OLPC Downsizes Half of Its Staff, Cuts Sugar 379
One Laptop Per Chewbacca writes "Nicholas Negroponte, the leader of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project, has announced that the organization will be laying off half of its staff, cutting salaries of the remaining employees, and ending its involvement in Sugar development. The organization has had serious problems with production and deployment and has been fragmented by ideological debates as Negroponte shifts the agenda away from software freedom and towards Windows. Ars Technica concludes: 'The OLPC project's extreme dependence on economy of scale has proven to be a fatal error. The organization was not able to secure the large bulk orders that it had originally anticipated and fell short of meeting its target $100 per unit price. The worldwide economic slowdown has made it even more difficult for OLPC to find developing countries that have cash to spare on education technology.'"
I know! (Score:5, Funny)
They can save money by switching from Windows to Linux!
Re:Be Warned (Score:5, Funny)
Sure, but they changed their name twice for each time they changed their goals, so it all worked out.
What OLPC really needs is a name change, preferably to some sort of nonsensical word. That always seems to turn companies around.
"Downsizes Half of its Staff"? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:They should have started selling it to American (Score:4, Funny)
"No one got fired for buying Microsoft/IBM"
One of the happiest moments of my life was when I was given the opportunity to fire an NT admin, you insensitive clod! :p
Re:Thanks Intel/Microsoft (Score:4, Funny)
Being naive about the low down tactics of business and politics has everything to do with him being an academic.
What's your fucking problem?
Re:Be Warned (Score:2, Funny)
iOLPC
Re:Be Warned (Score:3, Funny)
I get the feeling OLPC is a bunch of well-intentioned, high-level talking heads.
Nonsense !
Version 3.0 was supposed to be :
- self-contained in a sub-dermal implant
- powered by the Earth's magnetic field (or optionally, mild arm-waving)
- driven by a wireless brain-link
- able to project HD @ 60Hz through the eyes of the wearer at up to 8 metres in 3D
They are visionaries man, visionaries !