The definition you are providing is anything but objective (and truthful)
Saying “A hacked version” you wrongly imply something very bad has beed done to it. “An adapted version” sounds a lot less agressive, though it is the same.
“with no KDE or Gnome” is a lie. There is Gnome.
Yo imply that “many common applications removed” is the same as “crippled”. Oh, please, this is not a computer for Fortune 500 CEOs; it is an instrument for children to learn with. Many common applications are unnecessary, or even undesirable in this context; many NEW applications will have to be developed for the OLPC to fulfill its EDUCATIONAL role. So, establishing a sensible app set for the OLPC is not “crippling” unix, it is “optimizing for the task”.
So you ask if “a hacked version of Fedora Core 5 with no KDE or Gnome and many common applications removed is not “crippled”.
I say that the OLPC has “an adapted version of Fedora sporting Gnome and a set of applications that is optimized for educational tasks”.
You ask “What is the real educational gain to these people in developing nations by getting a crippled Linux distro on non-standard hardware?”
I say “kids in developing nations will own portable computers loaded with an optimized Linux environment and educational applications and texts that will help their school system give them a good education while saving lots of money”.
It’s not crippled. The fact you remove something doesn’t make it crippled per definition.
Fedora works fine (when it works at all) without Gnome or KDE.
These $100…now $135+ laptops won’t be able to run a modern Gnome or KDE. Maybe he means that the $100 laptop will boost Fluxbox and Dillo.
These $100…now $135+ laptops won’t be able to run a modern Gnome or KDE. Maybe he means that the $100 laptop will boost Fluxbox and Dillo.
OLPC uses Sugar interface similar to Maemo from Nokia which is based of GTK engine.
http://www.0xdeadbeef.com/weblog/?p=200
Also check out the news about the existing on
http://www.osnews.com/comment.php?news_id=14701
“The project Im heading will be very successful!”, says a project head.
Stop the presses! This is big news!
</sarcasm>
Honestly though, I really don’t see this having much effect, or even being successful. The last thing I would think when looking at a third world child is “that kid needs a laptop”. The truth is, kids here in the first world can grow up just fine and fully productive and educated without ever actually owning a computer of their own. This whole thing sounds like a solution looking for a problem.
The fat person analogy for Windows was awsome though. I’ll have to remember that one!
<joke>
Why the OLPC doesn’t come with KDE?
Give up?
Because they would be sued for child abuse.
</joke>
Don’t take it seriosly.
KDE is great.
It would be cool if people donated old laptos (there is poeple getting rid of 1ghz Laptops) that woud be use full for this kind of task.
What would you do with laptop if there’s no electricity in your house?
IIRC These things have crank handles so you generate its power.
Edited 2006-06-03 01:42
The crank is gone it seems now.
Not all the countries that are asking for the OLPC are that poor, as an example take Argentina and Brazil..
Boost the linux in TExt mode.
i’ve ran KDE on a PIII 550 laptop with 128MB RAM with no problem,slow but no slower than WinXP on the same,also on an Intel Dotstation with a 300Celeron and 64 MB RAM”( now that is slow) but it’s what came on it,too bad Haiku is so far from being complete ,BeOS would rock on anything faster than a 400MHZ CPU,actually a lighter X window manager like they are running here would probably be just fine,now send my kid one so i can play with it LOL,after all this is appalachia here.Maybe bill gates should put DOS on a laptop and use MS BOB on it for a window manager,and just give the damn things away to poor children,my kid loved that stupid interface,it was like having a computer dollhouse for her.
According to Chistopher Blizzard, OLPC developer:
The machine itself is a pretty simple x86 machine. 500mhz processor, 128 meg of ram and a half a gig of flash for storage. There’s a decent amount of technical information in the laptop.org wiki.
The link below will give you an idea what the test board and the Sugar interface looks:
http://www.0xdeadbeef.com/weblog/?p=198#comments
As someone who grew up in Africa, I can say without a doubt that $100 is more than most families could afford to shell out for a laptop in 6 months. A $100 laptop is something of a luxury only the ‘rich’ can afford.
As someone pointed out above – many of these households don’t even have power. And the the majority of the ones that do, purchase the power on an as-needed basis using a cashcard to unlock power to the house.
There are many organizations that export old circa 486sx laptops to these regions for pennies.
Efforts could be much better spent developing an efficient hand-crank power source, universal battery retrofit/handcrank power system, or a stripped down linux distro that would run semi-efficiently on them.
