again Leigh , I am doing what I can do , I am going to translate your post into Chinese and put it in yeeyan website agian ,
if you don't mind , would you please post here the whole article coz I canot get access to your blog here in China many thanks and you are always my inspirtation !!! 2008/12/1 Leigh Blackall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > link to my blog post: > http://learnonline.wordpress.com/2008/12/01/my-experience-with-olpc-in-tuvalu/ > > > On Sun, Nov 30, 2008 at 5:22 PM, Leigh Blackall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > >> Hi Valerie, >> >> Glad you asked, as I'm in the process of posting to my blog a text that >> basically outlines my over all disappointment with them. I was guilty of >> being charmed by their innovations, but that has always been from the >> perspective of what the OLPC could offer computing generally, particularly >> in wealthy economies. Clearly the OLPC sparked such things as the Asus Eee >> PC and a new awareness of free software, but the innovations in the OLPC >> will damage their effectiveness in poorer economies. Here's my text that I'm >> about to post to the blog (links not in yet): >> >> My experience with OLPC in Tuvalu. >> >> >> >> In Tuvalu I experienced my first OLPC reality test. I've touched them >> before, drooled over them at an expensive conference in Wellington while I >> stuffed my face with atlantic salmon and caviar orderves one morning... but >> up until now, I had never had the opportunity to see or use them in the >> context they were designed for. What follows are my notes on such an >> opportunity, using brand new OLPCs in a wiki training workshop for teachers >> in Tuvalu. >> >> >> >> The setting: >> >> >> >> The workshops I've been running here are for the Tuvalu Ministry of >> Education. They have me here for a Wikieducator initiative called Learning >> for Content (L4C). Many primary and secondary teachers from around the >> Islands of Tuvalu are here, as well as people from non government >> organisations and service areas in Tuvalu. The organisers and I thought it >> would be a good idea to run the session on the new OLPCs, and expose the >> teachers to what was coming to their students. >> >> >> >> We are working in a large room on the second floor of the Government >> building, over looking the Funafuti atol. It is very hot in that room all >> day, and I try to keep prime position in front of the only fan. There is a >> wireless network set up froma main satellite connection and distributed >> through a Linxis wireless router situated in the room with us. The OLPCs >> were fresh out of the box and the IT person had only had the afternoon >> before to familiarise herself with them. >> >> >> >> The OLPC experience: >> >> >> >> The first thing I noticed (but already knew about) was the radically >> different operating system interface is. It doesn't look anything like any >> Linux distribution I have used before and it certainly looks nothing like >> any Windows or Mac OS. This operating system is out on its own again, a 4 >> th operating system if you will, and while I at first was mighty >> impressed by it back in Wellington while eating caviar, I have serious >> reservations about it here in Tuvalu... >> >> >> >> The next thing I noticed was the browser. At first glance it looks a >> little like Google's Chrome, but less than 3 clicks around you soon realise >> that its not of course. I couldn't for the life of me work out how to get >> new browser tabs happening, and I suspect that tabbed browsing is not >> possible! The apparent absence of such an important browser feature had me >> seeing doubts about the approaching workshop. If I couldn't even work out >> the browser, let alone the operating system, how the hell was I going to run >> a workshop for 40 odd people through it over the next 6 days? >> >> >> >> Its funny, it only takes one perculiarity of a thing - compared to what >> we're used to of course, and we start to look out for more and see only the >> faults. I started to notice the differences a lot more from this point on, >> not in terms of innovation - though on reflection I can see many aspects of >> the software that could be seen as innovative, but more in terms of >> usability and limitations to what we needed to be doing. >> >> >> >> I couldn't work out how to save and recover files from a USB. Admittedly I >> was by now very short on time and didn't look long or hard for it, but I was >> continuously thrown off by new icons I hadn't seen before, trying to work >> out what signified what and where, and how long a thing took to initiate, >> how to quit a thing, or how to swap windows. As with most things that >> require patience, I had to walk away from this one and get the classroom >> ready for a workshop I was now dreading. >> >> >> >> Soon we had somewhere near 20 people in the room for day 1. The nice >> little charm of the OLPCs turning on started filling the room.. great, >> everyone found the on button. The IT lady was running around connecting >> everyone to the wireless network, but each computer was taking a dreadfully >> long time to connect, often hanging once the access key was entered, or just >> dropping the connection soon after it found it. I needed a projector to >> demonstrate things in the workshop, but couldn't plug an OLPC into the >> projector. The only other device on hand was a standard 17 inch laptop with >> Windows Vista on it :( >> >> >> >> I filled some time raving about the OLPCs and how much I was stoked to be >> in a room full of them, and how they were the thing that inspired Asus and >> others to start putting out great little things like the Asus Eee PC. >> Eventually we had enough OLPCs connected to proceed, and we packed up the 3 >> or 4 that just didn't connect or misteriously turned themselves off after a >> few seconds. >> >> >> >> After I had giving a little show and tell on the projector it was now a >> job of going around and showing each person