OLPC XO reviewed... by a twelve-year-old

Somehow, a twelve-year-old child has been given the opportunity to take the OLPC XO for a test drive, and we've got the blow-by-blow for you. The critic, named "SG," has spent a lifetime using computers, and claims that he / she had low expectations, but the XO took him / her "by surprise," calling the child-centric green laptop "cleverly designed, imaginative, [and] straightforward." The reviewer says that Negroponte's pet-project is "great for first time users," and lauds the PCs games and camera, as well as the "application that allows you to type things." Unfortunately, it's not all cheers for the humanitarian computer, as the critic discovered that applications were slow to open, the system was prone to crashes, and the OS delivers no message before the battery loses charge. "I had to wait two minutes to get onto one application," he / she says, and "it got slower... the longer I went without rebooting it." In the end, however, SG gives the laptop high marks, concluding that the value, build quality, and bundled software outweigh the minor annoyances he / she had with the system, closing the review by simply stating, "This program is truly amazing."

[anonymouspimp @ Aug 10th 2007 3:44PM]

Yeah my 12 year old neices use the same verbiage ("cleverly designed, imaginative, and straightforward") when they look at gadgets...

Oh no wait... no they don't... they say things like "does it play mp3s? cool!"

nevermind.

Seriously tho... read the article... if it was reviewed by a 12 year old... i doubt he/she wrote the review him/herself.

[pencap23 @ Aug 10th 2007 3:47PM]

I have no idea, but I would like to see a review from someone I trust to know what they are talking about. Not that this kid or whoever isn't reputable or anything, I just have no idea who he is. Engadget needs to get one, but no looking at pr0n Engadget staff.

[Trace The Hedgehog @ Aug 10th 2007 4:50PM]

What makes you think a 12 year old cant use that kind of vocabulary? I had that kind when I was 12 as well. (15 now)

[Zarniwoop @ Aug 10th 2007 3:44PM]

Will it blend?

[Uejji @ Aug 10th 2007 5:02PM]

That is the question!

[js @ Aug 10th 2007 5:50PM]

Yes, it blends! OLPC smoke, don't breathe this...

[MrGam3r @ Aug 10th 2007 5:51PM]

eventually....someone is going to reply to this and say "But can it play DOOM?"

and just to answer that inevitable question...no, it can't

[THL @ Aug 10th 2007 6:30PM]

Congratulations! "Will it blend?" has to be the stupidest comment possible. It tells me that likely you are:

a) an idiot who apes any catch-phrase they see someone else write, b) someone being paid by Blendtec to plant their catch-phrase on technology blogs in hope of having fellow douchebags bring more attention to their worthless product, c) all of the above

To me it has about the level of sophistication of spewing the "What's in your wallet?" line from those annoying fucking credit card commercials. Stop being an idiot.

[Zarniwoop @ Aug 10th 2007 6:51PM]

Who pissed in your CoChicken? I posted it because it's funny. Voters web-wide seem to agree, and the subsequent replies gave me back joy in return. I don't know what medication you're on but you might want to up your dosage, because the world will continue to be a place of turmoil and despair for you in an ever deepening cesspool of posts containing catch-phrases by douche bags.

It was certainly funnier than "First Post" or some truly brainless drivel, but I'm sure you spend long days flaming the likes of those who would dare to post such nonsense on YOUR watch and thus the world is again safe thanks to Captain THL. Beware, woot bloggers, your forum may be next on patrol!

Why don't you go after the nitwits who advertise their porn sites all over the place?

[THL @ Aug 11th 2007 2:55PM]

You think that's funny? How or why? Just because you keep coming back to the site and voting on your own post does not mean intelligent people think it's funny. And regarding those who do... well, I think Larry the Cable Guy is probably the most popular comedian currently. So make whatever judgements you will about the comedic tastes of the general populace.

As for it being better than "first post" or "porn advertisements", once again congratulations. It's good to see people aspiring to such high levels of achievement.

You know, it's nothing personal... I just like to point out when someone is obviously operating on auto-pilot. Maybe you lack self-awareness, so consider this my gift to you before you go posting more inane comments. And you needn't point out that I'm just being an asshole, because I already know it's true.

BTW fischju - "Kids say the darnest things"... now THAT's funny.

[Tristan @ Aug 11th 2007 6:57PM]

Who likes Larry The Cable guy?

