One Laptop Per Child, also abbreviated and known as OLPC could possibly be going retail in 2008. BBC originally posted that they had confirmation the OLPC would be selling to Western Consumers in 2008. They quickly retracted that and came back saying that there is a possibility that the OLPC organization will be selling these machines to the public.
The rumored idea is that retail consumers would buy two, and get one– with one of the machines going to the developing world. Already, five million machines are slated to be delivered over the Summer to countries like Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Nigeria, Libya, Pakistan, and Thailand. They were designed to be low cost, durable, and simple to use, and so far they have proved to be all of those. Originally, the organization was aiming at $100 per machine, but the current cost is around $150, still an amazing price.
Built with education in mind, they include built-in wireless networking and video conferencing so that groups of children would be able to work together. Michalis Blestsas, Chief Connectivity Officer of the project says, “I’d like to make sure that kids all around the world start to communicate. It will be a very interesting experiment to see what will happen when we deploy a million laptops in Brazil and a million laptops in Namibia.”
eBay has also been named with the recent talk, mentioned as a possible method of purchasing. The goal would be to connect the buyer of the laptop with the child in the developing world who received the machine. I’d assume that when you purchased the laptop, eBay would then be responsible for shipping the computer to the receiver in the developing country.
Obviously, this is an important part of the OLPC business plan, particularly if they get eBay involved. By selling in the retail market, they’ll need to be looking at ways to do this without adding cost. I think eBay sounds like a great route to take as a possible method of purchasing.
The OLPC has always been a project for developing countries, and I think it’s great to give the gift of education to children who have never had the chance to use a computer, as a tool for growth and learning. At the same time, only because I have seen from first-hand experience, I wonder why there aren’t similar programs for developed countries. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of technology available to kids for the purpose of education, however there’s a gap, and it’s not even across the board. There are still plenty of kids in the U.S. (and I’m sure elsewhere) who haven’t ever used a computer, and that to me, is something that needs to be addressed.
Thanks for the tip Jack of all Trades!
So these third world kids can’t afford a computer but they can afford broadband internet access and a wireless network? That doesn’t add up.
Good question. American are some of the most generous people in the world but we often forget that there is a need for these types of programs here. And no, this not a place for another government program.
I’m guessing this is the price per unit and that you are required to purchase two at a time?
While $300 is still a reasonable price for a laptop I can see many people not understanding the reason for the low price point.
I believe it’s all talk at this point, but if they do go retail, you would be required to purchase two at a time. It’s kinda like a semi-involuntary donation which then would make your cost for one of them $300.($150 for the donated, $150 for yours). It’s definitely a “trimmed-down” laptop that would be suitable for any child.
As for the internet connection, I’m not quite sure how that would work… good point.
internet connection will be supplied by a central server and wifi hot spots installed in classrooms, libraries, village center and every other place were the kids needs to interact with each other or their teacher (and the world).
this service will be supplied by the government which bought the OLPC for their country.
the idea behind it is that a wireless connection, especially in developing countries is a much cheaper and robust solution then wired connections. for example [green-wifi.org] that builds this networks in places like India, using routers which are solar powered.
the only bad thing i can think of with this sponsoring idea is that the buyer will have some sort of indirect connection with a child – can you spell pedophiles?
it is worse enough they already using this children when they visit some of this countries, and now they can actually have access to them.
You’re definitely right, and for that reason I would think that an individual buying the laptop will just pay $300 and then OLPC will take care of the donation part, so the “donator” never even knows who receives the laptop. Otherwise there could be a lot of things that go on which shouldn’t be, as you mentioned.