<--- Side by side, the XO laptop and my old Sony VAIO laptop.From time to time, I've mentioned in this blog about "zero-cost computing" and the "$100 laptop". Well, this is the XO laptop, Nicholas Negroponte's contribution to education in the third world.
For a limited time, Americans and Canadians could participate in their G1G1 program, Give One Get One.
My contribution has helped to give one XO laptop... and from that deal, I also get one for myself. The price went up a little bit ($200 per laptop), but nonetheless, this is one heck of a laptop for that price.
<--- again, side by side, the XO laptop, seemingly dwarfed by fancy schmancy VAIO... with all its war marks. :) On the far left, the XO's 110V transformer and on the forefront a 30cm / 12-inch ruler.One powerful impression... the XO is *very* sturdy. On a whim I would trade my VAIO for that little laptop!
When traveling, the stuff we carry can take a severe beating and a few times I've been worrying for my old VAIO. It makes you wondering why they don't build those expensive laptops like the XO!
After I unpacked the XO, there was a bit of deception. Why? Well, you were supposed to get a taste of how it's going to be... in the field.
For instance, the 110V wall transformer is nice here in America, but infrastructure being a problem in most third world countries, finding a wall outlet can be a problem.
On the internet I saw long discussions about solar panels, hand-crank generators and how XO's electricals have been designed to tolerate an extremely wide range of DC input voltage. There's none of that in the shipment.
Also missing is documentation. (There's a small flyer telling you very basic things, and then you're instructed to log on their web site for more infos. Mhhhh... )
For the same reason, to have a feel of what it's going to be in real life, I would love to see some educational materials (or to cut costs, links to the electronic version of these documents) that would come with the laptop.
So basically, from the G1G1 program, you get a laptop... and that's that as far as you are concerned. I hope for the donated XO laptop, it's another story.
In evaluating the XO laptop, you have to remind yourself that it's operating... in the Western world, which the XO is *NOT* designed for. So certain things are bound to happen, such as this screen, immediately after booting up.
<--- It remembers the wi-fi access point it was on the previous time... but *NOT* its password! So everytime I boot up the XO, I have to type the password of my wi-fi access point. Dang, another password to remember. :)In Africa, most likely it wouldn't be a problem (who would be crazy to password protect an access point? Even more so... in a school ?!?).
Besides, the XO has a "mesh" wireless system to talk to other XO laptops (which seems to be the old Wi-Fi peer-to-peer mode), so an access point isn't really required.
One good thing, its Wi-fi antennas (those rabbit ears) have excellent range. It sees a lot more Wi-Fi signals than my VAIO laptop!
One feature I like, the screen can swivel, just like with those high-end laptops, and then you navigate with those buttons on each side of the screen.It takes a little while to get used, but I love it!
I didn't have time to play much with the XO. There are some fun creative applications I want to play with (TamTamJam and Turtle graphics to name a few).
Its web browser is decent. Most web sites display well. One footnote: It doesn't handle Flash animation, but again, I'm in North America, so to be fair, I shouldn't apply our standards.
I might even add that there are some hidden benefits. Some of the most annoying ads are done in Flash... therefore they become invisible with this browser, heh! :)
All in all, this XO laptop is a great laptop. I'm impressed!
Wanna play with my XO? :)
Cheers,
-E
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5 comments:
I'm really eager to get mine!!!! I have no idea exactly how long it will take.....
Howdy, J! Long time no see!
I think that you will like the XO. I haven't played much. I'm nursing a cold, so I'm staying away from the keyboard, obviously.
Distribution has been horribly messy. Obviously, OLPC was caught offguard by the huge demand when they gave us a chance to buy these laptops.
I was a "Day 1" donor from Canada, and it is only just days ago that I got my XO laptop. Yikes!!
It's my understanding that they'll go on first ordered, first delivered basis. Yours may be on its way!
Those laptops are shipped via FedEx.
If you have given a PO Box address, they will not deliver (OLPC should have already e-mailed you in that case. Check your SPAM filter, in case it has trapped one of their e-mails).
I've been checking OLPC News Forums. It's a mess. :)
Hey, let me know when you'll get your XO!
PS: You're not alone, there are a few fellow FC members who have ordered a XO laptop!
PPS: I hope the weather in nice in NM. Here, it's snow and coooooold temperatures. Brrrrr!
Cheers and hugs,
-E
Ah, you're right...the most recent update WAS caught in my spam trap!
The proverbial cheque is in the mail...or rather, someday they will send my little frog-green computer. i didn't purchase until just before Christmas, so I'm far down on the list, I'm sure!
I love the idea of a little, barebones machine to use when I travel. Even my regular laptop is such a pain to cart through airport terminals when all I really want is easy internet access...
It's actually 50 degrees here right now, though the sun is off the front yard now, so it will cool down again soon. The days really are longer than back in Maine, though, so it's all worth it. :)
oxoxo
j
Well, that's encouraging news!