[THL @ Aug 11th 2007 8:29PM]

In response to the specific inquiry.

"For two years, redneck caricature Larry the Cable Guy (Nebraska-born Dan Whitney) has been America's top-grossing stand-up comic, outselling Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock. His is the voice of Mater the tow truck in the new Pixar film "Cars." Billboard charts for top-selling comedy acts and albums are dominated by his bare-armed, "git 'er done" work, along with that of Mr. Foxworthy, Ron White ("the Metrosexual Redneck"), and Bill Engvall - all members of the long-running Blue Collar Comedy Tour. Their success - several have new books and DVDs - encourages followers who see themselves as being cut from the same plaid-flannel cloth."

Christian Science Monitor, June 16, 2006

[Chris @ Aug 10th 2007 3:45PM]

Look, I hate to be the typical cynic when it comes to this thing, but come on.

There are three options that come to mind when reading this "review":
- Either a 12 year old exactly like Dakota Fanning wrote that, or
- It was heavily edited by a corporate suit, or
- It wasn't written by a 12 year old at all.

[ryantrevisol @ Aug 10th 2007 4:05PM]

Uh-huh. Or maybe,

- It was reviewed by Dakota Fanning.

[rip @ Aug 10th 2007 6:13PM]

Considering the blog is run by 2 Princeton University professors, and the author is the child of a friend of theirs, it is entirely plausible that a 12 year old wrote it.

Unlike most of the country, New Jersey actually has a quality education system. And Princeton happens to be a wealthy part of a wealthy state, meaning the residents are likely highly educated, and value education for their children. So, a well educated child of what would likely be intelligent parents.

Considering that I was reading Tolkien at age 12, Shakespeare at age 13, and Faulkner at 14, the article could easily have been written by a precocious 12 year old.

Just because most of America is ignorant and uneducated doesn't mean ALL of America is ignorant and uneducated.

[rip @ Aug 10th 2007 6:15PM]

Considering the blog is run by 2 Princeton University professors, and the author is the child of a friend of theirs, it is entirely plausible that a 12 year old wrote it.

Unlike most of the country, New Jersey actually has a quality education system. And Princeton happens to be a wealthy part of a wealthy state, meaning the residents are likely highly educated, and value education for their children. So, a well educated child of what would likely be intelligent parents.

Considering that I was reading Tolkien at age 12, Shakespeare at age 13, and Faulkner at 14, the article could easily have been written by a precocious 12 year old.

Just because most of America is ignorant and uneducated doesn't mean ALL of America is ignorant and uneducated.

[rip @ Aug 10th 2007 6:16PM]

sorry for the double post. Browser didn't refresh properly :(

[speedyrulz8 @ Aug 10th 2007 7:00PM]

Seems perfectly normal for a smart, educated 12 year old. That would be middle school, so it seems entirely plausible to me. Maybe not your average 12 year old, but an intelligent one sure.

[Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Aug 10th 2007 3:48PM]

Hint: "he / she" can be written shortly as "s/he"

Also good link with photos given in comment:
http://globalnerdy.com/2007/08/10/first-encounter-with-an-olpc-xo-a-12-year-olds-review/

[Kamokazi @ Aug 10th 2007 4:02PM]

Obviously, but then the female verbage would come first, and we men can't have that now, can we?

[Simon K @ Aug 11th 2007 9:39PM]

English has another construct for dealing with "he/she". It's simple and has been around for centuries: "they".

[Se7en @ Aug 10th 2007 4:01PM]

Yeah, sure don't see any of Negroponte's famous marketing spin and astroturfing in that "review", thats for sure :p

[Se7en @ Aug 10th 2007 4:01PM]

Yeah, sure don't see any of Negroponte's famous marketing spin and astroturfing in that "review", thats for sure :p

[kevin @ Aug 10th 2007 4:04PM]

It was an informative review. Though it seems very unlikely, a 12 year old very well could have written this. The sentence structure is simple (commas do not denote a complex sentence) and there were several fundamental rules of writing broken in the text.

Kudos to SG.

[fischju @ Aug 10th 2007 4:06PM]

Kids say the darndest things

[peterjohndean1 @ Aug 10th 2007 4:08PM]

Maybe 12 year-olds are better at writing than we think. But even if it was edited it still sounds authentic. As someone who has contributed financially to a project in Africa to buy computers for children (at astronomical prices) this initiative is one I really want to succeed. For every one ordinary computer I could have bought ten of these.

