Waiting for the 100$ laptop

edwardseco · Dec 25th, 2007, 00:59

Excellent reply Diana, in wit and judgement it suits thy name..

Harrison76 · Dec 25th, 2007, 06:56

I just bought one of these XO laptops through the "Give one get one" program (you buy two laptops, one gets donated). It's a great little device and I considered using it as my travel laptop. I've decided to bring my macbook pro and cameras and lenses and microphones and steadicam and ..... I'll just hand this XO over to a school or orphanage once I'm in India.

Aishah · Dec 25th, 2007, 16:08

What a great idea! And check out the school or orphanage to make sure there is an adult, teacher or assistant, who can fully supervise, use and encourage the children with it. The adult should have sufficient knowledge of computers to do this.

70s-80s overlander · Dec 26th, 2007, 03:57

Either now -- or later, once you are in India -- try to give us an "Indian eye-view" of the "$100 laptop". Does it indeed seem like it can survive in dust & in dampness? Does it indeed seem fairly indestructible during average classroom use by an average Indian school kid? Can you make an estimate of about what age an Indian kid would need to be to figure out how, with minimal if any guidance, how to use it?

Diana · Dec 27th, 2007, 09:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harrison76

..... I'll just hand this XO over to a school or orphanage once I'm in India.

Ooh! OoH! Pick me! Pick Me! *Waves hand up in air* I've a school in Kerala. Struggling and non-profit and full of the most adorable little kids with disabilities who would just LOVE to test out the XO for you! (Crash Test that is.

)

BTW, what is the "Give one get one" program of which you speak?

edwardseco · Dec 30th, 2007, 10:55

Essentially you buy 2 but one is for donation. The nice edge is that you get a tax deduction for the one you donate. I don't know if that applies to units you get to deliver as donations.
400 USD cost
-200 USD deduction @ 50% tax rate or 100
____
300 net cost..

nycank · Jan 2nd, 2008, 00:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by edwardseco

Essentially you buy 2 but one is for donation. The nice edge is that you get a tax deduction for the one you donate. I don't know if that applies to units you get to deliver as donations.
400 USD cost
-200 USD deduction @ 50% tax rate or 100
____
300 net cost..

My calculations are slightly diferent -

paypal Bill 423.95
Deductions - 200.
1yr T-mobile
Free Hotspot - 360

So I come ahead about 136.05 give or take few bucks here and there

edwardseco · Jan 2nd, 2008, 01:35

Nice deal, haven't seen this one. Haven't used the T mobile though its advertised at Borders..

edwardseco · Jan 5th, 2008, 11:18

Yet another article, this one a bit alarming..http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7171201.stm

Aishah · Jan 5th, 2008, 15:31

Alarming, yes - nothing altruistic here, all about big companies and money..

70s-80s overlander · Jan 6th, 2008, 21:31

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/c...544540.s tory

Quote:

Peru's head of educational technology, Oscar Becerra, is betting the One Laptop program can reverse that rural exodus to the squalor of Lima's shantytowns, four hours away.

It's the best answer yet to "a global crisis of education" in which curricula have no relevance, he said. "If we make education pertinent, something the student enjoys, then it won't matter if the classroom's walls are straw or the students are sitting on fruit boxes."

Indeed, Arahuay's elementary school population rose by 10 when families learned the laptop pilot was coming, said Guillermo Lazo, the school's director.

The XOs that Peru is buying will be distributed to pupils in 9,000 elementary schools from the Pacific to the Amazon basin, where a single teacher serves all grades, Becerra said.

*** See also the Wiki re the Peru experiment. Scroll down to the end for the very interesting comments by the teachers about the impact of the program on their students -- and about the technical issues encountered in a rural environment.
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_Peru/Arahuay

gautam · Jan 6th, 2008, 22:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by edwardseco

Yet another article, this one a bit alarming..http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7171201.stm

Read that too in newspapers the other day. Intel is supposed to be a major contributor for OLPC programme..
I hope this does not end things here

Diana · Jan 9th, 2008, 01:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by edwardseco

Yet another article, this one a bit alarming..http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7171201.stm

*Big Long Sigh*

I read somewhere earlier how the maker of the chip (AMD?) had a falling out with the OLPC group as they wanted guarantees that a gazillion of these would be sold to governments so they (AMD?) would make a juicy profit off their chip technology. That guarantee not forth-coming (for obvious reasons) the bailed and started promoting their chip technology at cut rates in an obvious attempt to crash the OLPC program (their former ally, now competitor).

