olpc

OLPC to laptop makers: Use our design

The One Laptop per Child initiative seems to have found that imitation isn't simply a form of flattery, it's grounds for a new business model.

Speaking at the TED 2009 conference, OLPC founder Nicholas Negroponte said that the future of the initiative--which set out to put simple, durable, low-cost laptops in the hands of schoolchildren in developing nations--is to become, in essence, more commonplace, to "build something that everyone copies," according to Ethan Zuckerman, blogging from TED.

That copying has already begun, Negroponte said, pointing to the surging popularity in recent months of Netbooks--laptops built by … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 901: Gigabyte in your nose

Our resident nasal storage expert Rafe Needleman is on the show to explain some quantum physics to you. Rafe also schools me in why latency doesn't matter to bandwidth but he still won't admit that he need 60 Gbps. And we realize that the only way to save the world is by drinking more whiskey. Time to get to it.

Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 901

Charter gets bragging rights with new 60Mbps broadband tier http://arstechnica.com/telecom/news/2009/01/charter-gets-bragging-rights-with-new-60mbps-broadband-tier.ars

iPod / iPhone CES pavilion sells out in record time, quadruples to include … Read more

OLPC slashes workforce in half, cuts salaries

The One Laptop Per Child project announced Wednesday that it is slashing its workforce by 50 percent, reducing salaries for the remaining staff, and restructuring its operations.

Nicholas Negroponte, founder of the group that aims to provide low-cost laptops to children in developing countries, announced the cuts in a company blog post:

Like many other nonprofits that are facing tough economic times, One Laptop per Child must downsize in order to keep costs in line with fewer financial resources. Today we are reducing our team by approximately 50% and there will be salary reductions for the remaining 32 people. While … Read more

Amazon sponsors round 2 of OLPC program

I learned about the new Give One, Get One program of the One Laptop Per Child Foundation the same way most people will--from a TV commercial sponsored by Amazon.com, which is handling order fulfillment for the new program through this page on Amazon's Web site.

Like last year's program, which I wrote about here before and after I bought one myself, the deal is simple: you buy two laptops for $399, and you get one. The other goes to a deserving student somewhere in the developing world. (This is why I sometimes call it the Buy 2, … Read more

OLPC giveaway offer comes to Europe

The One Laptop per Child initiative's "Give One, Get One" scheme is to come to Europe.

Nicholas Negroponte, founder and chairman of OLPC, told ZDNet UK in an e-mail interview Wednesday that version two of "Give One, Get One" (G1G1) would enable European users to participate in the scheme.

"(The) popularity of G1G1 expanded in the USA," wrote Negroponte. "We are taking G1G1 global this time."

Under the G1G1 scheme, people will be able to purchase an XO laptop, the price of which will also buy and send an XO to … Read more

OLPC's Give One, Get One program to be rekindled Nov. 17

Starting on Monday, One Laptop Per Child's XO laptop will be available through the Give One, Get One program again, this time facilitated by Amazon.com.

For $400, the nonprofit low-cost laptop program will send one XO to the purchaser and one to a school-age child in a developing country.

OLPC said in September that it wanted to revive last year's successful program, but didn't have the infrastructure to support the program alone.

Although Microsoft has started making Windows available for the OLPC, that extends only to those in developing markets like Colombia and Peru, not folks … Read more

CNET News Daily Podcast: XP comes to the XO

It was initially announced almost a year ago, but the first version of the XO from the One Laptop Per Child program will soon begin shipping to governments that order it for their country's schoolchildren. CNET News' Ina Fried got to do a side-by-side comparison of the original Linux-flavored XO and the new Windows XP variety.

Also in today's podcast: exploring the real story on the Mac Mini, Yahoo cancels Messenger for Vista, and Oprah endorses the Kindle.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Today's stories:

The XO laptop gets a Windows makeover

Will Kindle sales spike because of 'Oprah effect'?… Read more

Digital City: Episode 1

Welcome to the first official episode of Digital City, our ongoing conversation about technology and urban spaces. Look for a new episode every Monday, available here at digitalcity.cnet.com or on iTunes. Listen now: Download today's podcast

Digital City rundown Episode 1

How will the fiscal crisis change the way we buy tech and gadgets? First, note that from here on 28th street in NYC, we are a mere 2.9 miles from Wall Street. That may not give us as much skin in the game as the average investment banker, but...

Note also that the big new … Read more

OLPC revives Give One, Get One program with Amazon.com

The One Laptop Per Child project is bringing back its two-for-one deal on its low-cost laptop.

It has tapped Amazon.com to handle its Give One, Get One program, launched initially last year. Through the program, anyone can pay for two XO laptops; one is shipped to the buyer, and the other is sent to a school kid in a developing nation. It will run from late November to late December this year.

An OLPC official told PC World the group is working with Amazon because the nonprofit just doesn't have enough manpower to handle the program.

In other … Read more

OLPC, or why you can't copyright ideas

I have to agree with Mike Masnick's contention that Nicholas Negroponte is way off base in arguing that Intel and Microsoft are to blame for the One Laptop Per Child's problems. Whatever Microsoft's problems, a fervent desire to compete is not one of them. Ditto for Intel. According to Masnick:

While the idea behind creating a super cheap, super durable useful computer for children in developing nations is good, Negroponte has always approached the idea as one where only he should be allowed to see that vision through. When other companies decided it might be a good … Read more