the $100 laptop

[silver_wits]

So this should probably be in thehttp://forum.tip.it/viewforum.php?f=45 techs and computers

 

but... I figured since I would like to discuss the social impacts of it, off topic might be better. [plus not many people read the t&c forum...]

 

 

 

I heard about this a while back. But I just did a forum search, and no one had made any threads about this.. so...

 

 

 

the official website seems to be: http://laptop.org/

 

and it's all about giving $100 dollar laptops to everyone in 3rd world countries.

 

It's small and cute. you can read it in full sunlight [apparantly not many computers can do this]

 

you can submerge the keyboard in water... nothing happens.

 

there's no holes in it for dust and sand to get in.

 

if you run out of electricity you can turn a crank with your foot... or use solar power.

 

it has no hard drive [so it cannot crash]

 

 

 

and if you want to know more at this point go to the website listed above.

 

 

 

Anyways, what do you think about the social implications of every single person in the world being online...

 

I at first thought it was cool, and figured everyone else would think the same....

 

 

 

but after more internet surfing, I realised that some people out there think that it's best that $100 be used for food and healthcare instead of a laptop. and see it as a luxury, instead.

[Da_Latios]

Didn't they already do this in East Timor and most of the Torres Straight areas?

[Orpheus]

Like they are really going to afford it, i mean those in developing countries. Look at their economic status, which is almost nonexistant. It could help, but the money could also be used, as you said, for food and healthcare. It runs a form of linux, so I'm not so sure about it.

[fgfuyfyuiuy0]

Like they are really going to afford it, i mean those in developing countries. Look at their economic status, which is almost nonexistant. It could help, but the money could also be used, as you said, for food and healthcare. It runs a form of linux, so I'm not so sure about it.

 

 

 

On the website, it asks for donations. The donor buys a laptop and it is sent to the children, so their government/people are not buying the laptops.

[Orpheus]

Like they are really going to afford it, i mean those in developing countries. Look at their economic status, which is almost nonexistant. It could help, but the money could also be used, as you said, for food and healthcare. It runs a form of linux, so I'm not so sure about it.

 

 

 

On the website, it asks for donations. The donor buys a laptop and it is sent to the children, so their government/people are not buying the laptops.

 

 

 

Oh, in that case, I digress my last statement.

[Ginger_Warrior]

Means nothing if you don't have a decent education which allows you to read and write in any language.

[doomy]

Well, whats the point?

 

Why not use the money for food and healthcare and schools and all that.

 

 

 

I don't think they'd have any use for it anyway, they have not much of an education and I'd doubt they'd really understand the function and uses or a laptop, and be able to read everything.

[mpie]

Well, whats the point?

 

Why not use the money for food and healthcare and schools and all that.

 

 

 

I don't think they'd have any use for it anyway, they have not much of an education and I'd doubt they'd really understand the function and uses or a laptop, and be able to read everything.

 

 

 

Uhh... the whole point of these laptops is for education. Education is what breaks the line of poverty, not food or healthcare.

 

 

 

Think about it. With education, you can get a job and be self-reliant. With these laptops, you could be educated much more easily.

 

 

 

And I'm sure this organization knows who they're giving the laptops too. These people who live in poverty are not total idiots and are willing to learn you know.

 

 

 

I'm actually thinking of donating 100 dollars to this organization.

[Hedgehog]

I remember this being on oprah. It was pretty nice for those people in third world countries.

[llcoolguy972]

Well, whats the point?

 

Why not use the money for food and healthcare and schools and all that.

 

 

 

I don't think they'd have any use for it anyway, they have not much of an education and I'd doubt they'd really understand the function and uses or a laptop, and be able to read everything.

 

 

 

Uhh... the whole point of these laptops is for education. Education is what breaks the line of poverty, not food or healthcare.

 

 

 

Think about it. With education, you can get a job and be self-reliant. With these laptops, you could be educated much more easily.

 

 

 

And I'm sure this organization knows who they're giving the laptops too. These people who live in poverty are not total idiots and are willing to learn you know.

 

 

 

I'm actually thinking of donating 100 dollars to this organization.

 

 

 

Yea, but it's hard to get a job and earn a living if you die of starvation or malaria. And, in case you didn't know this, it IS possible to learn without computers. People have done it before, probably even your parents, unthinkable as it is. It's a nice thought, but I'd much rather see the money go towards feeding these people or establishing schools, hospitals, etc. This kinda reminds when the pope sent crates and crates of BIBLES to Ethiopia. He probably meant well, but there are so many more things they need first.

[stevepole]

The laptops are actually $200 not $100.

 

 

 

I think this is a good program because it benefits those who receive the laptops, and I'm only going to assume here that it will help develop the countries where people receive these laptops.