The Intel jumps ship as they don't want to put all their money on one horse - and a "charity" horse at that. Hey, it's all about the money...er..the kids. Yeah, the kids, that's right.

In other words, Business As Usual.

The project looks doomed and when it fails who do you think will get he blame? Greedy businesses for those flaky philanthropists?

edwardseco · Jan 9th, 2008, 09:54

Intersting analysis, very insightful..

edwardseco · Jan 9th, 2008, 09:55

I understand that the organization wanted a very restrictive commitment from Intel not to compete and that wasn't likely to happen..

Dec 25th, 2007, 06:56	#77
Harrison76 Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Roaming the planet Posts: 1	Just got my XO yesterday I just bought one of these XO laptops through the "Give one get one" program (you buy two laptops, one gets donated). It's a great little device and I considered using it as my travel laptop. I've decided to bring my macbook pro and cameras and lenses and microphones and steadicam and ..... I'll just hand this XO over to a school or orphanage once I'm in India.

Dec 25th, 2007, 16:08	#78
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 5,002	What a great idea! And check out the school or orphanage to make sure there is an adult, teacher or assistant, who can fully supervise, use and encourage the children with it. The adult should have sufficient knowledge of computers to do this. __________________ "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."

Dec 26th, 2007, 03:57	#79
70s-80s overlander 70s-80s overlander Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: chicago,il,usa Posts: 152	We're eagerly awaiting your feedback about CHILD-use of the "$100 laptop" Either now -- or later, once you are in India -- try to give us an "Indian eye-view" of the "$100 laptop". Does it indeed seem like it can survive in dust & in dampness? Does it indeed seem fairly indestructible during average classroom use by an average Indian school kid? Can you make an estimate of about what age an Indian kid would need to be to figure out how, with minimal if any guidance, how to use it? Last edited by 70s-80s overlander : Dec 26th, 2007 at 03:59. Reason: corrected typos

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
What does '100% power backup' mean to you?	gertie	Property in India	8	May 17th, 2007 00:24
100!!	wandering_kat	Chai and Chat	8	May 3rd, 2005 10:51
100% praise to this forum	cuero123	Chai and Chat	1	Feb 22nd, 2005 21:49
Waiting for the off!	torryquine	Introduce Yourself	2	Nov 20th, 2004 16:41
100% Deet?	Bumpy Jonas	Health and Well Being in India	20	Apr 3rd, 2004 07:27

Dec 25th, 2007, 00:59	#76
edwardseco Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Land that shakes and bakes. Posts: 3,923	Excellent reply Diana, in wit and judgement it suits thy name..

Dec 30th, 2007, 10:55	#81
edwardseco Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Land that shakes and bakes. Posts: 3,923	Essentially you buy 2 but one is for donation. The nice edge is that you get a tax deduction for the one you donate. I don't know if that applies to units you get to deliver as donations. 400 USD cost -200 USD deduction @ 50% tax rate or 100 ____ 300 net cost..

Jan 2nd, 2008, 01:35	#83
edwardseco Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Land that shakes and bakes. Posts: 3,923	Nice deal, haven't seen this one. Haven't used the T mobile though its advertised at Borders..

Jan 5th, 2008, 11:18	#84
edwardseco Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Land that shakes and bakes. Posts: 3,923	Yet another article, this one a bit alarming..http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7171201.stm

Jan 5th, 2008, 15:31	#85
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 5,002	Alarming, yes - nothing altruistic here, all about big companies and money..

Jan 9th, 2008, 09:54	#89
edwardseco Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Land that shakes and bakes. Posts: 3,923	Intersting analysis, very insightful..

Jan 9th, 2008, 09:55	#90
edwardseco Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Land that shakes and bakes. Posts: 3,923	I understand that the organization wanted a very restrictive commitment from Intel not to compete and that wasn't likely to happen..

User Name		Remember Me?
Password