Both Intel and Professor Negroponte’s not for profit organisation, One Laptop per Child (OLPC), have developed a low cost, robust laptop aimed specifically at school children in the developing world.
Classmate PC
Intel’s Classmate PC runs Microsoft Windows and LinuxThere are various differences in both the hardware and software, but Professor Negroponte believes the main problem is that his machine uses a processor designed by Intel’s main competitor, AMD.
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[…] his war of words with his $100 laptop. Intel originally disliked the idea, yet has recently jumped on the bandwagon with a $100 entry of its own. This wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that Michael Negroponte chose to use AMD […]
I posted some commentary on the $100 laptop over at my blog. Feel free to take a look!
http://www.capitalai.com/blog/2007/05/21/the-power-of-great-business-ideas/
cool…
May it help people apply critical thinking to all of these projects.
http://enkerli.wordpress.com/2007/03/02/laptops-and-leapfrog/
Personally, I’m worried by the fact that, as an academic, Negroponte would adopt quite condescending an attitude toward critical examinations of his own project.
http://www.olpctalks.com/nicholas_negroponte/negroponte_ted_speech.html
that is a really weird, and scary comment. my experience, with, say, librivox, is that it’s important to get, understand, and address criticism, that way you get more and more sure of what you are doing.
Well, see, what you did with LibriVox is really different. It’s getting people involved. Helping people achieve something they want to achieve without imposing your own personal vision.
Many people are worried about the potential effects of the OLPC project. Action is important. But I just hope the voices of potential users aren’t drowned in the mix.
the point is not so much about the objectives, or even the methods of implementing the objectives, but the need to be able to receive, and reflect on, and reply to criticism … even if you continue on the same path as before, if you do that, then you have a better understanding of WHY you are on the path you are on.
if you just say: “we’re doing something good so criticism is stupid…” well, that’s pretty…. stupid.
especially given the huge impact (positive, negative, transformative, or even wasted) that the OLPC is likely to have.
maybe *some* criticism *is* stupid, but not because OLPC has pure intentions (wolfowitz might have had pure intentions too, but he would have done well to listen to, and respond to criticism).
Agreed. My point was that comparing your own actions with LibriVox with those of Negroponte with OLPC, there seems to be a difference in terms of “leadership,” if you will.
The comparison is interesting. LV is a true grassroots movement in that users are involved at every step of the process. OLPC is much more of a “cathedral project” in that the structure is top-down, with boards and committees (made of Europeans and North Americans) selling solutions to foreign government agencies without significant input from the potential users.
ah… yes … i see. Tho I don’t know if that is the case. I know very little about the project.
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