[Cyco_Reborn]

Sounds pretty good for those getting these, but surely if its just children getting these then they're going to get stolen and sold on eBay or something like that.

[DieselX]

It's kinda funny, because I bought two used dell computers:

 

 

 

one with 3 mhz proccessor, the other with 3.4 mhz

 

both with:

 

windows xp proffesionel

 

microsoft suite programs (word, powerpoint, excel, publisher, plus nero, nod32 and all that stuff)

 

disk reader/burner

 

sound card

 

decent graphics card

 

500 Mo memory

 

etc

 

 

 

Basically all the kind of stuff you'd get from a normal computer bought ~3 years ago from Dell. Their not gamer computers but still can play a lot of games.

 

 

 

One cost me 40$, the other one cost me 60$, and a buddy sold me his used acer monitor for cheap, plus I already had one. Then I had to fix one of them. Plus 20$ for used keyboards. All and all they cost me about 100$ and 90$ respectively

 

 

 

They cant make solar energy or anything like that, but yeah

 

 

 

:twss:

[silver_wits]

The laptops are actually $200 not $100.

 

 

 

I think this is a good program because it benefits those who receive the laptops, and I'm only going to assume here that it will help develop the countries where people receive these laptops.

 

 

 

 

 

I believe it's $100 for the people in 3rd world countries....

 

and more for people in the richer countries.

[oegly41]

$100 for people in Third World Countries. If anyone with more wealth wants one, they will have to pay $200, which buys a computer to someone in a Third World Country. It's a nice idea, but I think the resources could have been placed more wisely, like stated in earlier posts.

 

 

 

I heard a story about a test project where the makers gave the computers to some children. The children didn't think they were good enough. :roll: (But this was not from a reliable source.)

[Guest]

This is really nice of the company, and will be appreicated by the 3rd world countries 100%.

[Kenshinjapan]

The computers they give them suck, they're more like calculators from the 80s :-# .

 

 

 

By the way, isn't this like a year old idea?

[jackattack]

Mitt Romney tried to do this when he was the Governor of Massachusetts. Romney '12!

[stevepole]

$100 for people in Third World Countries. If anyone with more wealth wants one, they will have to pay $200, which buys a computer to someone in a Third World Country. It's a nice idea, but I think the resources could have been placed more wisely, like stated in earlier posts.

 

 

 

I heard a story about a test project where the makers gave the computers to some children. The children didn't think they were good enough. :roll: (But this was not from a reliable source.)

 

 

 

Where did you read this? Source?

 

 

 

The computers are $200, Last year when the computers were first released they had the deal of two laptops for $400 and you get to keep one, and on the main site it says $200. The "$100 dollar laptop" was a goal of the makers but due to cost of production its $200. I origninally read they're $200 from engadget about a year ago.

 

 

 

other sources:

 

http://www.olpcnews.com/sales_talk/price/olpc_uruguay_205_dollars_laptop.html

 

http://www.olpcnews.com/sales_talk/competition/low-cost_laptop_war_olpc_asus.html

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OLPC_XO-1

[adam_ross0]

I think it's a pretty good idea. We donate money, they get a laptop. It's not a powerful laptop by any means, but it's enough to create documents, use the internet, etc.

[Kenshinjapan]

I think it's a pretty good idea. We donate money, they get a laptop. It's not a powerful laptop by any means, but it's enough to create documents, use the internet, etc.

 

 

 

They don't have internet connection.

[indy500fan]

Yep it is $400US to buy one, and then one gets sent to a third world country.

[Giordano]

To whom are we talking about here? Giving it to the jungle villages of Africa or a semi-Westernized country? If its the former, where the hell are they gonna get eletricity?

[indy500fan]

To whom are we talking about here? Giving it to the jungle villages of Africa or a semi-Westernized country? If its the former, where the hell are they gonna get eletricity?

 

 

 

If you had read the topic you would know it doesn't get plugged in. Either solar powered or a manual crank.

[Bufoman]

Nice toy's but will they play Crisis ;)

 

 

 

Seriously though this is a good idea if properly administered. Simply dropping off a laptop to a child won't do him/her a bit of good. Sending them to schools seems like the best idea... or for that matter developing super cheap desktops for schools...

 

 

 

Still they are supposed to be reliable in the conditions that these people live. I don't get why people are complaining that this company is giving computers instead of food, medicine, or money to schools. This is a computer company after all, not a food company, nor a medical company. You wouldnt ask a doctor to fix your car, or a mechanic to remove your appendix. In the end they are here to make money, even if they are a charitable organization. By increasing their revenue they can invest more in production, which means more, and cheaper laptops for the intended recipients. What's more who's dictating that they have to be a charity? Creative Capitalism promoted by Bill Gates (one of the worlds most charitable men) is all about bringing the benefits of Capitalism to markets (and peoples) that are otherwise ignored, such as the third world.