Oh, it's a cute little laptop in bright green color. :)
BTW, I'm using it for this reply. :) The XO laptop is very small, lightweight, and the fact it is incredibly sturdy, so it's a natural traveler.
I've noticed afew showstoppers. One major one is that the access to the internet is Wi-Fi *ONLY*. There's no RJ45 Ethernet jack for wired Internet, as usually found in hotel rooms.
The rest, I can handle it.
-The web browser takes a while to get used, and so is the keyboard. It's tiny and it is a membrane-type keyboard.
Me and my big fingers. :) The membrane-type is great as it makes the keyboard completely dust/crumbs (!)/water proof.
However, I'm a touch typist, so it's a bit of a nightmare for me to type with one finger and pressing HARD on the membrane, so the key would register. I figure it's like anything else: With practice, I'll get the hang of it. :)
-One reason I carry a laptop, is to use it as a backup storage for my digicam, whether to free up space on the memory card... or whether the digicam is stolen.
(What is most precious? It's not the digicam itself, it's what is on the memory card, photos.)
While on the go, a laptop is also a great big screen photo viewer for friends and guests :)
Since the XO has no hard disk nor a CD/DVD drive, storage is at premium (in Flash memory).
There might be a workaround. For a "barebone" computer, there are 3 USB ports as well as a slot for SD memory card. Not bad at all! (I don't have that many USB ports on my fancy VAIO laptop).
I might be able to backup the digicam's SD card... onto USB keys, using the XO to do the transfer.
So far, the XO apparently sees both SD card and the USB key, but I haven't figured out how to access the stuff on these things, and even less how to copy from one to the other.
The interface is meant to hide as much computer stuff as possible, so there's no concept of a filesystem, as we are used to see. For its intended purpose, it's fine!
Thankfully, there's a cheat mode. :)
There's access to a terminal screen, and from there it's the good ol' Linux prompt showing up!
If I know where is the mounting point for the the USB key and for the SD card, or how they appear to Linux, it's just a "cp" away to transfer anything to anywhere!
I'm VERY tempted to carry the little XO with my travels and leave my fragile VAIO home. :) I've to figured out about those kinks first.
It says something about the design of the XO, that other usages are possible. It's no fragile toy computer. :)
I'm still nursing a cold, although I'm feeling a lot better... (and this is why I'm blogging again? YIKES!!! :) )
Oh, longer days and warmer temperatures!!!
Lucky you. :)
By the way, I had a glimpse of that during my stay in Paris. Temps in the mid 50s during the two weeks I was there. 50s in January... to this nordic person, it titillates my mind. :)
Cheers!
-J
Small Satori (and others still waiting for their XO): I'm afraid that I don't have good news.
CleverGirl is reporting in her blog that she's also waiting for her XO laptop after being told that it's on its way.
The URL to OLPCnews' forums and specifically this thread is an eye opener.
I remember seeing in mid-December on their website that they announce that they would start Canadian shipments as soon as all US shipments would be done. Obviously, this is not what is happening, since a lot of people in the US haven't received their XO laptop.
By the way, I didn't get any mail from OLPC, and boom, my XO laptop arrived at my doorstep, about at the same time I arrived home from France.
Whoever brought it to my doorstep didn't bother to ring.
The box has a BIG green logo of a laptop, making *SURE* of its content. Hello ?!? A sure way to have it stolen, especially if someone lives in a high crime area. What they were thinking ?!?
I'd wish OLPC would have sent an e-mail telling me that it's on its way, like they did with others.
Most of the time I could access my e-mails from France, and I would have made arrangements, should the XO arrives before I do.
Sooo... Nothing nada... and poof the XO was waiting at my doorstep. Gee Whiz I was just back from France!
Thankfully, they got my street and my postal code right, because they wrote Montreal as "MontrTral, Canada". Ootch.
I'm a Day #1 donor, so it's been already *2* months that I've been waiting. Is this an indication of how long you'll all have to wait, regardless of what they say in their e-mails? I hope not.
What is sad about OLPC, there's a huuuuuge pool of good will...
... and it seems that arrogance and massive disorganisation...
OLPC is trashing all that good will, needlessly.
People would understand that they have been caught unguard by the huge demand, but to do that, you have to tell the truth.
Don't say it's coming up when obviously it doesn't, giving false hopes... and conversely, after such a long wait, *do say* that it's INDEED coming up, so arrangements can be made!
Do not get people by surprise, and that was a heck of a nasty surprise, since the box is simply dropped at the doorstep... to be picked up by anyone who happens to pass by, and not necessary by its owner!
(My box has the markings of "FedEx Ground" with a US-based phone number... there's also something as "BrightStar US". For the Canadian side of the shipment, I've no idea. No markings whatsoever, not even the usual red marks from Canadian Customs that grace almost everything I order from the US. Curiouser of curiouser)
So... that's the news I have... I wish to all of you good luck. You might beed it. :)
My hunch is that it will eventually arrives, but you're most likely for the long haul. :(
Sheesh...
-J
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