Uruguay youngsters receive batch of OLPC XOs

Yeah, we've caught glimpses of the OLPC in action, but we've yet to see a group of school children get so hyped about receiving an educational tool like the 160 youngsters in Villa Cardal recently did. The relatively small Uruguayan town was thrown into a mild frenzy as a batch of shiny green and white OLPC XOs showed up to give the impressionable kiddos a taste of how learning should really be done. As promised, every child was gifted with their very own machine, and while we're not sure when the curriculum will be updated to account for them, we're giving the kids a slight edge on homework assignments for the time being. Needless to say, the experience is best described by photographs of the mayhem, so be sure to click on through for a few more select snaps, and hit the read link for the entire collection.

[Via Digg]

[Anonymous @ May 14th 2007 3:39PM]

First of all, where the hell IS Uruguay? Second, wait until they realize that they have to crank it, and that they surely can't afford to pay for the internet. So they've got a box, that they have to crank, that they can do little more than play solitaire and write documents on.

They'd have been better off with the food that the cost of the dumb thing could have bought them

[Casper Kao @ May 14th 2007 3:44PM]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uruguay

Right here!

[Nando @ May 14th 2007 3:45PM]

Uruguay is in South America. It's just below Brazil.

About being better off w/ food... You know that saying where it's better to teach someone how to fish rather than to feed them fish or some shit like that? Yeah, that applies here.

[JC @ May 14th 2007 3:46PM]

You sir, are an idiot.

Computer based learning is much cheaper and more accessible to third world countries than paper based (ie. books that you have to buy, paper, materials).

Second, have you even tried to use the release of the operating system? It allows for e-book reading, art, and other software. Not to mention it's Linux based, so future software upgrades will be free, and accessible.

Third, while I agree that food is an important thing to provide, we should provide these countries with a hand up, not a hand out. These OLPCs help to build an infrastructure for an educated population, not just one that waits in food lines waiting for their next meal.

[Mystro @ May 14th 2007 3:51PM]

@ 1st poster the Anonymous fool...your views have no value considering you dont even know where Uruguay is..actually i think you NEED one of those OLPC things MORE than they do!

[poxtomod @ May 14th 2007 3:56PM]

At the very least they will be able to access the internet at a community connect setup. With an open internet connection they will be able to read and study the history of various groups and foreign governments that have (and still are) subjugating them in poverty.
Then they will be able to read and follow Hugo Chavez's efforts to bring his country into the modern age, and they will dream. This dream will be viral and explode across the nation,until the power supply dwindles and they have to pull the cord again.

[l337virus @ May 14th 2007 4:07PM]

thats just sad that the first person that commented this blog posted that he dosent even know were Uruguay is looks like someone dint pay attention in class

but its cool to see countries receiving the OLPC
i think the whole concept of the OLPC is great it gives the opportunity of teaching a child from a third world nation to get proper education

[Cupajo @ May 14th 2007 4:06PM]

We'll see how how you feel about it in 20 years when you are working as a janitor for a company one of these kids owns.

[em-dash @ May 14th 2007 4:10PM]

Don't feed the trolls...

[Christian Martin @ May 14th 2007 8:58PM]

You were one of the extras in Deliverance, weren't you?

Go get some buk lerning.

[Jon @ May 14th 2007 4:38PM]

#1 = What a wanker.

Nice to see OLPC finally being filtered to the real world.

[Jean-Michel Decombe @ May 14th 2007 7:58PM]

Uruguayans probably do not need the food, since their land is about 85% agricultural. In fact, they may well teach many geeks in the Western world how to eat healthy, you know, like, direct from the farm? Naaah... you probably don't.

[John Doe @ May 14th 2007 11:12PM]

Dude go back to grade school. Your embarrassing yourself. Where is Uruguay? Good god man. Next you are going to tell me you don't know where China is.

[You know who @ May 15th 2007 7:05PM]

You may mean well but you know nothing about Uruguay.

95% literacy, #1, by far, in per capita exports of software in Latin America, least number of people living in poverty in Latin America in proposrtion to population, I could go on.

The laptops are welcome and yes Internet connections are relatively costly, but it is a start.

Your homework is to report back with useful info about Uruguay.

[David @ May 15th 2007 3:45AM]

First of all, where the hell IS Uruguay?

unfortunately, this is how the rest of the world see Americans, who seemingly have no knowledge whatsoever of anything outside of their state lines :(

[BatteryAcid @ May 18th 2007 10:51PM]

I sort of agree. Only they can't write docs because there is no printer.

