Negroponte raps about OLPC 2: 'designed as if we were Google'
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted Jan 29th 2009 1:31PM
posted Jan 29th 2009 1:31PM
Well, our interest was certainly piqued by that OLPC XO-2 mockup that surfaced yesterday, and now the Guardian is saying that the hardware development will take place open source. This is certainly fitting with the company's idealistic ethos, and it'll be interesting to see what other companies bring to the table as the reportedly $75 dual-screen device gets closer to real reality. "The XO-1 was really designed as if we were Apple," Nicholas Negroponte says in the interview. "The XO-2 will be designed as if we were Google - we'll want people to copy it. We'll make the constituent parts available. We'll try and get it out there using the exact opposite approach that we did with the XO-1." He let a few details slip too, saying that it will be dual touchscreen, with one of the displays featuring a touch-sensitive, force-feedback, haptic keyboard. When asked how he feels about the possibility that other companies might profit from all this hard work developing the laptop of tomorrow? "I wouldn't complain." Class act, that one. Bravo.
[Via Make]
[Via Make]
I like this guy.
"The XO-1 was really designed as if we were Apple. The XO-2 will be designed as if we were Google - we'll want people to copy it."
next: "The XO-3 was designed as if we were soviet pr0n server"
In Soviet Russia, pr0n serves you!
... Sorry, I had to :P
Of course you like this guy. You read the paragraph above without using a single brain cell. He said exactly the things that would normally have people on message boards saying 'wow, that guy roolez'
hmm.....redcard.....REDCARD....perhaps you are SOVIETSKY!
I didnt know i could read without using a single brain cell. Kind of impressive if you think about it.
Yeah, but the XO-1 wasn't designed like they were Apple. There are some glaring problems with the design. The keyboard is nigh unusable for anyone. The battery life never got to where they wanted it to be, the port placement is a bit ridiculous. None of these are things Apple would ever do.
Instead of conflating himself with Apple or Google, he should be figuring out how to make an internet-ready Alpha Smart. Those little buggers are bullet proof, run for days on 2 AA batteries, and some places still use them after 1.5 decades as learning tools. The technology may be arcane, and dead simple, but it helps kids learn, and is a technological resource with obvious benefit to the kids. If the XO were designed with that philosophy, they would be much more likely to succeed. Schools in developing nations can't buy new student laptops every 2 years. They need the technology to be useful 10 years from now.
Now that OLPC has basically gotten rid of its OS development team, what are the existing XO customers supposed to do? Pony up for winXP XO edition?
I'm not just mouthing off on Negroponte. I was one of the first people to participate in the "give one -> get one program". I believe in the project vision, and will write them (modest) cheques regularly if they continue to show promise. At this point? I'm a bit skeptical they'll even be around in a year.
wow. there's a bit of a message behind those words, isnt there?
its actually kinda funny. me likey.
Did any acual starving kids acually GET an XO-1 ? You know the one that was suppose to cost $100...no wait... I mean $200..... o wait... I mean $400.... o screw it.... lets make the next one.....
MULTIPASS!
"The XO-1 was really designed as if we were Apple"
@ Maxx
no, but the local drug & war lords sure love them for updating their facebook accounts!
Over half a million so far.
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Deployments
They were around $188 for schools and governments. They cost YOU $400, because you buy 2, give one to a developing nation, and it includes shipping/handling, etc. Shipping to Peru/Bolivia/Kazakhstan ain't cheap.
wow, a touchscreen computer for 75 bucks? where do i sign up?
You simply buy them on the black market from the people who are supposed to be distributing them to the children in need.
Good Man.
Does anyone else think he looks slightly like Sam Neill with jowls?
He looks more like the baby of John McCain and Mark Hamill.
This is Sam Neil, he's just evolved since he left jurarsic park.
He definitely looks like Agent Smith starting a fight with Neo.
http://www.voluntarytax.info/images/agent_smith.jpg
http://www.starstore.com/acatalog/agent_smith_figure_2.jpg
Anyone else look at this picture and hear in your head, "Mister Anderson."
No... I don't think I did.
No, I hear "I am not a crook"
We designed the logo as if we were Sony
One, Laptop, Arrow, Skull & Crossbones?
The problem being they're not Google or Apple. And he's talking bullshit for the sake of a few inches of publicity. Good luck selling your shitty laptop for twice the price of twice the price you said it was gonna be.
"The XO-1 was really designed as if we were Apple," Nicholas Negroponte says in the interview. "The XO-2 will be designed as if we were Google ... "
Is this guy intellectually challenged? The XO-1 was made as if they were Microsoft and everyone was going to use it regardless of how much it sux and how expensive it is. And FYI almost everyone is copying Apple as far as design goes. The only way that the XO-2 can be like Google is if they constantly stay in beta stage. That's actually a believable prediction and one that I completely agree with. And just to set Mr. Negroponte's record straight, if this was an actual company and not a playground for the industry and a way to make a lot of CEOs feel better about being greedy, the company would have been ran in the ground by now. No startup can afford to spend 5 years in R&D and then have their first product flop. But that's just my 2c.