Don’t get me wrong, this is a great effort. But sometimes people really need to stop and think.
As someone pointed out above – many of these households don’t even have power. And the the majority of the ones that do, purchase the power on an as-needed basis using a cashcard to unlock power to the house.
This project isn’t an solution to poverty but an great tool to bring information technology education to third world countries.
For the prize of one MacBook Pro you could equip an entire class.
Edited 2006-06-03 05:37
Don’t get me wrong, this is a great effort. But sometimes people really need to stop and think.
I was looking at your post and wondering the exact same thing. After only about 10 second I can come up with 5 different reasons why old 486 laptops would not be anywhere near as good as the current model they have in mind.
And yet you don’t tell about a single on. *sigh*
And yet you don’t tell about a single on. *sigh*
I wasnt even sure you were serious, but apparently you are so here goes…
1. A 486 would be *nowhere* near as powerful as the current CPU they have spec’ed
2. How many 486 laptops do you think can be upgraded to anywhere near 128MB of RAM? Answer; probably none of them. I’d be shocked if any that old could even hold 64MB.
(Trying to get usable Fedora Core 5 desktop to run on a config as mentioned in the above two points would be an exercise in futility. But if you dont believe me, you are free to prove yourself wrong by trying.)
3. The 486 laptops (obviously) use standard hard drives, whereas the others use much more rugged flash storage. Considering these laptops are for children, the more punishment they can take the better.
4. Using a wide range of various 486 era OEM model laptops would also vastly increase the support training costs. Instead of teaching someone how to fix just one type, you now have umpteen different ones.
It is painfully obvious to me that you have never lived in a 3rd world country, because if you did you would know that the extremely poor areas which make up the majority of the population are still using antiquated technology ‘circa’ 486 days. You will find that many schools do not even have electricity, or decent whiteboards. Many do not even have books.
Yet you crow on about 128mb ram and a 486 being too slow. Time for a reality check. Many of the schools in these impoverished areas *DO* use 486s. Windows 3.1 *STILL* works. In fact, here’s a kicker – many still use 286 and 386 desktops. As for maintenance, that is relatively cheap when the technology you are using has been given to you for free by aid organizations and neighbouring countries.
There are a few people in this thread that have made informed comments and it is quite easy to see which ones have actually lived in a 3rd world country and which ones are dreaming without taking into account basic necessities that these folks do not even have.
This project may fill a niche but it definitely will not provide *one* laptop *per* child.
because if you did you would know that the extremely poor areas which make up the majority of the population are still using antiquated technology ‘circa’ 486 days.
So what if they are? The USD100 laptop is still FAR superior.
Yet you crow on about 128mb ram and a 486 being too slow. Time for a reality check. Many of the schools in these impoverished areas *DO* use 486s. Windows 3.1 *STILL* works. In fact, here’s a kicker – many still use 286 and 386 desktops.
So what if they are? The USD100 laptop is still FAR superior.
As for maintenance, that is relatively cheap when the technology you are using has been given to you for free by aid organizations and neighbouring countries.
How do you maintain laptops for which the OEM who made it no longer makes parts for it? If it breaks and there are no parts, you have to get an entirely new laptop.
One model of laptop means stocking parts is EASY, and training a tech to service just one model vs. multi OEM models is also much faster and much cheaper.
There are a few people in this thread that have made informed comments and it is quite easy to see which ones have actually lived in a 3rd world country and which ones are dreaming without taking into account basic necessities that these folks do not even have.
Knowledge is a basic necessity.
Oh. Look. Then MIT AI^wMEDIA lab has announced YetAnotherProjectTheyWillNeverFinishAndNooneWants (YAPTWNFANW).
Nick has inherited from Marvin the ability to excite people by speaking in the future perfect tense, (as in, “in the future, it will be perfect.”)
At least the lab has stopped making their once-a-decade prediction that AI will put programmers out of business in ten years.
Doctor Negroponte should go to a five year stint in Africa in the Peace Corp, and then come back and tell us what to spend $100US on for poor children.
Seems kind of stupid without a crank.
I mean, yeah it broke, but that’s what testing is for.
They should have just tried to make it more durable instead of getting rid of it.
What are they supposed to do in homes/schools with no power?
Just hope someone runs a power pole or trucks in a generator?
I mean there are already hand crank radios and flash lights (torches) that work just fine.
yea, this year is the year of desktop linux blah blah …
after Dec 31, again this year is the year of desktop linux blah blah
The OLPC operating system will *not* be Fedora Core 5. It will share many Fedora Core technologies, but it is truly its own distribution. A lot of work is going into building a lightweight but powerful system. It won’t be crippled, but it will be scaled down to meet economic goals.