[Pepe Real @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:34PM]

Yes, you are an idiot, but no, wait, you're actually an ignorant idiot... no, no, you're really a self-centered ignorant idiot, because you care so much about your belly button that you have no clue, not the slightest idea, not a glimmer of hope of ever finding out just how much you don't know... but the worst part of it all, is that your obnoxious behaviour actually reveals that you think you know a lot.... isn't that ironic? :)) (big smile).
Uruguay's telephone system is 100% digital (go check those stats for the rest of the world, including you're country) and I cant't get DSL in Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY, one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the city.
Uruguay will soon be the first country in South America to offer nation-wide UMTS-HSDPA wireless access - I'm talking about 3G data conectivity speeds for cellular phones, do you follow? If not, just google it.
Now you can go out and brag a little bit about Uruguay, and don't forget to write to your congressman demanding that the richest nation on earth provide the same services as the "lesser world".

[jhonny @ May 14th 2007 7:59PM]

Finally, I have been watching this story for what seems like forever, and its good to see some actual use.

[strider_mt2k @ May 14th 2007 4:18PM]

It's about kids getting tools for education in a modern world.

Now about educating some adults...

[jared @ May 14th 2007 4:49PM]

congrats to the OLPC folks for making their dream a reality.

[EDomain @ May 14th 2007 4:23PM]

I really think the OLPC is a great, great thing. How excited those kids look!!!! And they will be the ones writing all the new code for it a few years down the line....

this is really a great thing.

[Fernando @ May 14th 2007 4:32PM]

GREAT NEWS!! :)
i hope this can help to give better education to those kids. :)

[acm @ May 14th 2007 4:32PM]

...

[akijikan @ May 14th 2007 4:44PM]

why does engadget feel like /b/ today?

[Jim @ May 14th 2007 5:07PM]

Uruguay is not 3rd world; it's a modern developed country at a similar level to Argentina and shares much of the same cultural heritage. It's not at say Europien standards of living but not a Bolivia, either. Most folks who have lived there would think that kids exit high school much better prepared than in the US. If one walks down downtown streets, an Internet cafe is passed every other block, which are often open all night charging US$0.50 per hour. Many can not afford their own computer but still use e-mail to keep in touch. Notice that the class room, while modest, has large bright windows with drapes and tile floors. This is a place the this sort of program will have positive effect.

[Noshino @ May 14th 2007 7:15PM]

Almost every country I have been to on South America has better prepared people than the ones in the US, its sad to see tho that all that knowledge hasn't gotten them anywhere, and that the dumb-but-rich boys and girls are getting away with it.

Don't judge someone by the looks, you don't believe me, go and take a look by yourself, they got great mathematicians, technicians, doctors, artists, etc.

"Second, wait until they realize that they have to crank it, and that they surely can't afford to pay for the internet."

You do realize that you are paying for a piece of hardware that didn't cost to make nearly as much as what you paid and that was made/assembled by people for nearly a few bucks an hour.

You are the kind of people that make the US look worse everyday...(I should have included George Bush, but o' well :) )

[Andrew Fong @ May 14th 2007 5:14PM]

Already? The software still isn't ready -- I have one of the test systems and as of the latest build (406), power management software still has not been implemented. You can't run the thing longer than 20 minutes without plugging it in, especially if Wi-Fi is in.

[Garth @ May 14th 2007 5:44PM]

How soon will those XO's end up on the black market ?

[Anonymous @ May 14th 2007 5:40PM]

Akiijikan-

Because /b/ is down due to...uhh....well it's been colored over. And moot is very, very slow at fixing things.

But that has nothing to do with anon getting lulz from a dumb hand-crank operated junk box being force fed to children from Uruguay.

T-Minus 10 days until Uruguay finds 4chan, and then /b/, and the entire country will join our legion.

[Rodrigo @ May 14th 2007 6:38PM]

I live in Uruguay, also called "The Switzerland of America". We are, in average, much more educated than the average american people, yes, we dont have all the money you have, but also we have MUCH less problems....
Before writing like you did, please get informed.

[John Doe @ May 14th 2007 11:13PM]

Informed people have no business on the internet. You are talking crazy man! Crazy! ;-P

[Ines @ May 14th 2007 7:08PM]

To that Guy that asks where Uruguay is? if you had any brains, you would know and for your 411, Uruguay is Not a 3rd World country. Population is 100% more educated than they are here in the states, and any of those kids will probably know more than you do!!

