Laptop For Students Picking Up Steam

http://www.liliputing.com/2008/09/venezula-orders-1-million-classmate-pcs.html Okay, last year's OLPC's Give One Get One program was a dud.  I was a part of it and it took nearly three months for my XO to be shipped to me.

I'm still out on whether I'll be participating in this year's program but I have more confidence in this year's program will be an even greater success (it's a relative term when it comes to OLPC at this).  Who so you ask?

First, Amazon is involved.  They'll be running the thing.  The cost should be $399 to make it attractive to donors.  So, how does this work and what are you talking about donors?  Well, the laptop costs approximately $200 but the cost is nearly double that because when you participate in the G1G1 program , you will get a laptop and donate another.

Your donated portion will be tax deductible.  That laptop will go to a child in a third world nation like Mongolia or something.

Second, Windows XP will be the default OS in this year's XO.  It's easier to use than XO and familiar to millions of users already.

The program will commence on Nov 17.

Not to be outdone, Intel's Classmate received an one million units order from Hugo Chavez, you know, of Venezula.  With all that petro money we send them, it's nice to see him spend a bit of that on the children, whatever your political feelings about him are (he doesn't like us Americans...in case you're wondering what I'm talking about).

Regardless of which camp you support, I'm glad to see XO and other educational laptops being picked up.  Now, if some of that $700 billion bailout can include a bit of goodness for our students, I might just call my...nah...


Source on XO:  Engadget
Source on Classmate:  Liliputing