OLPC Give One, Get One program extended -- averaging $2M sales per day

Negroponte's OLPC Buy One, Give One program has been extended to 31 December, 2007 -- well beyond the initial two-weeks originally announced. The deal buys both yourself (or rather, your kid supposedly) and a tot from a developing nation new XOs for just $399. Already, the non-profit claims to be pulling in about $2 Million worth of "donations" each day. They've also opened up bulk buying to schools in quantities of 100-999 ($299 each), 1000-9999 ($249 each), or 10,000 and more ($199). Oh, and the program is now officially renamed "Give One, Get One" (GoGo) -- we presume BoGo'ing the kids sounded too icky.

[nebulus @ Nov 22nd 2007 8:32AM]

Shame its still not available to anyone outside US/Canada, there is sure to be a big market over here in Europe and I'm sure Asia too....

[L.Cyphre @ Nov 22nd 2007 10:36AM]

Considering the differences in pricing strategies for America/Europe, we'd probably have to pay around 300-400 £/€ for it though.

[Leonard Nimrod @ Nov 22nd 2007 4:36PM]

@ L.Cyphre,

Pounds and Euro are not even close to being equal in value. Plus,the price wil be higher because the US dollar sticker price does not account for any taxes (VAT).

[Morgan @ Nov 22nd 2007 1:46PM]

I concur. I was hoping this would be available in the UK as I wanted to get one for my daughter. I was so disappointed when it wasn't available :(

[ThePete @ Nov 22nd 2007 11:12PM]

While the XO has cleared the EU's environmentally friendly test (sorry, can't remember what it's called), there is something call a "give back" program that I've heard about in either the UK or the EU that requires companies to have some sort of recycling program in place--or something like that. Also, shipping around the world is expensive. Check out wiki.laptop.org. They have an "ask a question" page there that might give more info on this.

[SteveS @ Nov 22nd 2007 8:47AM]

How does this deal work with the IRS in regards to tax writeoffs for the $200 "donated"?

[ThePete @ Nov 22nd 2007 11:02PM]

It may not at all--the T-Mobile free year of wifi hotspot service is worth well more than the $200 donation that you'd write off, so the theory floating about the XOniverse is that we won't be able to write off zip. Personally, it doesn't bother me that much. I didn't drop $400 so I could write half of it off, though I will be talking to my tax man in January about it.

[Nelson @ Nov 22nd 2007 8:48AM]

If you donate one when you buy one, and sales are averaging $2 million a day, then donations would be at $1 million a day, because half of the sale is not a donation.... Your headline does not match your text.

According to the article, it's the donations that are averaging $2 million a day, so it seems like sales would be at $4 million a day, half of the sales being a donation for the total of $2 million day donated.

[mitchell2020 @ Nov 22nd 2007 8:59AM]

I fear I will never get mine as they are not really forthcoming on a delivery date.

[sracer @ Nov 22nd 2007 10:56AM]

I placed my order/donation pretty early on the first day (Monday). I haven't received anything other than "we received payment"... no estimate of when it will ship or delivered.

[bobartig @ Nov 23rd 2007 12:31PM]

I emailed their support. The first orders will be fulfilled @the middle of December, and the rest are supposed to be filled within the next 4 months. I visited their site at 5:58 AM EST, and completed my order at 6:01, so I'm hoping to get mine before the new years.

[harry @ Nov 23rd 2007 12:24AM]

have no fear, just be patient.

[macmike47 @ Nov 22nd 2007 9:42AM]

BoGo'ing the kids. That's disgusting. But quite funny :)

[Jim @ Nov 22nd 2007 9:46AM]

I would like to this promo at Wal-Mart or some other retail chain (in part as a sign of good will).
I would like to physically molest the things before I buy them.

[CosterMonger @ Nov 22nd 2007 10:10AM]

http://olpc.download.redhat.com/olpc/streams/sdk/build1/livecd/

here is the livecd link I found of the Sugar OS

via DIGG http://digg.com/linux_unix/Test_Drive_the_OLPC_with_a_LiveCD

"I would like to physically molest the things before I buy them."

does that include family pets?

