A spokesperson for the One Laptop Per Child program revealed July 31 that the countries of Brazil, Argentina, and Thailand have each committed to buy 1 million Linux laptops through the US-based program. Last week it became known that Nigeria ordered 1 million laptops.
When a month or so ago they demonstrated some OLPC’s running, they were running the stripped down fedora, but it was still pretty much gnome et al, but I’ve been seeing some blogs with the new “interface” for the OLPC that includes webbrowsing and chatting but it seems it is made for fullscreen, so does anyone know what software will the OLPC’s be shipping? It would be nice to know because if it included gnome and gtk because it could be a nice boost to the linux desktop, but if it’s only a X server and some custom UI+API (like nokia’s maemo) it will be yet another platform based on linux that won’t really matter to linux desktop users.
Edited 2006-08-01 19:38
OLPC is already making a huge difference to Linux desktop users. The reason is that the project is causing many developers to beat the bloat out of the foundation Gnome code, making it smaller and faster for everyone.
It’s true that they are moving away from the desktop metaphor, but they are still building on top of standard Linux, X, and Gnome code.
hmm, i could have sworn that maemo uses gnome as base.
atleast that gnome im client got ported fairly quickly.
and doing what microsoft tries to do with the tablet and origami systems are a realy realy bad idea. most desktops need a mouse or similar and the surface area of a large screen to work.
if the device is handheld or have a small screen, other ways need to be found. you cant expect one ui to work for all devices out there.
hmm, i could have sworn that maemo uses gnome as base.
You are right.
[…]doing what microsoft tries to do with the tablet and origami systems are a realy realy bad idea.
The big difference with other technologies like origami system is its educational purpose, its durability (keyboard is water resistant) and its power efficiency. Users can manually power it with foot paddle (currently, the design is in discussion).
if the device is handheld or have a small screen, other ways need to be found
Check http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Hardware_specification
Remember OLPC softawes is based on Fedora Core which means future version of the latter will get significant enhancement that will also benefit to the Open Source.
with my microsoft comment i was refering to their (ms) attempt at using the same windows desktop for both handheld and ordinary computers.
now that i think about it, it may work if your design it for handheld use first, and then apply it to a desktop/laptop system (if the desktop have a touch screen attached). but the other way around is to reliant on key combos and the mouse (and a stylus or similar cant replace the mouse fully)…
Gecko engine and Abiword variant.
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Talk:Software#Getting_Started_Programing
You can get more infos about the current development on http://laptop.media.mit.edu/laptopnews.nsf/latest/news
I live in Argentina and I don’t see much interest here in FOSS in the government. A lot of government sites still use Windows servers and ASP, are commited to Microsoft software only even when a couple of years ago they were promoting it. Still too much MSCE people here.
I’m also from Argentina, and I think that the *current* “PC for the masses” program sums up the goverment’s attitude towards Microsoft:
http://www.programamipc.com.ar/
Sad.
(I’m a renegade using a MacBook, by the way
)
“I’m also from Argentina, and I think that the *current* “PC for the masses” program sums up the goverment’s attitude towards Microsoft:
http://www.programamipc.com.ar/ ”
Yeah, I also saw the publicity on the Viva magazine. I’ve recently got for $1600 (pesos not dollars) a 64 bit sempron, 512 MB, 250 GB SATA2, DVD writer and a Samsung 17 black flat CRT that’s worth much much more than what they are offering. They must be kidding with those prices.
I have a suspicion that we’re all going to be getting a lot more spam from cheap Nigerian laptops …
(http://home.rica.net/alphae/419coal/)
…this one is actually going to work???
A “cheap computer for poor people” project that actually gets cheap computers to poor people instead of just dumping venture capitol and press time into a black hole… how novel!
will we see a version for general sale?
i belive the idea was that you could buy one and part of the price would fund one for a child.
I for one welcome our new OLPC overlords! J/K
I think this is great news. I have been keenly following the development of the OlPC since its conception and such wonderfull news really is a joy to read.
To tell the truth I original became interested in the project because I wanted one of these babies (wind-up battery? Yes please), but after having followed it for so long I really do understand how much of a philanthropological impact this can actually have. All the other “cheap laptop/pc” movements were funded by Fortune-500 companies looking to capitalise on their investment (so its no surprise that they bad mouth the OLPC as useless), which is where Nicholas N and the OLPC team as a whole are different. They don’t want money, they want impact. Good for them.
I still would like to get one of these babies for myself though. I did sign that petition a while back that said we would pay $200 (so they could recoup the costs of my laptop and donate one to a child), I doubt it will happen though.
Its good to see progress, especially when their are so many who want this project to fail.
… apparently, you’ve either never heard of the Nigerian email scam — or you’ve got your head so far up Linus’s ass that you wouldn’t recognize a joke if it bit you …
It would probably have helped if your joke had been funny and witty.