"The XO-1 was made as if ... everyone was going to use it regardless of how much it sux and how expensive it is. "
That would make it EXACTLY like Apple.
"And FYI almost everyone is copying Apple as far as design goes."
Take a look at Leapfrog's latest kiddy computers and you'll see the XO-1's influence.
Also, just like Apple, the Press never stops giving Negroponte the same sycophantic coverage they give Jobs.
"Also, just like Apple, the Press never stops giving Negroponte the same sycophantic coverage they give Jobs."
... and Gates. What's your point?
@dude:
No, Apple doesn't think everyone will use their stuff. Their model is much closer to a small minority that will use it (no matter what) _because_ only a small minority does, and that makes them elite for using it.
Translation: Apple designs products like M$, but with an extra layer of shiny and a 2x price multiplier.
Wait.. so let me get this straight. People who don't even own computers all of a sudden NEED touchscreens? That stupid price point they keep throwing around surely can be met easier without a dual touchscreen.
I don't have the numbers, but I'm pretty sure it's cheaper to make a small single touch screen than it is to design and build a childproof keyboard. I wouldn't like typing on a touchscreen, but whatever.
It's quite a problem getting keyboards for a 1,000 XO deployment in a locale which has it's own alphabet with 1000 odd glyphs used no-where else in the world. Currently the only option is to force latin on everybody, or jack up the price massively.
Also, by making one of the screens as a touch screen, you can have a 'book' form factor, eliminate the cost of a separate touchpad (which, having being involved in testing, I can tell you are quite rubbish).
This is actually cheaper that supplying 'real' keyboards.
That picture makes it look like they're trying to bring weapons to children around the world to form an army for world domination than to give them laptops
NicNeg may think he is designing like Apple and Google, but he delivers like the third world banana republic dictator - gets industry and poor governments to spend a bunch of money on developing crappy product that nobody wants, and issues lots of press releases and gives a lot of interviews about how much good they are doing. Then as one program flops, he is on to the next empty promise. Is this the Papa Doc of educational computing? Should we send in UN peace-keepers to stop this madness?
Yes, I can't wait for the ensuing war movies. I just wonder which side Hollywood will be sympathetic to, the blue-helmets or Negroponte's freedom fighters?
Most people don't realise that it was the OLPC project that initiated the 'netbook' market. Most people will attribute it to Asus's EeePC, since it was the first commercially available netbook (or Intel's classmate, targeting the same audience), but in reality the concept started with the XO-1. A low cost, small form factor, cheap (and thus under-powered), laptop.
Do i understand that right? The XO-1 cost douple the price they wanted it to cost, and now they want to create a new XO-2? what sense makes this?
how about reducing production costs and making them cheaper by economies of scale?
the xo-1 is a really fine machine why should they create a new one? who the ... needs touchscreens?
and then the sentence about making money. how about just selling the xo-1 for the price its worth and expanding user and developerrange?
for me this sounds all really dumb and i'm not sure if he is not joking.
the xo-1 is a dream, in my opinion they could have produced C64 and it would be enough.
if they really think the xo-1 ist not enough for the next 10years, then they should just create the OMPF (One Mobile Per Family).
No, the original machine is a massive failure:
1. Governments didnt want linux they wanted windows.
2. Those who could deal with linux didnt want the terrible, terrible sugar UI.
3. Governments wanted WPA support for wireless, not mesh and WEP.
4. The keyboard is the worst I have ever used. Perhaps the old timex computer was worse. perhaps.
5. The RAM in the machine is just too low.
6. The Geode chip is half as fast as the atom per watt. Bad pick.
7. The price never worked out and will never work out because of economies of scale wont pan out. You need a real demand to get to 100 dollars and people are using these things as bricks and footrests.
8. Tivoized firmware.
9. Slow. Just too slow.
10. Better value from just a few eeepc's or the old fashioned computer lab.
The new OLPC project makes more sense. Instead of academics and FOSS advocates calling all the shots from their ivory towers, they are asking developing governments what they want for their educational programs. They are designing for their needs, instead of the project's FOSS ideology. Instead of theories they are being practical.
looks like cingular is making a comeback in PURPLE!
I look at the logo and all I can think of is this sign language routine my Dad taught me when I was a kid. Point to his eye -- "I". Points to his forehead -- "think". Points to me -- "you". Squeezes nose with thumb and forefinger -- "stink". "I think you stink."
"We'll try and get it out there using the exact opposite approach that we did with the XO-1."
so this time the kids in third world countries will buy one and give one to us?
See Id pay for two so that a child would have one.
I wish Blackberry would develop a case for their devices that had its own electronic functions. It would be like having two Blackberrys etc. or two cellphones.
jeez, when will Negroponte stop this? He could place an order with Acer for a stripped down first generation Eee PC and get it under $100 for the volumes that he dreams about. Of course, he keeps changing the goalposts, so the closer OLPC gets, the farther away it is, nice shellgame, chump...
Perhaps this is because it'll be running a much rumoured Google OS?