Re: [NTLK] OT: OLPC

From: Ian P. Currie <ipcurrie_at_mac.com>
Date: Tue Mar 11 2008 - 03:58:01 EDT

I would have to disagree with lwb on this one. Our OLPC XO arrived
late, and I've only been playing with it for a month or so, but I find
the OS to be extremely intuitive. Some of the software not so much,
mind you, and boot times are slow.

I would say also that the XO appears to suit kids who have either some
or no computer time under their belts. I was interested in the project
because I was looking around for a way to introduce my kids to
computers in a way that would approximate my own experience (pre-GUI
that is), without necessarily forcing them back to the stone age.

I think the XO will work out to a good balance. Anything you want to
add to it in terms of software needs to be done from the terminal, so
you have to look behind the GUI on a regular basis. The GUI itself is
good and (aside from the scroll-pad / button combination) completely
distinct from a Mac or Windows environment, so kids get exposed early
to a completely different way of thinking about working on a computer.

I.

On Sun, 09 Mar 2008 17:15:33 -0500, William Pociengel wrote:
> I'm still waiting for mine, but I have no expectations as to what it
> should look like, how fast it should be or how the interface works.
> Remember the 'typical' user was intended to be kids who may never have
> touched a pc much less had the opportunity to use one.
>
> I think the emate was aimed at kids who used a pc before but could not
> afford to own one. So I think the level of knowledge the emate user
> brought to the table is higher than that for the OLPC.
>
> The newton itself is far beyond most adults perceptions of what a
> handheld machine is capable of. I to this day, and I've owned my 2000 &
> 2100 since the days they were released, still discover things it can do
> that was never aware of.
>
> william
>
> lwb wrote:
>> this reminds me that the OLPC project is aimed at kids & education - I
>> got one a few weeks ago, and am very disappointed/unimpressed: slow &
>> unintuitive! the elate is so much better software.
>>
>> the OLPC is smaller & lighter, with a color screen, and possibly a
>> better battery, but also butt-ugly.
>>
>> maybe the upgraded software is improved, but I was so disappointed/
>> frustrated that I will not bother to upgrade it (will donate it
>> instead).
>
>
> --
> Special knowledge can be a terrible disadvantage if it leads you too
> far along a path that you cannot explain anymore.
> Frank Herbert 'Dune'
>
> William Pociengel
> Office: 001-715-425-6769
> Mobile: 001-715-338-4896
> <http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/934/483>
>
>
> ====================================================================
> The NewtonTalk Mailing List - http://www.newtontalk.net/
> The Official Newton FAQ - http://www.splorp.com/newton/faq/
> The Newton Glossary - http://www.splorp.com/newton/glossary/
> WikiWikiNewt - http://tools.unna.org/wikiwikinewt/
> ====================================================================
>
>
>

====================================================================
The NewtonTalk Mailing List - http://www.newtontalk.net/
The Official Newton FAQ - http://www.splorp.com/newton/faq/
The Newton Glossary - http://www.splorp.com/newton/glossary/
WikiWikiNewt - http://tools.unna.org/wikiwikinewt/
====================================================================
Received on Tue Mar 11 03:58:08 2008

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.8 : Tue Mar 11 2008 - 19:30:00 EDT