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Designed to meet the need of Microsoft to spread Windows always and everywhere!

MSX - designed to meet the need of Microsoft to spread MSX-BASIC everywhere!

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What are the needs of children in developing countries? Do they really know?

Ehm, how about food, shelter, hygiene, education? And guess what: there's no laptop in that list.

Ah well, 2cts wasted...

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Ehm, how about food, shelter, hygiene, education? And guess what: there's no laptop in that list. Ah well, 2cts wasted...

Yes, there is, in education. You cannot educate without paper, pencil and nowadays without a computer (which is the quickest, cheapest and most practical way to search for information, a library or Google?). A laptop would be great for educational software, multimedia presentations, the right kind of games (there´s a 12 years-old girl in my family that loves chess and has no opponent - she needs a computer), puzzles, and of course, Internet access. As I said: if you don´t have money to buy books, at least you can use a computer to download information and read it later, or copy it from someone who has it. Is it boring? Yes, but better than nothing to read at all. And I am not even talking about the logical thinking, organization and many things that you need to force your brain into when you´re learning programming.

I learned much more about geometry with computer magazines than with my math books. And I am sure that any poor kid that enjoys wasting his time with his laptop playing a game will one day at least be tempted to learn how to create them, even with physics, geometry, logics etc. needed to make it come true.

I started my life with computers with the MSX, as many in here, and I am sure about something: Without computers as a daily part of my life, I´d have worse living conditions nowadays.

I just came back from Ethiopia visiting some Dorcas projects and I can safely say these XO laptops would do a perfect job there. Education is THE most important issue right now in many African countries. People who still believe there is more need for food, shelter & hygiene don't have a clue about how many developing countries function nowadays. People really don't walk around half naked with flies stuck to their faces.

Latok, what are Dorcas projects?

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I just came back from Ethiopia visiting some Dorcas projects and I can safely say these XO laptops would do a perfect job there. Education is THE most important issue right now in many African countries. People who still believe there is more need for food, shelter & hygiene don't have a clue about how many developing countries function nowadays. People really don't walk around half naked with flies stuck to their faces.

Even so, then those commercials on telly don't make much sense, do they?

Tanni: http://www.dorcas.net/

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Even so, then those commercials on telly don't make much sense, do they?

Flies, and porridge (with flies) are likely to give ppl the creeps and thus raise more money, of which a part sticks to the organization which collects it. Makes you think what the real reason of such a laptop is..

Whether laptops are really required there or not, primary education -anywhere, including here- shouldn't rely on computers. Even in high-school computers should have a minor or no role at all.

Anyway, all this has been discussed before, little point in bringing it on again..

Not everyone follows every discussion, wolf_. Repeting is a virtue.

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Quote: Even so, then those commercials on telly don't make much sense, do they? Flies, and porridge (with flies) are likely to give ppl the creeps and thus raise more money, of which a part sticks to the organization which collects it. Makes you think what the real reason of such a laptop is.. Whether laptops are really required there or not, primary education -anywhere, including here- shouldn't rely on computers. Even in high-school computers should have a minor or no role at all. Anyway, all this has been discussed before, little point in bringing it on again..

Maybe primary education should not rely on computers but don't forget that we are now living in the internet age and like a few people mentioned already above: the internet is a huge library with lot's of useful info.

Being computer and internet literate is certainly a big asset nowadays and you can not start early enough with learning these skills. From that perspective I sincerely believe that networked computers, like the XO, do belong in primary education. Everywhere. Both in the rich and in the poor countries. This will help close the digital divide that is only further increasing the wealth gap between the 'haves' and the 'haves not', irrespective of the country where they live.

And don't forget one thing: the OLPC project is about One Laptop Per Child. There is no region or country based discrimination in the project name. So as far as I'm concerned, our governments should also seriously look at introducing the XO in primary schools, including defining an educational program that is based on making children computer and internet literate.

As television came up, children were told that past 8 o'clock in the evening, there's nothing for children on TV. Parents were very careful on what their children were allowed to see. Nowadays, there's much more annoying and problematic stuff on TV, at least up to the time I stopped watching TV seven years ago. To my mind, especially young children can get serious mental problems if they're exposed to television and the internet without survaillance.

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20071106005839&newsLang=en

Mass production of the XO has begun. When you look at the picture, I must say I really like the look of the machine. I will definitely buy one. Or two, for that matter ^_^

I wonder what Nishi his role has been in the device. As Negroponte and Nishi both were commited to the Media Laboratory @ MIT at the time the XO-concept was born, you have to conclude Nishi was at least mentally involved. That's also the reason he talked about the 100$ computer at Tilburg 2001. I strongly believe the XO in fact is the machine it all led to. It's interesting though to see that Nishi is in no way connected to the XO. There is no Nishi-namedropping anywhere. Why has he withdrawn from the project? From an MSX point-of-view this is an interesting question, I think

Well, maybe because all mentioned above is a lot of speculation? And the $100 PC isn't something Nishi "invented". This was a subject already talked about for a longer time, and certainly not only the MIT.
Maybe, just maybe, Nishi isn't all that much after all? Sure he is partially responsible for the birth of MSX and we should be very glad that he did. But for the rest .... well...

That is what I'm hinting at, tfh. Fact is both Negroponte and he were members of the Media Laboratory @ MIT at the time the XO-concept was developed. Thanks to a lucky twist of fate, I found myself driving Nishi around Holland in 2001 and I clearly remember him changing all the PC references into MSX references on his sheets So I guess back then, Nishi was trying to 'sell' the 100$ computer to audiences all around the globe. I just wonder what his position was back then. Just one of the MIT-enthousiasts? Or maybe a bit more?

It is of course very funny to conclude that Nishi did manage to transpose certain MSX characteristics onto the 100$ computer concept. You can't deny that.

Let's also keep in mind that the OPLL and PSG references on the sheets were there and those sheets were also used by Nishi in 100$ computer talks he held later that year 2001 in front of other audiences than MSX freaks.

Not the 100 dollar notebook, but:
www.sprachforschung.org/ickler/index.php?show=news&id=935#10972