India bids mythical $10 laptop adieu, turns to OLPC
By Tim Stevens 
posted April 28th 2009 7:54AM
posted April 28th 2009 7:54AM
posted April 28th 2009 7:54AM
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I love how this article talks about India as if its a PLC, there are alot of regonal governments in India and ALOT of people, the original $10 laptop wasn't even true it was a mistranslation the original indian article said $100
Way to go Engadget slate the 3rd world you big tough guys.
I agree.
AFAIK, the $30 device was a means to access the internet on wifi and is a portable device, powered by a power pc.
and yes it has a screen (small).
It was never meant as a OLPC replacement , it is infact a device developed for students of universities, and not tiny toddlers.
It is a device that connects to a central database and enables the students to acess the govt's E-Book's and E-Resource library.
Way to go, hero.
Anyone else here old enough to get the Nuprin reference? Wayne's world? no?
I only recognized it from Wayne's World. I'm sure that I saw the original ads at some point (since I haven't seen Wayne's World since it was new, either) but I guess they weren't memorable enough to remember them in their original setting.
Heh
Well since this escaped the original submitters watchful eyes I would recomend taking a look at Play Power. They're in the midst of developing a true sub $20 "computer". While it won't play newer games or ever be real good at web browsing it could help teach poor children how to type and bring educational games to them. Very similar to how most of us learned how to use a PC (well, most of us older guys anyways). Also since it can attach to any TV it can be used basically anywhere.
Check it out at: http://playpower.org/
Too bad the OLPC's display sucks. Better to have gotten 150,000 Acer Aspire Ones with Ubuntu Linux for $250 each.
Yes, 100,000 kids woulda been unfortunately left out .. BUT this way at least SOME kids can get a useful laptop ... and may contribute to the economy so that it improves to the point where everyone can afford a decent laptop.
I am not sure what the hell a kid is supposed to do with a laptop that has a tiny unusable display.
The software with that horrendous Sugar GUI sucks too .. better to have just left it with Ubuntu and let the kids figure it out in one day instead of babying them. If they F up the OS they can always re-install with help from friends/teacher. Don't be shocked when kids start throwing away these laptops because they're so boring.
Well in Africa all they do is sell them, otherwise many wouldn't have enough food to live.
you are so wrong here.
OLPC is more than enough for a child. esp if it's ur first one.
That way no one would have bought PC's back in the 80's cause they were sooo boring (CUI).
The Sugar GUI may seem useless to you. But it definately wont be the case for someone who grows up learning it.
My dad has a OLPC XO from last year when they had their "give one, get one" promotion. It's simple, of course, but these kids aren't going to be playing WoW or doing magazine layouts. Although there are similarly priced laptops nowadays, there are some features (like crank-power, no hard-drive/limited internal connections, etc.) that aren't cheaply or readily available in commercial laptops.
very similar to the way how indian consulting business works...
your job sucked away to bangalore??
They better all be using Linksys(?) Network Routers and wireless cards!!
and now the plot becomes clear.
"helping"
if he makes just $3 of proift on each unit that's $9million dollars...
and lets be honest, there's more than $3 profit.
Excellent. Let us know what OS they plan to use- Windows or Linux?