[Justin Eassary @ Aug 10th 2007 5:53PM]

I have 4 old computers sitting in the corner that can go to Africa they also have the windows 98 and xp license stickers on them. There is not really a reason to buy at astronomical prices.

[zzz @ Aug 10th 2007 6:31PM]

As someone who has taught at the University of California, let me assure you that--sadly--children write much WORSE than we think. It's wonderful that we are sending computers to the 3rd world but meanwhile, our own educational system is going swiftly down the toilet. My students might know a lot of long words, but they don't seem to know what they mean or how to use them. A frightening number can't put a coherent sentence together. A terrifying few submit papers that look like a comment from YouTube.

[BananaBoat @ Aug 10th 2007 4:09PM]

It seems to me that being prone to crashes, and extremely slow, are more than just "Minor" annoyances (Pun very very intended). Then again, if it's a choice between no computer, and the OLPC...well..honestly I'd probably go for no computer and save myself the hassle, but I'm a jaded first world country resident.

[BandanaButt @ Aug 10th 2007 4:42PM]

That was a pun? more like a dun...

"Then again, if it's a choice between no computer, and the OLPC...well..honestly I'd probably go for no computer and save myself the hassle, but I'm a jaded first world country resident."

Why? would you rather starve/thirst if you can't have [INSERT YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD/DRINK]?

The choice of having an OLPC unit is infinitely better than the choice have nothing.

[peterjohndean1 @ Aug 10th 2007 4:54PM]

>>but I'm a jaded first world country resident

[getz76 @ Aug 10th 2007 4:12PM]

Great... roll this green monster out to the third-world and my spam-filter is going to explode. I'll be winning international lotteries, helping an exiled prince cash checks, and having "hot dates" more often than ever!

Maybe we could focus on getting some clean water over to them first. And maybe make the ones that want to kill us focus on something more constructive, like football and knitting.

[ph @ Aug 10th 2007 4:40PM]

getz76, you're a racist fool and ignorant to boot. Most spam comes from the US. Getting online is the fastest way to get hooked into the modern digital society, and projects like OLPC are the best hope for smart, isolated kids across the poor world. Clean water? The water, electricity, and telecoms networks in Africa are controlled by urban political elites who don't give a rat's ass for the rest of their countrymen. The best solution to poverty is to give people the means to improve their own situation, and in Africa that means information, on-line education, organisation, and political power. That's all wrapped up in that innocent green package.

But you probably never had to raise an arm in your life, spoonfed domesticated urban idiot. You make me sick.

[peterjohndean1 @ Aug 10th 2007 4:46PM]

Football OK. Knitting? Ever tried persuading any western child that they should prefer knitting to a computer? Computers provide information- including how to go about getting drinking water. Africa is not going to emerge from the dark ages thanks to knitting.

[getzNothing @ Aug 10th 2007 4:47PM]

thanks ph. Not exactly how I'd phrase, but to the point, nonetheless.

these parts are starting to fill up with some really ignorant people.

[getz76 @ Aug 10th 2007 4:59PM]

Weenies.

[ph @ Aug 10th 2007 5:08PM]

getzNothing: pampered pansies who sit in their backyard pool saying "give them spammers kleen water duh duh duh" without a seconds' thought for how *hard* it is to live in a continent where everything is far away, expensive, or reserved for some arrogant elite... my god.

The OLPC is a great thing, truly revolutionary. I've seen it, played with it, it's small, tough, well-designed, open, and gives smart kids across Africa (and there are tens of millions of them!) a chance at a real life.

Two things are bringing Africa out of poverty, and it's not donations from the World Bank, no. It's mobile phones, and cheap open computers like the OLPC.

[LiQuiD_FuSioN @ Aug 11th 2007 2:45AM]

getz76: "Weenies"

Seconded.

ph: "getz76, you're a racist fool and ignorant to boot."

The truth hurts?

/sendsyouatissue

[Ethan Duffy @ Aug 10th 2007 4:50PM]

I could've written that when I was twelve. I think most of you are underestimating twelve-year olds. He's trying to be serious, he's not going to use kiddy language.

[pencap23 @ Aug 10th 2007 4:56PM]

It is very plausible that this kid could have reviewed this actually. If he has been spending his entire life on PCs, then he is most likely on forums. Forums tend to force you to pepper your posts and arguments with advanced words and sentence structures. I didn't think of this before. I know that my grammar and word choice has become far more advanced because of the time I spend on forums.

