One Laptop Per Child and Intel Join Forces

dan the person writes "A Wired piece informs us that Intel and the OLPC project have put their bickering behind them. They have joined forces to ensure 'the maximum number of laptops will reach children'. '"What happened in the past has happened," said Will Swope of Intel. "But going forward, this allows the two organisations to go do a better job and have better impact for what we are both very eager to do which is help kids around the world." "Intel joins the OLPC board as a world leader in technology, helping reach the world's children. Collaboration with Intel means that the maximum number of laptops will reach children," said Nicholas Negroponte, founder of One Laptop per Child. The new agreement means that Intel will sit alongside companies such as Google and Red Hat as partners in the OLPC scheme.'"

I have a bad feeling about this

Wonderful. Intel, maker of the Classmate PC, a DIRECT COMPETITOR to the OLPC (or so they say) is now teaming up with it. This is a transparent bid to relegate the OLPC to permanent second-class citizenship. With friends like these, who needs enemies?

Re:I have a bad feeling about this

I can see two tiers of low-cost laptops, as discussed in the Wired piece, being an advantage to a rollout, and the technical assistance (possibly some funding) from Intel being invaluable.

Intel knows that if this effort is successful, their future customers will be using these devices.

LinuxBIOS and Open Specifications for Intel?

One of the key requirements for the OLPC is that all the components are open source (even the firmware for the wireless component). AMD has worked very hard to make the OLPC compatible with LinuxBIOS [linuxbios.org] and OpenFirmware, which are 100% Free/Open Source. I certainly hope Intel will do the same.

Easy solution

Two laptops per child!

Re:Easy solution

Actually three. They'll also get Apple's new $100 laptop, the iOLPC. Competitively priced at $150.

Re:Three possible scenarios...

...just so it can run vista as by the time like the OLPC v2 comes out XP will be not sold any more.

If the XO ran Windows -- any version -- it would be worse than useless for the purpose of the OLPC. The whole point is to have software designed for education, wrapped in an operating system that's completely user-modifiable (to encourage the students to creatively hack it). This is fundamentally incompatible with Windows.

Gar

Just give them a Speak & Spell. It'll have as much value at a quarter of the price. Plus it already exists.

Their plan all along?

Does anyone else think that this was part of Intel's plan all along? Basically: create a cheap computer, and call the OLPC garbage, then offer an olive branch in exchange for a piece of their contract and a chance to push their crap PC worldwide?

So i guess

that AMD processor won't last long in the OLPC machines ...

Re:So i guess

RTFA. AMD will power first and second series of OLPC machines. Intel will provide platforms (propably some low level P4/Xeon with resistant structure) for _servers_ which will serve those little boxes in class room and outside of it.

After that it is hard to say - I think AMD processors are more suitible for OLPC for now, but what will future bring - who knows.

Re:So i guess

No, OLPC and Intel are simply joining forces to create the new Soylent processor - One Child Inside(TM).

Does that mean US parents can buy them now?

Before the US becomes a 3rd world country due to competition from
India and China who can get the OLPC Laptop in special deals to
make their next generation of children more competitive?

Re:Does that mean US parents can buy them now?

Before the US becomes a 3rd world country due to competition from India and China who can get the OLPC Laptop in special deals to make their next generation of children more competitive?

I've seen two examples of schools in my local neighborhood bragging about how their gifted fifth-grade students were using Powerpoint to give their school reports. In one case, I saw an example of it with all sort of pictures, and the GATE teacher bragged, "and one report had a video on it!!"

Of course, I'm thinking how pathetically easy it is to put together this sort of presentation, and I was struck not by the content (as I should), but by how much the teacher valued the flash over the substance of the report.

If we want to make our children more "competitive", maybe it would be a better idea to keep computers away from them as long as possible. Any idiot can learn to use a computer. I'd rather end up with educated children.

Re:Does that mean US parents can buy them now?

Of course, I'm thinking how pathetically easy it is to put together this sort of presentation, and I was struck not by the content (as I should), but by how much the teacher valued the flash over the substance of the report.

I had the same problem in pen & paper days. Some of my teachers were more worried about the presentation and neatness of handwriting than they were about what I actually wrote. One of my teachers even bragged about how his teacher used to beat the crap out of him if the letters on his page weren't exactly the 'right' height. I think you're probably seeing a modern version of the same phenomenon. It's usually a sign of an incompetent teacher. When they don't know their stuff, they just can you for something irrelevant to seem like they're doing something. Fortunately, I found those teachers to be in the minority.

Re:Does that mean US parents can buy them now?

If we want to make our children more "competitive", maybe it would be a better idea to keep computers away from them as long as possible. Any idiot can learn to use a computer. I'd rather end up with educated children.

Which might explain why they're not giving out these things in US. It's all a conspiracy for US to gain intellectual supremacy over the world.

Re:Does that mean US parents can buy them now?

I've seen two examples of schools in my local neighborhood bragging about how their gifted fifth-grade students were using Powerpoint to give their school reports. In one case, I saw an example of it with all sort of pictures, and the GATE teacher bragged, "and one report had a video on it!!" Of course, I'm thinking how pathetically easy it is to put together this sort of presentation, and I was struck not by the content (as I should), but by how much the teacher valued the flash over the substance of the report.

You know what the worst part is? This is actually a regression from what we had 15 years ago when I was in 5th grade!

Back then, we had Hypercard -- like PowerPoint, except programmable. Not only could we have embedded videos in our stacks (if sufficiently fast machines had been available, anyway), but we could also program animations, link together our cards/slides in non-linear ways, and even build applications with it.