how to find and start the OLPC >> browser and bring up the wikieducator website. >> >> >> >> I'd say about 1/3 of the group had used computers before, and all of those >> people would have used a Windows operating system. While their intuition >> seemed to get them at least as far as I had before the workshop, that >> intuition wasn't any use beyond that point. We were into a case of the blind >> leading the blind. No one worked out how to get tabbed browsing going, one >> guy managed to get a Logitec wireless mouse working (highly recommended >> btw!), and no one worked out how to save and recover files from a USB. Those >> who had not used comuters much before were not at much of a disadvantage to >> the rest of us. We were all using computers for the first time it seemed, >> and so I couldn't rely on anyone to help others. >> >> >> >> And here is my point. It would seem that the designers behind the OLPCs >> have been so carried away with their design innovation that they lost sight >> of something critical. That the people o the ground who are going to hand >> out and help administer these things are likely people who have at least >> some experience with computers. And like it or not, that experience will >> have been based on a Windows or Linux operating system, and probably only in >> as much as the graphic user interfaces would offer. While I can appreciate >> innovation and have a high tollerance threshold for new ideas, the >> differences between the OLPC and any other interface re so great that it >> simply left me and anyone else who might have been able to assist feeling >> useless and unable to help, and that will be the OLPCs undoing when they hit >> the ground they were designed to be used on. >> >> >> >> To be honest, I would sooner hand out $400 Asus Eees, just because they >> don't need an instruction manual like the OLPCs do. EeePCs run on a >> distribution of Linux too, but what the developers of their operating system >> got right was that they understood how much they could rely on user >> intuition, in fact i would say that this was a primary element in their >> design brief. If you've never used a computer before, you'll be able to work >> out the Asus EeePC. If you have used Windows, Mac or and Linux, you'll know >> how to work out an Asus EeePC. What's more! If your first computer is an >> Asus EeePC you will develop computing intuition useful for using Windows, >> Mac or Linux (which you will inevitably use if your job involves computing >> in some way, or you start inheriting second hand computers via the >> electronic waste management centre. >> >> >> >> The workshop still worked out OK. People got by on the OLPCs and >> tollerated the frustrations of dropped connection, no right click options, >> difficult touch pads, overly small scroll bars, and annoying uninformative >> browser address bars. We got by, but not without a few complaints. We put up >> with the limitations, and odd perculiarities that I certainly wouldn't call >> innovations and were able to use the OLPCs for accessing and editing pages >> on Wikieducator. >> >> >> >> I am still mightily impressed with the obvious innovations in the OLPCs. >> Things like keeping most of the hardware in the screen and so elevating the >> main vulnerability out of splash zones of spilt drink. (A fan, cranking full >> tilt around the room WILL sooner or later spill a half empty plastic cup of >> water across the desk or floor). And I do actually like the keyboard >> configuration, even without a forward delete key. >> >> >> >> But I think it was a terrible mistake to go too far into new territory >> with the operating system. There are clear advantages to leveraging from >> experienced people's computing intuition, but the OLPCs have decided to go >> way outside that relm and force everyone to learn a whole new metaphore, >> essentually plonking a 4th operating system on the table. Yes there are >> innovations in some of that software and interface design (for techno and >> edu geeks), OLPC has shot themselves in the foot. The softare innovation >> would have been better deployed on some other laptop project that wasn't so >> reliant on mass take up, or wasn't concerned with things like relavence and >> transferability of skills. The similarities between Windows, Linux and Apple >> are close enough for an intuitive person to migrate between the 3. But the >> OLPC is out on its own and too soon, so I think this is a terrible >> mistake... I wonder if they'll work OK with Ubuntu or Asus Xandros on them? >> >> >> >> Oh, and by the end of day 2, the heat and humidity seemed to have gotten >> the better of at least one of the OLPCs.. its touch pad was lifting and >> seemed to have freed itself from its adhesive. I can't imagine how they'll >> be a few months from now, with the salty, humid air all around us... perhaps >> OLPCs are designed to withstand that too? >> >> >> >> Conclusion: >> >> >> >> Dispite all that I've said here, I still love the OLPC - the ideas in it >> at least. Like I said originally, back in 2005 - OLPCs have more to offer >> people in the wealthy economies than they do in poorer ones. They have >> forced computer designers to rethink their comodities and release cheap, >> strong, portable and better designed computers at more accessible price >> ranges. They have lead us to consider the savings possible through the use >> of free software (at last). And they have indicated to us that it could be >> possible to develop very cheap computers and so conceivable that everyone >> have one (if we still think that to be advantagious). But from my experience >> in Tuvalu, the OLPCs got the software wrong for their mission. The Asus >> EeePC (arguably a result of the OLPC initiative) got it right, but ironicly >> don't share the OLPC mission. >> >> >> >> To the Tuvaluans I would suggest selling the OLPCs on eBay and fetch the >> $300 you could get from collectors in the United States and Kingdom, then >> use that money to buy