[BananaBoat @ Aug 10th 2007 4:57PM]

Noone ever said that the internet came along with these OLPC's. I'd say any country with the internet in Africa, is a country that isn't going to be getting OLPC's. In other words, you aren't getting the vast resources of a global knowledge network, you are getting a slow, crash happy computer with whatever software it happens to come with (I doubt MSoft or anyone else was generous enough to offer a free copy of Encarta or Encyclopedia Brittanica etc). Truly they'd have been better off with food and water. Oh and I love the guy that keeps creating names that are similar to other's names, just so he can badmouth the original poster. Kudos, you've fallen into the tarp.

[peterjohndean1 @ Aug 10th 2007 5:40PM]

You must be very young or very ignorant, otherwise you would remember when all our computers were slow, crash-prone and had almost no access to the internet. Were we discouraged? No- because the computer was POWER, even then. Don't underestimate what a bright kid can do with it.

[beast @ Aug 10th 2007 5:12PM]

it was fsj... he reviewed it, only this time disguised as a twelve year old

[zxdxz @ Aug 10th 2007 5:19PM]

I just wanna get one for my mom...

[liljay @ Aug 10th 2007 5:31PM]

if we are going to give these computers to kids in need lets at lease give theme something stable

[Andy @ Aug 10th 2007 5:32PM]

12 year olds can write like that. When I was 12 I used words like that because it made sure I got an A on the paper because my teacher was so impressed with the wording that I didn't have to put a whole lot of content in.

[John McKee @ Aug 10th 2007 5:48PM]

There is something very off about the writing:

"My parents use computers a lot, so I know about HTML and mother boards and stuff, but still I’m not exactly what you would call an expert. I just use the computer for essays, surfing the web, etc."

"My expectations for this computer were, I must admit, not very high. But it completely took me by surprise. It was cleverly designed, imaginative, straightforward, easy to understand (I was given no instructions on how to use it. It was just, “Here. Figure it out yourself.”), useful and simple, entertaining, dependable, really a “stick to the basics” kind of computer."

"It also has an application that allows you to type things."

"Every time you hit a key, it provides a certain amount of satisfaction of how squishy and effortless it is. I just can’t get over that keyboard. There is also a button that changes the brightness of the screen."

"I’m sure kids around the world will really love, enjoy, and cherish these laptops."

I'm sorry, but those sentences don't seem to fit together at all, at first this is a person that describes themselves as a person that uses computers a lot, knows HTML and about the components of computers, then says the just use it for really basic stuff, then they say how cleverly designed the computer is in well written, descriptive words, yet a sentence later uses the phrase "It also has an application that allows you to type things." instead of saying a word processor or text editor. She (From the style of the writing I'm betting at least a female was involved in the writing of this review) then describes the feeling of the keyboard in a very articulate manner of someone who has a lot of experience with keyboards and they design and feel, indicates surprise at something as basic as the ability to control the brightness of the screen, something ubiquitous on computers and describes in very poorly worded sentence.

[3rdsun @ Aug 10th 2007 8:05PM]

"application that allows you to type things."
I think thats called a word processor

[DarkAardvark @ Aug 10th 2007 8:56PM]

it kinda sounds like a memory leak. like... it uses 10MB of ram, but only gives 8MB back and never lets you have it, even when you close the program. poor memory management... they shouldve gone linux XD

[Makatron @ Aug 10th 2007 9:26PM]

i do indeed have 2 of them at the office since we are the ones supporting the project here in Dominican Republic and yeah sometimes applications take a min or two to open but the bottom line here that the project will put computers with a descent behavior to let childs learn computers in a free computer!!

maybe they wont be able to play battlefield 2 or FEAR in that computer but they will indeed have the chance to explore the internet

i wish the author of this post said the version of software in that particular laptop cause there are loads of upgrades yet to be made to make it perfect

the big difference between the OLPC and people tho critisizes it, is that while they are saying we will fail, we are here trying to make this happend for real

its a lot easier say the whole thing is going to fail instead joining us to help developing countrys, like mine DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, to introduce poor kids (and their families) to new technology

visit http://www.laptop.org

MAKA

P.S.
if any of you want some good pics of the laptop working just let me know or email me to [e-mail]