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November 25, 2007
One Laptop Per Child: Closing the Digital Divide?
In an effort to close the global digital divide, MIT professor Nicholas Negroponte came up with what was initially called the $100 laptop, now referred to simply as the XO laptop or One Laptop Per Child (OLPC). This small laptop was designed to reach the world's population of children as a way of providing them with, as the OLPC's mission statement explains, "new opportunities to explore, experiment, and express themselves." Negroponte recently appeared on CNN to promote his laptop and the non-profit organization by the same name (OLPC), which is running a campaign called "Give One Get One." From early November until December 31, the XO laptop is available to the public (in the U.S. and Canada) for $399; $200 of the payment goes toward supplying a child in a developing country with the XO laptop, and the remainder supplies the purchaser with one of the machines.
Aside from Negroponte's interview, several other videos and sites detail various aspects of these potentially groundbreaking computers. The site olpc.tv gathers all relevant videos, the official wiki offers a more comprehensive glance at the development and production of the computers, and the blog olpcnews.com maintains an up-to-date list of the most current events and postings related to OLPC. In the latter, we learn of a recent article (and video) in The Wall Street Journal which points out the competition that has developed for this new global market. Intel caught wind of Negroponte's plans and designed their own model called the Classmate. Check out the article for more details. I've listed some discussion questions to consider below.
For a helpful demo of the laptop and its capabilities, take a look at the two videos posted below. The first gives a general sense of what the laptop looks like and what it offers users. The second provides a more in depth glance at the inner workings of the computer and its user interface, Sugar (as opposed to something like Windows, for example).
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
What do you make of Intel's move to develop their own version of the XO laptop with the "Classmate"? Does the fact that OLPC is non-profit factor in? What about the role of Windows (Classmate's operating system) vs. Sugar (XO's operating system)?
What might be some of the reasons behind the "Give One Get One" campaign? Is this a way to make the global digital divide known? Or is it merely exacerbating the "haves" vs. "have nots" divide in the U.S.?
Given what we've read in by Friedman, Norris, and others, what impact do you think these laptops will make? In what ways or sectors? For example, what might Norris say regarding the democratic implications of OLPC? Or, is this apolitical and strictly about education and access?
Can you imagine any potential negative consequences that could occur on international, national, or local levels?
Negroponte has been quoted as saying, "It's an education project, not a laptop project." Why is this distinction so important?
Posted by lauraaw at November 25, 2007 08:01 PM