Re: [NTLK] OT: OLPC

Actually, I think I agree with you. My complaint about intuitive use
was more with the built-in programs than with the OS itself. Also, I
simply do not like chiclet keyboards (tho they can be protected and
kept clean much more easily).
I do think that installing apps via the terminal is meant for adult
supporters rather than kid users.
It was briefly reviewed by 2 panelists in a This Week in Tech (TWIT)
Mac podcast a couple of weeks ago. Just as with one of them, I found
that connecting to WiFi was impossible. However, the other commenter
noted OLPC's difficulty with WAP had been addressed by an update (that
had to be installed by terminal).
To me, this is clearly a system for kids with decent tech support -
not just kids on their own.
The screen, however, is marvelous for the size & cost, and TWIT Mac
noted it is much better (with more pixels) than the one in the Asus
"eee PC"...

On 11. Mar.,`08, at 03:58 EDT, Ian P. Currie wrote:

> 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.
>

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Received on Tue Mar 11 19:11:40 2008