Asus EeePC or similar. That is if you can't get >> another operating system working on the OLPCs. >> >> >> >> List of things wrong with OLPCs Operating System: >> >> >> >> 1. The connectivity metaphore on start up is inappropriate for people >> in areas where connectivity is a long way away. The OLPC is more useful to >> people in Tuvalu as a device for games, media and typing before it is for >> connecting to the Internet, so the connectivity interface should not be >> the >> main focus at start up. >> >> >> >> 1. That said, we were using wireless connectivity in the Government >> building, but the OLPCs holding that connection was flakey. We had no >> trouble keeping a connection to the network on the Windows machines, but >> the >> OLPCs kept dropping. Placing a Wireless modem in the room with us seemed >> to >> help the situation. Another problem relating to connectivity was the >> amount >> of time some of the OLPCs took to connect. Some didn't at all. All of them >> need clearer indication of progress in connecting. >> >> >> >> 1. The pop up menu for the operating system is very frustrating and >> seems to be affected by processing. Sometimes it is slow to initiate and >> even slower to dissapear. I think its better to use the key on the >> keyboard >> instead, and turn off the mouse over feature. >> >> >> >> 1. Need better preloaders for the software. When we clicked an icon >> the software takes a while to load. Sometimes the loader dialog that says >> "starting" would take too long to appear. The icon does appear in the pie >> chart indicating active applications, perhaps something in that graphic >> could more effectively illustrate it as loading. >> >> >> >> 1. The browser must have tabbed browsing! If I missed where it was, >> then it is too hard to find. There was no right click option on any of the >> OLPC we were using, and I don't know if there is meant to be. If the >> tabbed >> browsing relies on a right click then we were thwarted. Also, I think the >> browser needs work on its layout and features. The address bar takes up >> too >> much room and for some unkown reason wants to display the page name >> instead >> of the URL. The URL is for more useful in terms of information, and having >> to click into the address bar just to check the URL is just silly. The >> scroll bars are too small, and especially noticable when managing a >> website >> with a scrolling window inside it, like the edit view of a wiki. We didn't >> try any ajax, java or flash - but I hope they are good to go! >> >> >> >> 1. I couldn't work out how to manage files. I could download PDFs ok, >> but it was a bit of a fumble to display them, and I have no idea how to >> save >> them. I tried plugging in a USB but as far as I could tell, no new icon >> appeared offering me access, and nowhere in the browser of the PDF display >> could I find how to save the file to the USB. >> >> >> >> 1. I wonder about the touch pad. I am used to using them and use the >> one on this Asus all the time, but seeing as the OLPCs are so ready to >> think >> outside the square, lets rethink the touch pad. If you didn't have the >> touch >> pad, you could have so much more room for keys! Apart from supplying a >> small >> mouse (which is infinately more easy to use) I wonder if the game >> controllers in the screen could substitute a mouse, as could smart use of >> the tab key. That little blue dial that IBM used in the middle of their >> keyboard had potential I thought. >> >> >> >> 1. I reckon the operting systemm and software should completely >> change, and I'd suggest something like what Asus has done. I can certainly >> appreciate the innovations that I've found so far, but the extreme >> difference between the OLPC and other OS is too great, and will affect the >> usefulness of the laptops... think of it like Vista.. you are causing >> stress >> and lock in by being so different. The OLPC is not the place to experiment >> if your primary objective is to offer people in poorer econimies to access >> and exploit opportunities. Of course there is the new opportunity of >> servicing and adminstering the OLPCs themselves, but that's hardly >> sustainable and I hope it wasn't planned for! >> >> >> >> On Sat, Nov 29, 2008 at 7:40 AM, valerie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >>> >>> Hi Leigh >>> >>> What problems are you having with OLPC? How were you using them? >>> >>> I really want to love them, but I know they are not appropriate for >>> many situations. It would be helpful if there was better information >>> about where they are very beneficial, and where they aren't. >>> >>> Big ads on US TV promoting the current Give One, Get One program that >>> is being offered through Amazon. After last year's G1G1 program, there >>> were lots of XOs available on ebay fetching +$300 US - I know, that's >>> how I got one. I'm afraid that the OLPCs are mis-represented. This >>> will ultimately hurt the program which does have great benefits in the >>> right circumstances. >>> >>> Based on your experience, what are the questions that should be asked >>> to determine if the OLPC would be appropriate for a particular >>> situation? >>> >>> >>> >>> On Nov 28, 5:20 pm, "Leigh Blackall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>> > Regarding laptops.. >>> > >>> > We have been using the OLPCs ($100 laptops) and I think they are not >>> good. >>> > >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> -- >> Leigh Blackall >> +64(0)21736539 >> skype - leigh_blackall >> SL - Leroy Goalpost >> http://learnonline.wordpress.com >> http://www.wikieducator.org/User:Leighblackall >> > > > > -- > -- > Leigh Blackall > +64(0)21736539 > skype - leigh_blackall > SL - Leroy Goalpost > http://learnonline.wordpress.com > http://www.wikieducator.org/User:Leighblackall > > > > -- Leo Wong http://wikieducator.org/user:leolaoshi --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "WikiEducator" group. 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