Between Hypercard, LOGO, and games like Number Munchers and Oregon Trail, computers were better used for education back then than they are today!

good news for the RIAA

The RIAA is really looking forward to the day when every child in the world has their own computer. There's tons of countries in the developing world that they'll now be able to target with threats of lawsuits for downloading copyrighted music!

does this mean...

that we're going to have a lot more children discovering internet porn sooner? :O I can just imagine the next generation of kids.

Cost cutting measure?

OLPC guy #1: Looks like we're not going to be able to make this thing for $150. How are we going to get costs down?

OLPC guy #2: Guess it's time to sell some more ad-space. Where are we on the phone list?

OLPC guy #1: Looks like we're doing to the "I"s.

OLPC guy #2: Start dialing.

Computing for everyone...

It's a great idea and a noble goal. But there's still a lot of valid questions about how good an idea this specific project is. Aside from the clear opportunity for people, government and corporations to take advantage of good intentions, there's a consistent theme of imposing western/northern hemisphere values for the wrong people place/application.

It's not unlike the good intentions that led to rebuilding of "better" houses in Sumatra for instance after the great Tsunami. Modern, western style housing just doesn't make sense there. It uses and demands much more freshwater than traditional homes and no-one can afford to run them. As a result the population has typically abandoned the new homes, which remain unoccupied, in favour of traditional homes.

In fact I would argue that corporations (and governments who use money to buy these computers) will likely breed more hostility and resentment than anything by disseminating computers to people who can't afford three squares a day.

Notice someone missing?

...so, umm, what happens to Microsoft?

Since the OLPC is running a FOSS OS core, and Intel is part of the OLPC now, I guess this leaves Windows out in the cold.

Not that I mind that or anything, but I find it interesting - after all, Intel and MSFT had teamed up to build the OLPC former competitor, yes?

As for AMD, I suspect that they and Intel will have to put their differences aside (w/o all the sniping commentary from AMD over a charity team-up announcement, at least as shown on the CNET version of TFA... man, that was just tacky).

/P

One VM per child?

So between this and yesterday's news [slashdot.org], are we going to see OLPC output one VM per child for those where infrastructure is possible to do so?

Waits to be flamed

The OLPC concept is good, but seriously I think we have more pressuring issues to deal with. I'm not against the advancement of technology and what the OLPC has done has been good for what it was designed for.

But at the same time I feel like it's a waste of money compared to better causes, like I dont know, FEEDING or MEDICINE for kids. Granted I grew up poor, and I wish I had a laptop when I was in high school and younger would have been able to kick start my career even earlier. But even then if it came to me having a free laptop, or seeing the kid down the street who eats government peanut butter on bread (no jelly) every day and no medical insurance. I'd gladly give it up to feed him/her for a while.

From a small thinking perspective this project is great, from the big picture it's just diverting funds that could have been better used. For those about to flame me, Yes we should go to Mars! But we should we get things straight down here first.

Re:Waits to be flamed

... it's a waste of money compared to better causes like ... FEEDING or MEDICINE ...

When the choice is cast as black-and-white as "Laptop or food/medicine?", I'd bet most people would choose the latter -- it's a no-brainer. The problem is that the problem isn't so simple and casting the problem to be so is somewhat disingenuous.

You have to remember that philanthropy is often done by people with passion. Nicholas Negroponte [laptop.org] was the co-founder of the MIT Media Laboratory, so naturally he's passionate about computers. One thing about the nature of passion is that one who is passionate wants to instill the same passion in others. Negroponte has passion about computers (and money, which definitely helps), so let him express his philanthropy as he wants. So perhaps the question shouldn't be, "Why isn't Negroponte giving food and medicine?" but rather "Why isn't there some other rich philanthropist who is passionate about feeding kids and making sure they have decent medical care?" There's no shortage of rich men.

Also, let's face it: giving food and medicine (a) just isn't sexy to the press and so doesn't garner support easily and (b) giving food and medicine is a never-ending job. Unlike giving a kids a laptop, you have to feed them three times a day every day. Even the most passionate philanthropist would likely burn out.

Another thing you need to consider is the potential for kids to rise above their situation. Feeding kids just makes them not hungry; the results of giving kids access to the internet is unknown buy potentially unbounded.

Consider what was done in Born into Brothels [kids-with-cameras.org]: poor children of prostitutes were given cameras. Could the kids have used more/better food/medicine? Of course. But what resulted from the cameras was (a) art and, for a few children, (b) a way out of their bleak station in life from their art and notoriety is garnered. As useful as food and medicine might be, it offers no hope of escaping their bleak lives. Who knows what kids might accomplish with laptops? Wouldn't it be interesting to find out?

monopoly

Doesn't Intel now have, what Teddy Roosevelt used to call, a "monopoly"? Isn't there a law against that? Shouldn't a monopoly be broken up by the government? Don't laugh, there was once a time when Americans elected leaders who actually defended us against the tyranny of capital.

For the Children

I'm glad that cooler heads prevailed & thought about the children- since this is what the whole idea behind OLPC is about (& not some bickering about who should do what). Having this marriage benefits everyone- the kids win now & our world wins in the future. Additionally, the technology & peripherals used in these laptops will be deployed commercially so we'll all win in the near future (since the technology used is miles ahead of what current laptops have the capacity to do- full weather-proof laptops, screens that aren't affected by sunlight at all & better wifi antennas, etc.).

No comment...

Microsoft has been working to get Windows to run on XOs. But it still doesn't appear that will be ready soon, according to Will Poole, who heads Microsoft's emerging-markets group. The main reason is that it is hard to tweak Windows so it can interact with the nonstandard things...

... for them too!!!
Learn the lesson. Use free software, dude!

Re:Energy crisis...

They're crank-powered. Totally clean, renewable energy! Well, unless you count the methane emmissions from rice-and-beans diets ;)