[ScOObyDoo @ Nov 22nd 2007 10:36AM]

$25 shipping... I wonder if that includes the cost of shipping the donated machine to the Third World?

[cmonkey @ Nov 22nd 2007 11:15AM]

Renamed? It's been called G1G1 since it was announced. It was Engadget that got it wrong.

[ThePete @ Nov 23rd 2007 12:48AM]

Yeah, it has been G1G1 since the get-go.

[Wilder.K.Wight @ Nov 22nd 2007 11:57AM]

Decisions, decisions... OLPC or Eee PC? Which is better for my needs?

I need ultra-portable, decent battery life (but not trans-Atlantic levels or anything), a good keyboard, Wifi and web browsing, and moderate storage. This is primarily going to be a word processor/web browser for on-the-go.

$200 tax write-off would be OK, too.

Tempting tempting oh so tempting.

[Mike @ Nov 22nd 2007 12:05PM]

The keyboard is probably the answer for you. The XO by all accounts is an interesting piece of hardware. But it was purpose built for a mission and that mission was not adult hands on multi hour flights. By all accounts the keyboard is quite small for full size hands and not great to type on at all.
Though it does have many other plus points....
I wish my laptop had half the cool crap this thing does....

- Mike

[bobartig @ Nov 22nd 2007 1:45PM]

If you actually want a productive machine, Definitely the EeePC. I'm getting an XO, but only as a novelty/possible eReader. Plus, I like toys.

I already have a full sized powerhouse of a laptop so I don't need additional mobile computing.

[ThePete @ Nov 22nd 2007 11:06PM]

I'm going with the XO because it's more innovative AND when you buy one a kid in a 3rd World country gets one, too. Can't say that about the eee.

[SteveS @ Dec 1st 2007 7:17AM]

ThePete: I'm pretty sure a third-world kid gets to "make" both the XO and EeePC...

[grjohnston @ Nov 22nd 2007 12:20PM]

BoGo'ing the kids is one thing. But when your new OLPC comes in the mail, will you be GoGo dancing?

[Bosco @ Nov 22nd 2007 2:10PM]

If Palm had shipped the Foleo, we wouldn't be paying this little organ grinder the time of day. Ugh.

[apeguero @ Nov 22nd 2007 3:46PM]

Payless Shoes uses the BOGO abbreviations for their Buy One, Get One (at half off) sales. Maybe they copyrighted that term?

[absurdio @ Nov 22nd 2007 8:33PM]

Negroptone?
Negroponte?
That "t" got a little lost, huh?

[Gnome32 @ Nov 23rd 2007 12:56AM]

Laptop + 12 months free T-Mobile HotSpot = fun for the holidays
p.s. Great way to start conversations at Starbucks with [check wikipedia for biological references]

[djfake @ Nov 23rd 2007 5:54AM]

Is this article for real? Wishful thinking? Maybe a hoax? There's _no_ change at the laptopgiving.com site as of 11/23....

c

[thon @ Nov 26th 2007 8:57AM]

My place of work has a few OLPCs around so I've been able to play with them. The keyboard is fairly small, but the OS is straight forward (and really language agnostic) its mostly picture based, and the thing is friggin sturdy.

I'll be picking one up next year I think:)

[Elliot Lewis @ Nov 26th 2007 9:18AM]

In the UK we have offers from retails of Buy One Get One Free, an acronym we're used to. But I guess a kids laptop shouldn't be labelled BOGOF.

[Cnut4l @ Nov 26th 2007 1:30PM]

Interesting to read that the program has been extended. What are everyone's thoughts on the device? I admit, I have my own views on the program, which may seem somewhat radical, but they are more about the person behind the program :) Anyway, the technology sounds interesting. I'd be interested to hear your feedback!

[Oeter @ Dec 22nd 2007 5:16AM]

@SteveS
Maybe. Asus signed the Electrnic Industry Code of Conduct, and I just can't imagine OLPC using sweatshop labor. The publicity would be awful.