A Laptop Left Behind?

Posted by Tim Kellers on


Ken wrote about it. And I did it.

I ordered a pair of XO laptop computers from the One Laptop per Child project folks last weekend -- one for me and one for (hopefully) a child in a village somewhere whose name I can neither spell nor pronounce. Not only am I looking forward to playing with my new Green Toy, but I'm eagerly (and anxiously) anticipating where the "third-world" road that this technology is paving is going to lead.

Not all noble efforts are without controversy and the OLPC project is no exception. There have been polemics posted about the hardware and pricing of the units and reviews and announcements of competing products that didn't have broadcast pieces on 60 minutes The Eee PC by Asus appears to be a formidable competitor in the micro laptop market, but it remains to be seen if it can achieve the support and distribution network of Nicholas Negroponte's OLPC Foundation's product.

Beyond the technical abilities of the XO or the Eee PC to bring higher technologies to economically underdeveloped areas, many questions remain. I have to wonder if the new technologies will spawn thoughtful interconnected communities among people in diverse cultures, or if we will bring the joys of spam, gambling, prescription-free pharmaceuticals and escort services to a new population.

More to come after my new toy arrives....


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