I like this idea of sunrise over OLPC because it really captures where we are today. Last night we had our first real run on an assembly line and put together roughly 200 systems. This is the first time that all of the parts have really been assembled together for testing. Those machines will start making their way out to people soon. Countries, individual open source developers, and interested parties.
I think that once these wonderful little machines get into people’s hands they will start to understand how real and serious we are. It’s not the fastest little machine in the world, but it definitely has personality and I find myself falling in love with it.
Some technical notes about these machines. First, they are very close to the final hardware builds of the machine. The only differences are that they include an FPGA-based flash controller, which will run at about half the speed of final chip, and that part of the new touchpad functionality is disabled. There we some last minute unresolved electrical problems that kept us from turning on the stylus part of the touchpad. We’ll be fixing that the next time we spin the hardware. The software on the machines is build178 which is a decent shapshot of our software. It’s alpha-quality, so there are still major bugs and missing features.
What I’m really excited about is what these machines will mean to the developer community. They will finally bring focus to what we’ve been doing over the last few months. People will get to experience how their software runs on the machine and it’s a good chance for others to get involved. We’ll be posting more information in the next few days about how you can get more involved if you have a machine. It’s going to be a fun few months for everyone.
That’s why this is just the sunrise. It’s going to be a beautiful day.
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Chris –
What’s the process for getting on the developer list.
We make an open source based educational software solution that has registered users in north of 85 countries (in the last 60 days I might add) and we think we could make a contribution here . . .
Thx –
EMF
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Yes, how can we help ?!
We can help in contibuting with software, testing hardware, practical use, r&d
and more…
especialy if it’s for educational purpose, or how it hold with kids.What step’s to follow, or where to signup ?
Cheers, keep up the good work..!
Collen.
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We do have a developer program set up for just this purpose.
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Those machines will start making their way out to people soon. Countries, individual open source developers, and interested parties.
Hey, I’m an interested party! Can I have one too?
I don’t remember if I mentioned it previously in this blog, but I’m very interested about OLPC news, so I’m glad this blog exists. There’s no other place for OLPC news, is there?
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OLPC
what a joke. Giving the poor laptops is like giving them cigar cutters or wine bottle openers. Educating them my ass. They cant afford shoes, let alone electricity to power them, or internet access, or the programs to empower them. Whos gonna fix them when they go down.
or is it for Itunes, and movies, and games that they will be used for.
Please, your better off handing out bags of rice and birth control
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I believe this OLPC project is a good idea.
Some people are of the opinion that it would be better to give the poor medicine, food, clothes, shoes etc. and that sounds great but that help is only temporary.
These people would be able to help themselves if they can get out of the rut they are in. The best way is through education. Picture this: a school with a computer!. This is a something we take for granted. It is a start. Can it make there lives any worse than it already is?
If you believe it is better to send money, food, medicine, or whatever then do it. I wonder how many people believe this OLPC idea is bad and yet have never done anything themselves to help.
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Well,
I too think there is a real good behind the people who run the OLPC project. And I do not see anything bad behind the idea that there can be a “business” based on “rural computers”. It will bring much more good that just a money made for the vendor.
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Have you also considered that this simple software based on symbols and tasks might also be a great thing for the elderly? Even in this country, we must have millions of old folks, who would love to communicate with their families separated from them. Like the sending side of the Presto, for example. These folks are not interested in speed, power or Gigabits, only in a simple communicative, memory or composition device.
If simple enough, and intuitive enough, this same software might really release many of the elderly in our Nursing Homes. In fact it could even be a safety device, like – “They haven’t given me any water in 2 days.” – or – “Granny loved the Christmas pictures Tommy sent me” Being disconnected they, the elderly, don’t even know that they could want such a thing.
I’m willing to donate time and cash toward such a parallel project.
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It seems that one of the biggest problems facing olpc is their poor distribution capabilities. How are they going to get the laptops to the countries that finally actually do place orders? Most of these countries have trouble getting garbage delivered. Methinks that the fabulous aura of kids with PCs made them forget or ignore such trivial tasks as getting and fulfilling an order. Let’s concentrate on the concept and be sure to get our faces on TV. Someone else will have to figure out how to actually perform the real tasks.
Until those real tasks are resolved, olpc remains a dream.
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Chris,
I’m a Product Design student from the UNiversity of Leeds, England. I’m currently studying innovation within the OLPC project (individually chosen by myself because I believe the whole project is very innovative of the convensional laptop).
To complete the project I desperately need input from someone who is ‘involved or affected’. Please can I ask for 2 minutes of your time to have some input from yourself – or anyone out there who is involved!After studying the innovation techniques of the project, I now must focus on the problems and therefore must attempt to be innovative and find solutions for these problems.
I have already identified problems such as:
wrong use of laptop
environmental factors
overall good use of money
theft
vandalism
bullying
power generation
internet issues
I am wondering if it is possible to hear your views on problems you feel may occur and/or affect the project as a whole??
Any input would be extremely apprieciated.Regards
Any input from others would also be apprieciate, thanks.
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Hi Sam,
Nice to hear of interest in the OLPC Foundation. It’s what we need!I myself have been working within the OLPC for over 2 years now and feel very satisfied inside with the progress we are making. The dream is fast becoming reality.
We are currently starting to produce and distrubute our christmas batch across the world. I think Peru and Uruguay will be the first to recieve…
But, in regards to your post, problems? problems??
There are so many ‘problems’ that the ‘people’ against the project are coming up with…”olpc can’t do this…” , “olpc should try helping in other ways…”
For years as a world we’ve tried many ways to help – but this is radical. We try to overcome any problems we’re faced with, and more than often we do. We wouldn’t have so much backing if it wasn’t possible.
The things I can say though, are issues with both distrubution and manufacture. Both are slow processes – especially manufacture at this time of year in Asia. Christmas is the busiest time for companies like Dell, HP, Quanta (our manufacturers), and it’s a slow process. We would like to get the laptops out quicker if possible. Also, getting the laptops out there is a hard process. Much of the places we target are rural and split off from the metropolis’s.
But, we’re doing a very best to complete what we set out to do!I hope this has been of help to you Sam, and keep up the interest!
Tom
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