[leep @ May 14th 2007 7:08PM]

Is no one going to make a "you are gay" comment?*

*note: I do not condone homophobia or gay bashing, just figured someone out there would have said it...

[Ines @ May 14th 2007 7:14PM]

i'm sure all these kids will truly appreciate the PCs, unlike spoiled kids here that they take things for granted

[German Taroco @ May 14th 2007 7:35PM]

I'm From URUGUAY! Hoorrayy...
In my countrie most of the public schools lacks from books, notebooks (paper), or even pencil. I know that some of the schools dont have BATHROOMS!
But our IDIOTIC President Think's it's a good idea to give Laptops... mh...
He's a moron!

[G$ @ May 15th 2007 4:19PM]

The OLPC XO takes care of the first three needs you mentioned - "books, notebooks (paper), or even pencil" - in an infinitely more connected, updated and reusable way.

[German Taroco @ May 15th 2007 5:39PM]

NO! It doesen't replace pencils or books.
And... when one of these gets broken... Mh??! How much time will a student be withouth his laptop???

[gabo @ May 14th 2007 11:25PM]

Hey I'm from uruguay, and we are not short of food, the OLPCs will do.

[Daikon @ May 14th 2007 8:54PM]

I wonder how long it will take for those kids to figure out how to sell their OLPCs on eBay...

[Nogami @ May 14th 2007 9:35PM]

Re: Selling the laptops (or having them stolen)

Which is why the laptops have a hardware-based authentication system. If the laptops are stolen, or taken out of range of the wireless authorization server at the school for a period of time (ie: a couple of weeks), they'll automatically lock themselves, and not unlock until they're returned to the school. Makes them sort of pointless to steal.

And before someone starts, yes, it's probably possible to crack it. And no, I don't think your average thief will be able to (or have the incentive to), and the computes can always be (automatically?) updated with new firmware if the existing security is ever broken.

[Rodrigo @ May 14th 2007 11:27PM]

I agree, our president is a moron...
With that money he could have done lots of great things.
But i insist, the average american doesnt have general culture, they only know the basic things about the world. The U.S.A. is no the world, is just another country. I cant believe the things i've read about my country here.
And they are not selling the pc's on ebay, only YOU think all the time about money, here we value another things.

[Austin @ May 14th 2007 11:14PM]

I've been to Uruguay! Of course i was kind of in a tourist trap town, and those kids don't even realize what all the internet is so they have pretty much nothing to compare those little green things to... and the way my electric bill is going I'm going to have to start figuring out some kind of crank for my MacBook.

[Anonymous @ May 14th 2007 11:18PM]

It's funny how no matter what country you name, someone will always say that the school system is alot better than the one in the United States =P. I think the guy that stated the schools in Uruguay "Lack for books, paper, and materials" was the only guy with a post that has any semblance of truth to it.

Sorry kids, but the US (Other than the south, boy are people dumb in the south) has one of the best schooling systems in the world. Not to mention that it's one of (if not the) highest volume schooling systems in the world. The United States puts out a higher volume of well-educated students than any other country on earth. But go ahead, compare us to a country with 1% of our population (Like some European countries) and tell us that our schooling system is a failure and that as a whole, we are a nation of uneducated dolts.

[CZ @ Sep 3rd 2009 4:04PM]

As an uruguayan-american who has spent time in both countries I feel compelled to clarify this point: there are no native-uruguayans. All urugayans are decendants of the spanish and the italians. Therefore their country is roughly comperable (in all but size) to the european countries of spanish and italy.

[Stephen Lambert @ Jun 3rd 2007 7:06PM]

This is an good discussion. It’s interesting what you all are saying about the impact of OLPC (One Laptop Per Child). It will help children in developing countries around the world. But it will also change the world of laptops forever. The marketpace will benefit, and I’m sure that every home in the developed world will have one. What is becoming clear is that the OLPC is a not the solution but a starting point for development. This project needs to be handled in a sensitive way. Different needs and cultures must be addressed properly. Only then will the OLPC project be a success. Right now is an exciting time for technology, particularly mobile technology covering laptops, mobile phones and PDAs. Also the web and they way they all work with the web. I get my laptops and peripherals from Portable Universe and I can thoroughly recommend them. The best thing for people to do is to talk to them, let them know what your needs are (both current and future) and they will come up with the best laptop for you. I also get blank DVDs there for my backup.
http://www.portableuniverse.co.uk