Comments on: Controversy: One Laptop Per Child vs Intel

By: Keith

Keith — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:45:39 +0000

Even Leslie (CBS) was stretching to promote the benefits of this program and product. Listen to her wordy sales presentation – which she delivered almost with a yawn: “geniuses MIT wonderfully exciting indestructible drop it in water wonderful inventions only computer screen bright sunlight broad wifi range long lasting battery most computer experts applaud creativity it looks like a toy hi tech companies…”
This is a blatant business venture by Negroponte – using heart chord themes of poverty and children and third world. Every rich person wants to help the poor – as long as they profit in the process or at least have their wonderful name marketed as well. He might as well get these children addicted to candy and have the world spending money buying them more.
Education has a greater track record of success before the computer arrived on the scene. Making it slick and sexy using western technology – promising education and a better life in places where billions upon billions have already been squandered by governments and organizations – methinks not.
Technology and systems are a wonderful thing and we are in a new age of cyberinteraction. It is the work of humans that creates educated children, men and women. As someone mentioned – showing up to school and having a blackboard and tools for education is a great place to start. We might as well send over blackberries and ipods – then these folks can stand around twiddling their fingers while they gaze into the little screens, plug their heads into music and stop communicating with one another like the many zombies that walk the streets in the west.
Just a few of my thoughts…

By: Adeola

Adeola — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 06:12:13 +0000

please give me one of this computers

By: Alonge Tosin

Alonge Tosin — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 17:10:42 +0000

please i want you to send me a laptop computer.Thank

By: vahid

vahid — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:06:19 +0000

where ca i buy one of those one laptop per child for my self and one for the pour child?

By: Present Tensed

Present Tensed — Mon, 28 May 2007 00:35:08 +0000

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By: RAS PHIL

RAS PHIL — Fri, 25 May 2007 16:51:19 +0000

I have read through a lot of the chatter and some still miss the point. Let me start by saying I am NOT for capitalism and the global conquest & domination by cooperate America.

Intel dose not care about the youth as they claim if they did they would not start with the same governments that OLPC has approached.

Don’t get me wrong I think competition only makes the parties involved better only if their hearts are in the right place however Intel is motivated by greed and power! and anything that resembles a treat to their power better be prepared for a full scale attack, via marketing propaganda, and by any and all means available to undermine there entire company/cooperation just ask AMD

I now overstand that MS is involved with this and are offering a so called “$3.00 software package” They all by themselves have the revenues & resources to do what OLPC is dreaming of doing unlike Intel who is motivated by greed and power, MS is motivated by fear that Linux can become the OS of choice in developing countries (I would love to see) which would make them them the expensive rarely used alternative.

So the question is do they really care HELL NO

All that chat above about weather or not access to knowledge will really make a change in “Afreeka” is a bunch of BULL. Africa is the richest continent on the planet in terms of natural resources. She needs nothing from foreign powers who have continued to take and give back with insult. Her natural resources and people are directly responsible for the building up of Europe and America. Investigate her past to understand her present disaster, Knowledge is Power, the “know-ledge” gives the holder of it and edge weather its about the past present or the future !

So the ignorant claims because of malnourished know-ledge about what the problem is not part of the solution its a big part of the problem.

By: Folabi Ogunkoya

Folabi Ogunkoya — Wed, 23 May 2007 12:31:45 +0000

"But if their lives are still going to be dominated by corrupt politicians and zero opportunities (Nigeria has limited fuel supplies, virtually no power, and 50% unemployment) then I canâ€t see how studying is going to change that." Education can change everything, education about where we've come from where we're going to, what we can become, the web is a mighty source of education. Am not talking about computer based education programs. You can become a web designer if you know where to look, you can learn how to be a better fisherman if u search hard enough. You can invent the next great commodity if you try hard enough. There are endless opportunities. Nigeria is a sleeping giant, don't underestimate the capabilities. As for Intel its all good as long as OLPC recoups its initial investment then its fair game after all its non profit. What does strike me is the possibility of creating a laptop with high wifi range, among its other features for only $1. The 2 companies should target africans abroad, hasn't anyone ever had a nephew or niece who wanted a laptop for a birthday. Well now its very feasible the market is immense and 2 can definitely play

By: Gavin Chait

Gavin Chait — Tue, 22 May 2007 20:44:02 +0000

I’ve lost the link but quite a few recent computer-based education programs have been abandoned. Under scrutiny students may use them for education. The rest of the time they surf for porn, play games and chat. No learning.

People in the mass follow the opportunities, they don’t create them for themselves. First there have to be reasons to get an education (and very obvious ones) then people will study.

But if their lives are still going to be dominated by corrupt politicians and zero opportunities (Nigeria has limited fuel supplies, virtually no power, and 50% unemployment) then I can’t see how studying is going to change that.

Companies, and individuals, find it impossible to invest in Nigeria. It’s an awful place to start a business if you have no political connections.

By: Erick

Erick — Tue, 22 May 2007 19:42:29 +0000

You said: Iâ€d be interested to hear your view on what will happen once we have a couple million notebooks connected to the web throughout the third world. Care to take a guess? If the The Hole in the Wall Project is any indication (scroll down to "key observations"), kids will learn without supervision and teach other kids about what they find online. That is, if they don't get scared off the web with "n00b!" insults :-) .

By: HASH

HASH — Tue, 22 May 2007 18:14:06 +0000

The point is this: if the product offers a meaningful return then the poor will buy it themselves.

Airplanes are meaningful products to me, however I can’t afford to buy my own… Of course, I’m being facetious. 🙂

Okay, I get your point. I’d be interested to hear your view on what will happen once we have a couple million notebooks connected to the web throughout the third world. Care to take a guess?