Sunday, May 18, 2008

OLPC... changed course of direction

Read: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24665263/
http://mobile.slashdot.org/mobile/08/04/22/1421204.shtml

OLPC, how angelic and inspiring it's starting was, has ended up misled...

Simply, the previous and current versions of OLPC allows you to look at the running codes of the applications and processes that are running in the XO laptops, but imagine what happen if you add in Windows ? You wouldn't get the functionality of looking at thw workings and learning from the workings and discovery.

XO laptops are about tinkering and finding out how to solve a problem... but with Windows, your options are limited since Windows have always been a restrictive and limiting OS to work with. I doubt how educational it is. When Negroponte tried to sell Linux empowered laptops and was put down by the education ministers, he might have thought that ading Windows would add a bit of 'lustre' to his products since Linux have always been thought of as some free low grade ugly beast and Windows... at least it could make it through since you don't use much command prompts then Linux (no insults meant to Linux users in any way).

It seems Negroponte is trying to stay alive in his ... badly planned business enterprise (not education).

The dreams of education is over... for OLPC enthusiast ... many of the top OLPC members have already either resigned or walked away ... the 'virtue' have been spent.

I once thought rather highly of OLPC using Linux, but now, it's over.

Anyway, if you want to help those poor and undeveloped nations, a sudden introduction of laptop to every kid is NEVER THE RIGHT THING TO DO. It is causing a cultural shock !!! I doubt Negroponte have considered the mental impacts a forceful and sudden introduction of these products into the live of these kids might have done... we do not know what happened to the kids mentally... and it needs some research.

I think all these poor kids needs are basically just proper schools , chairs , tables and utilities... not overly high tech laptop. The basic stuff is always the best to start first.


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