Green IT Toolkit

Story: $100 laptop project is 'fundamentally flawed'

Posted by: Indy (Friday 23 June 2006, 9:20 AM)

Refurbished PC programs are fundamentally flawed in the sense that none of the machines they provide are in any way capable of surviving for any reasonable amount of time in harsh environments found in developing countries.
A device, such as the OLPC's $100 Laptop, specifically built to be used in such environments while still providing standard modern functionality (ruggedized for 'all terrain' usage, friendly, portability, integrated storage, integrated communications, ease of use, low learning curve, etc.) is far better suited for the job than a full blown desktop/laptop machine loaded full with god knows what sucking up large amounts dirt, and power that isn't available in most people's homes let alone in public places.
OLPC's $100 laptop plan; It's cheaper, can be distributed more widely and in larger quantities and can be supported far easier.

You'll find that people from developing countries are very eager to learn and very thankful for anything you bring them - how much does a smile (have to) cost?

What most of the critics of the OLPC project are forgetting is, that once our target developing countries have evolved far enough indicating readyness for more, the technology and people behind these $100 machines will have evolved with them and new and better equipment will find it's way to the places that are waiting for them.
There's a right time and a right place for the right equipment.

Right now those poor children in developing countries really aren't looking forward to refurbished desktop PC's; most of them can't or aren't allowed to go to school but have to work to provide and survive instead, or either don't get to use that machine at all because of lack of resources such as decent permanent power sources for desktop power hogs, only being allowed to use it for a short while during class, or simply selling it because what little money they get off of selling it will put food on their table for a day or two.
Do you realise that most of the refurbished equipment arrives in a box and will remain that way for many more reasons including but not limited to the ones I already mentioned?
How good does that idea feel?

With the OLPC project i'm far more confident that it will succeed where refurbished equipment will fail in aforementioned areas, simply because the OLPC people think before they do and realise there's a consequence to each choice made - therefore trying to optimize their product for the target instead of the other way around.
Big corporations like Microsoft whom are trying to be so humanitarian all of a sudden shortly after the appearance of the OLPC project, shouting they know better and will do better, have a long way to go before something actually happens. It's been YEARS for them without any sign of improvement, and how long has the OLPC project existed so far? their first prototypes are already on the table. TODAY.