Hi Magda When one goes into an electronics store one finds many choices in PC's based on price/needs. When the military wants a laptop, they don't know where they will be next and they do not want to have a million choices because the troops and equipments have to be everywhere.
But, we know that even though we ave laptops in harsh conditions around the developing world, not everyone needs to have the equivalent of a machine that can go anywhere at any time. The OLPC is an engineering marvel designed by academics and those who wanted to create one bullet proof machine to go anywhere under any condition rather than a platform that could be easily manufactured and modified for the specific need. And that is what they have done. I know that where we work, a low cost pc that could be based on any model in local stores in the US would work well for a large majority. Unfortunately OLPC is the HumVee of laptops and your concerns are well taken. Next stop? cell phones. cheers tom tom abeles > Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2008 18:54:28 +0000 > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To: digitaldivide@digitaldivide.net > Subject: Re: [DDN] PhD research on OLPC > > Thank you all the members of the list for your kind answers! > I will try here to discuss some of the topics that have been raised: > > Tim: the OLPC is said to be a quality tool for children of the developing > world but what you pointed out is very true: people living in rural > developing areas are going to appreciate any kind of technology that could be > presented to them, as they do not have any alternative. So, the point is: why > not offering them the technology that we all use everyday (a standard laptop) > instead of a tool created to be a “laptop for the third world”. > > I am not sure that I agree with Satish when says that the OLPC is more > advanced than a normal laptop, as it is thought as a game for children who > aren’t failiar with technology. It was proved by a recent research held from > IBM that PCs and laptops introduced in primary schools as “games” where > making children ask why they do not have “normal” PCs and laptops, as the > ones that they saw in other contexts. That is to say: are we sure that it is > right to create a “game” of the first laptop that those children are going to > use, just because they have never seen a laptop before? What’s the difference > between the OLPC and the laptop that Taran suggested or the Asus EEE, which > have now the same price than the OLPC one but are “serious” laptops? > > Thank you all for suggestions, > Magda > > --- Ven 5/9/08, Satish Jha <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ha scritto: > > Da: Satish Jha <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Oggetto: Re: [DDN] PhD research on OLPC > A: "The Digital Divide Network discussion group" > <digitaldivide@digitaldivide.net> > Data: Venerdì 5 settembre 2008, 21:39 > > Magda, > > There is a bit of difference between making a PC and a learning PC for > children. What we know as OLPC, without a dozen feature it has that do not > come bundled with any other laptop, can be manufactured below $100. But add > ruggedness, no moving parts, mesh networking, dual boot system, a screen > that works well under the sun, a keyboard that is spill proof, a built in > camera, a swiveling screen and an e-book feature and we are talking a > serious package. retaining costs at $200 after adding all that narrated > above and more is a feat in itself.. So OLPC is no ordinary laptop and the > next version will be to laptops what i-phone is to cell phones and for > less.. That said, we should encourage every initiative to reduce costs as > the lower price points will undoubtedly increase the reach of computing, > opening every newer frontier with drop in prices.. > > Thanks > > Magda Pischetola wrote: > > > Dear collegues, > > > > > > I've been reading with great interests your posts in the latest > months > > and now I'd like you to ask your opinion about a topic that is going > to be > > an important part of my research. > > > > > > I am doing my PhD in Italy with a project on the Digital divide from > the > > point of view of Education. I am studying how can education reduce the DD > > with media literacy and how teachers can help children to achieve a good > > level of the so-called "digital skills", to access ICT and > Internet and to > > produce development. > > > > > > Now, this year I will follow a field research in a primary school > where > > teachers are going to introduce the OLPC laptop as a tool in their method > of > > theaching. Then, in the new year I'd like to compare the results to > another > > area of the world (I'm thinking of Buenos Ayres, Argentina). > > > > > > I'm asking to you all what you think - out of any preconcept that > I might > > share - about the initiative of OLPC in the world (if it is a goof > initiave > > or not and why) and which aspect would you stress in a field research like > > this one (e.g. skills of the teacher, self-learning of the child, > creativity > > and flexibility of the project, etc.). > > > > > > I will appreciate very much your help. > > > Thank you! > > > > > > Magda Pischetola > > > > > > > -- > > Satish Jha > > President & CEO > > OLPC India > > One Cambridge Center > > Cambridge, MA 02142 > > T: 301 841 7422 > > F:301560 4909 > > www.laptop.org > > __________________ > > http://www.linkedin.com/myprofile?trk=tab_pro > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satish_Jha > > > _______________________________________________ > DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list > DIGITALDIVIDE@digitaldivide.net > http://digitaldivide.net/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide > To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with > the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Poco spazio e tanto spam? 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