You know what they say: Treated, it lasts 2 weeks and untreated, 14 days. :)
So I'm catching up with the OLPC's XO laptop. First about the latest news, it seems that distribution of a XO laptop is a total mess. A lot of donors are still waiting for their laptop.
Clevergirl reported recently in her blog that *3* months later, she is still waiting for her XO laptop. It is sad, very sad... and difficult to excuse. So, why such huge delays?
I don't know if it has something to do, but I found out that the XO laptop I got was poorly assembled. Is this what to expect from a "Made in China" computer? I don't know.
For instance, the battery didn't quite fit in the compartment. It needed considerable force for the right latch to hold the battery in place. Removing the battery is not easy, as marks aren't exactly aligned.
Also the on/off wasn't properly aligned, so turning the XO on or off was difficult. I solved that problem with some manipulations and the persuasion of a tiny screwdriver.
This makes me wondering... are some XO with defects that are so bad... that they can't be shipped, and this is why there are such huge shipping delays? Your guess is as good as mine.
That being said, the XO laptop has been working A-1 since then. Of course, operating in an ideal environment from the comfort a western world home, err... my home is one thing!
However facing torrid temperatures (for a computer) of Africa, and being used and abused by children, is its circuitry still up to par? I wonder.
However its shell is rugged, it can withstand severe shocks, well beyond my fancy schmancy Viao. I still believe the XO will be a good travel mate. Its small size also helps. Time will tell whether computer problems will show up.
<---Under the hood, the XO laptop runs... Linux. There's nothing like firing up terminal and running "top"! The familiar display is there to prove that it's no Windows laptop.(To all 'Nix nerds, yes I've checked, there's also... vi. Gasp! :) )
According to "top", the XO runs with 256 Meg of RAM. By today's standard, it's not a lot, but for the XO, that's plenty.
I see two users. The traditional "root" and "olpc" is the anonymous user which all applications run.
After using the XO for a while, I saw an inordinate amount of "zombie" process, but the XO kept chugging along with no ill effects.
I'll continue to report about the XO laptop. :)
Cheers!
-E
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2 comments:
hmmm... Actually, I ordered mine on Dec. 30. My blog states that I am glad I did that, because I have 3 months from date of purchase to ask my credit card company to go after these yahoos.
The thing with shipping to Canada is that they announced that all of the orders had been sent to Canada and they would begin shipping them the week of Jan. 9th. And then they emailed me a week later to say that it was on it's way. 2 weeks after that they are saying it in the warehouse. Um.... so where the hell is it?!
They have until the middle of March.... at that point, I am going to call my credit card company and tell them to get my $$ back.
Sorry to hear that yours was somewhat shoddily put together. That is frightening, tbh. I think most computers are made in china these days, so that makes it all the more frightening.
Le sigh.
Thanks, Clevergirl. That's my bad about the date mixed up!
I begin to wonder whether the reason for these incredibly loooong delays are related to the poor assembly of the XO laptop.
Too many laptops that aren't going past quality controls? That's what I suspect.
SO far, the XO laptop is working fine. Time will tell how reliable it's going to be.
PS: I wish your XO laptop will arrive long before mid-March!
Good luck! -J
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