The intent with the OLPC initiative is to provide inexpensive systems that governments or private organizations can subsidize to put into the hands of children. The families are not expected to come up with $100. The technology will be prepared for the environment it is going into, with considerations for local availability of power, communications technology, etc.
The technology isn’t ready yet, and the early prototypes really don’t represent what the final project will be. The latest prototypes are the first to feature the OLPC motherboard in a working system. The final product will certainly look different and may have drastically different features. The project is developing at a healthy pace, and has enough support to ensure that the main goals will be reached.
Another goal is to provide something that is open and flexible, allowing for future generations of the systems that follow the times. Different manufacturers will be able to reuse the software and techniques that are developed, and some of the advancements may be sent upstream to help mainstream open source projects.
To learn more about the goals and status of the OLPC initiative, read up on it through the official resources:
http://laptop.org/
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/OLPC
Is it merely my imagination, or are there quite a few comments here from folks with no knowledge of who Nicholas Negroponte is / why his words are often taken seriously?
Browser: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 98; PalmSource/hspr-H102; Blazer/4.0) 16;320×320
There are certainly a few comments from folks who take Negroponte more seriously than he deserves, given his track record.
A show of hands… how many people here have actually visited a Third World country? I have — and a cheap laptop is the last thing that those kids need. How about addressing tough problems such as overflowing orphanages (due to the ravages of HIV/AIDS), illiteracy (who’s going to teach kids to read, so they can use those laptops?), civil war, poverty, inadequate food/water/shelter, malnutrition, theft of foreign aid, etc?? Because the reality is that these $100 laptops are going to be sold by kids in order to provide for basic needs which aren’t being met. Honestly, it’s baffling when smart people are so egocentric that they think that cheap tech trumps basic needs. It doesn’t. Not even close. I applaud people for wanting to make a difference. But make a difference where it counts. Not like this.
You have to realise that it’s not as simple as 1st world / 3rd World. There are people out there for whom the $100 laptop will be no use because it is too cheap. There are also people out there who will find it too expensive. But there are also many people who will be able to save up to provide their child/ren with a very real chance to improve his future prospects. It’s amazing what people will do to help their children get ahead.
A show of hands… how many people here have actually visited a Third World country?…
I asked that exact question at an OLPC event. The answer is that there is a spectrum of needs from the very poor to the well off in these countries. The OLPC is targeted in the middle of the range, other programs will serve the need of the very poor. OLPC machines won’t be distributed into populations that are so poor that they simply would be sold. Those groups get the water/food/medicine/safety programs first.
The presenter indicated that a primary use for the OLPC will be the replacement of physical text books in schools. Most countries are spending more than $100 providing text books. The OLPC eliminates that and allows update to date books in many languages to be distributed efficiently. That’s why they are spending so much effort on the highly readable B&W screen mode.
It was removed due to engineering problems, however the laptop will probably come with a foot pedal, which is a much more efficient solution than a hand crank (legs being stronger than arm, and the foot pedal being detached from the laptop).
Also, as far as I understand, kids won’t have to buy the laptop – it will be given to them. As for those who say that people in impoverished nations do not need laptops, but rather food and water, I’ll respond with the old saying: give a man a fish, you’ll feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, he’ll have food for life.
These laptops are not meant for third world countries but the more developed countries such as Brazil, Russia, India, and China. They’re planning to send these to countries that while the people aren’t starving they can’t afford to pay more than 200USD for a personal laptop for the family. I used to have a 486/33 with Windows 3.1 and there really wasn’t much that I couldn’t do with that PC that I can do with my P4/2.2GHz today.
I mean that computer could do web surfing (very slowly), word processing, basic computer games (Civ 2), and even software development. These laptops will have 500mhz processors and hopefully at least 128MB of RAM. Plus the version of Fedora running on them will be compiled specifically for them and they won’t be running every service known to man by default. They will also be running a special version of X.org with certain services removed by default to reduce overhead from what I understand. Hopefully they will try to create RPMs that can be easily created and installed for these and create a real third-party software base for these machines.
Also I think that they should sell these to fully developed economies for a profit in order to increase volume. I would like to have a rugged 200-300USD laptop.
…just like mopeds will make Formula 1 race cars as popular as Toyota Corollas on our public highway. Uh-huh.