Category Archives: OLPC

Change the World program wraps up

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We have been running a Change the World [CTW] program since November, which (along with the Give Many program which preceded it) allowed groups that wanted 100 or more XOs to get them at close to their raw production & shipping cost.

This was a nice way to engage potential G1G1 supporters and others who were interested in supporting an entire school or educational work done by local charities.  It has had only limited popularity, however, and minimal overlap with our goal of getting countries and districts to embrace olpc for their children at scale.  As part of refocusing on our mission this year we are wrapping up CTW.

This is a program we would love to support if we had time to do everything — it has produced some lovely stories, and on rare occasions starts a process that leads to larger, lasting commitments.  In time we may make a similar program available again, and welcome feedback here from those who have taken part, or considered taking part, over the past year.

If you are waiting to finalize details on a Change the World request, including longer-term fundraising plans, please do so this week (emailing us; those who have written in already should have received similar updates by email).  The page describing the program will stay up for a short while longer, and all current CtW conversations and transactions will be completed, even after the program has ended.

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School Server 0.5.1 – holding the XO universe together

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A couple of weeks ago, OLPC XS 0.5.1 was released with little fanfare. Everyone was busy — understandably so — and the announcement went unnoticed.

So perhaps it is time to go back and look at it in detail. The School Server is a Fedora-based distro that auto-installs and (mostly) auto configures itself into a server that complements with the XO laptop. Even if it is not obvious, the XO behaves much better when it is working on a network managed by a School Server. And in locations with limited or no Internet access, a School Server with a bounty of educational content makes a huge difference.

XS 0.5.x is a big leap forward from the earlier series. It upgrades the base OS from Fedora 7 to Fedora 9, streamlines instalation and configuration, and is a better platform to build upon. Ah, yes! It also has some cool new features.

So what does the XS do for your XOs?

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XO costs are dropping

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XO costs are scheduled to drop soon; while we’re not yet in the $75-$100 range, raw materials costs have stopped going up and other economies are kicking in. The Globe has a fairly balanced piece on the update.

Meanwhile, feature-limited appliances such as modern bookreaders and many single-purpose phones continue to keep their prices up around $400, well above production costs; or subsidized by locking into hefty service plans.  Is that the model for the future?  Are netbooks moving the default price of a laptop from 1500 to 500, or shifting us to a culture of dropping costs over time?

Q & A from XO Camp

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XO Camp attendees, and many taking part from afar, were invited to submit questions about OLPC’s future.   Nicholas answered a limited number during two sessions; the full list are posted below.  Now we have to figure out which wiki FAQ to add them to…

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1. Current programs and general questions

* What efforts will OLPC make to support the XO-1?

The XO-1 will be fully supported, including hardware and firmware up-dates, spare parts and ever growing activities. OLPC is in discussion with several of the large deployments to understand how they help beyond their own national boundaries.

* For how long is the XO-1 going to be in production?

The XO-1 and its planned revision, which we fondly call 1.5, will be in production for at least two more years, and is expected to remain available to existing deployments beyond that point for replacements and spares.

* Is the production of XO-1s at risk if the sales stop? Do you have a plan to sustain the demand for XO-1s in this atmosphere of uncertainty?

OLPC itself is independent of sales. At the moment, there is a back order of 500,000 laptops. At the current rate of production, which is 50,000 per month, the world could stop and there is 10 months of life in the supply chain. Yes, there is a global economic slow down, but we do not expect sales to totally stop. Rwanda just ordered 100,000 laptops. Give the focus of OLPC’s mission, many of our sales are to entities where funding is a concern even in the best economic times.

* Will the XO-2 be developed as an important free software project as the XO-1 was?

The XO-2 will continue OLPC’s tradition of open development including Open Firmware and open-source operating system support.

* In what ways are you planning to involve the community in the development of the XO-2?

We may need the community more than ever for XO-2, because we are exploring the degree to which the hardware of XO-2 can be open source (whatever that really means in hardware).  OLPC’s strategy for XO-2 support is to build a broader community of interest in the technologies used, to provide greater benefit to participants.

* Whats your timeframe for having the XO-2 in the market?

Two years.

* Are there any updates on dual-boot deployments of XO-1?

We expect them soon, less than three months, taking advantage of existing XO-1 hardware.

2. No-cost connectivity program

-Great idea, as connectivity is one of the largest challenges for a country or region to implement a one laptop per child program. What technologies are you aiming at?

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OLPC Australia’s First Pilot

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OLPC Australia’s first pilot program is coming along nicely, spearheaded by Pacific region community OLPC Friends, dedicated to “sharing OLPC resources . . . throughout the Pacific region, including Australia and New Zealand.” Each machine is being shipped with VideoChat-7 and a host of other applications for collaboration and content.

The OLPC Friends site has a write-up with more information and advice for Australians and New Zealanders who want to get involved with the program. There’s also a wonderfully detailed entry on wiki.laptop.org with news, information, FAQs, and links.

Reaching refugees : Gaza

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OLPC is holding a small gathering in Jordan this week, and preparing to donate 5,000 XOs to the United Nations Relief and Workers Agency (UNRWA) to give to refugee children in the Gaza strip.  UNWRA operates over 800 schools for Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Labanon, Gaza and the West Bank.

I have been looking forward to our progress with refugee camps for a long time.  I hope this is only the first.