The other option here is to retro-fit Sugar (or something like it) and/
or kuokoa onto the Asus EEE PC.
The EEE 4G 'Surf' (no camera, 4GB SSD, 512MB ram, 900MHz Celeron D,
WiFi, Ethernet) could be had for less than $300 each, in quantity.
Then get Sandwich Isle Communications to drop a bunch 'o 802.11 on the
ends of their state-wide fiber plant and punt the results into the
native community.
HOSEF puts in some back-end infrastructure (email, web hosting,
blogging, drupal community sites, wikis, etc) hold classes, etc.
Jim
On Dec 3, 2007, at 1:15 PM, R. Scott Belford wrote:
Jim Thompson wrote:
Can't someone put the Sugar interface on top of non OLPC boxes, and
make a distro out of it? That would get allow HOSEF to pitch
Hawaii's schools on a OLPC-like setting (the sizzle) on desktops
without having to sell the steak (FLOSS).
Or perhaps Bishop Estate / Cambell Estate / Kaneohe Ranch could be
persuaded to buy OLPCs for youth in Hawaii Homelands housing, or
HOSEF could find the grants to purchase and administrate OLPC
programs to reach Hawaii's disadvantaged youth. Maybe Kamehameha
school students could BOGO, with the "GO" going to a disadvantaged
Hawaiian youth.
Your observation could not be more timely. This is exactly what we
are working to propose to a few of the above-mentioned entities. I
have attempted, so far unsuccessfully, to make contact with the OLPC
team about actually buying their hardware. Their supply chain could
use the committed orders.
You know your ideas are good when you hear them from unassociated
parties. A friend in Makaha who is a born and bread Native Hawaiian
finally understood this past Friday what HOSEF is about. Her first
question was yours, Jim, 'why not find a way to get one of those
hundred-dollar laptops to all the Native Hawaiian children in
Hawaiian Homelands, and why not go to OHA for it.' She and I are
meeting today to move on it, and I will contact you for details and
information.
Yes, its OPM.
Play the game from the inside, not the outside.
That is exactly my message. This was born in response to someone on
the K12OSN mailing list who had become a bit exasperated by his
endeavors in Missouri. This list, for those who are not familiar
with it, is full of global stories of people promoting, adopting,
supporting, using, etc, FOSS in their school settings.
For anyone vaguely familiar with HOSEF's commitment to getting Free
computer labs into schools and community centers, you will know that
this assessment is made from the requisite and painful real
experiences. I can cite several schools this past year that had
been using Free computers labs, successfully, for years. After
changes in teachers/tech coordinators, they came under new leadership.
There was an acceptance and an eagerness to use the existing Free
computers, and there was a good relationship with those in our
community providing Free but limited assistance. Money was found,
somehow, to buy new computers. The reasons cited, with regret, were
that there was a need for more immediate support. Rather than
expensing a fraction of the cost of new hardware for locally born
and bread support, it was expensed on bling.
For this I fault myself for not creating the opportunity to spend
that money with us. I do not fault the dealing vendor. I do not
fault the using customer. I fault me, the social entrepreneur, who
failed to provide a solution for the problem. I certainly do not
excuse what I see as a misuse of OPM, but what alternative did I
leave them with?
Maybe we could revive Kuokoa then.
I introduced her to your idea. Who doesn't like it? For those
unfamiliar, Jim asked the question - why don't Native Hawaiian
children have a fully immersed Hawaiian language computing
experience- almost two years ago at TPOSSCON. I believe it was part
of this speech
http://youtube.com/watch?v=XKmHsqXc9TM
It has spawned another mailing list at HOSEF
lists.hosef.org
and is in need of attention, passion, and probably some OPM. :-)
Jim
--scott
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