One Laptop Per Child
 
Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:22:25 -0600 (CST)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/12/BUENT8USM.DTL

David Einstein: Donated XO laptops come loaded

David Einstein

Monday, November 12, 2007

Q: The nonprofit organization One Laptop Per Child is advertising a
program that lets you donate a computer to a child in a developing country
and also get one for your own child (or yourself), all for $400. Does the
computer have the hardware and software necessary to retrieve e-mail and
surf the Internet?

A: It does indeed. The XO, as the machine is called, is an innovative
laptop that runs on the Linux operating system. It comes with a Web
browser, an e-mail program, and software for everyday activities such as
word processing and playing music and videos. The computer is about half
the weight of a typical laptop, runs much cooler (it doesn't need a fan)
and uses far less power, so its battery can last six hours or longer.

Its most remarkable feature, however, is a "mesh" network, which
automatically connects the computer to any available wireless Internet
network, as well as to all other XO computers within range so they can
communicate and share files.

There are some drawbacks to the XO, when you compare it with a Windows or
Mac laptop. Its screen is small (7 1/2 inches), and it has no hard drive -
just 1 GB of flash storage. But it has three USB ports, so you should be
able to connect a flash drive or external hard drive.

The XO was designed by folks from MIT's Media Lab to bring computing to
schoolchildren in poor countries. You can't buy just one of the computers,
but you can get one by participating in the "Give 1 Get 1" program you
mentioned, starting Tuesday at laptopgiving.org.

http://www.laptopgiving.org/en/index.php