retards... the Asus EEE is gonna pwn this thing. Nuts on them.

Haroon,

I don't believe OLPC intends to force a donation. As we predicted on OLPC News, they are just trying to get a donation & expand OLPC users/content developers at the same time.

Personally, I think OLPC will sell out of their 2007 production run in less than two weeks. I know I'll buy a few, even at $400 for one.

I'd rather support consumerism and buy an iPod touch.

Why would anyone in the US want one? for roughly the same price you can get a shitty dell desktop running windows vista. Go used and you can buy something much better than this...

I'd buy but I'm saving up for a Chumby, wonder which one will see the actual light of the production day first? They've both been "about to come out" for the same amount of time, but at least the Chumby has some units out in the wild (supposedly)...

@wayan: Hey, Wayan - Surly it is the consumer's choice whether they want to give $200 so a kid in a developing nation can have a laptop. Personally, I'd rather give the money for typhoid jabs, or something similar. Even though the OLPC is a worthy cause, you should be able to choose you cause, no?

How would anyone be forced? If you don't agree with the policy, then...*Don't buy one.*

@ Haroon: - I think this is about them trying to promote their own charity initiative, not whether they're good free-market capitalists.

You should find an equivalent gadget for $200 that lets you donate the left over $200 that you didn't want going to fund disadvantaged youths in developing countries who could use a laptop to play Quake, and put it to the worthy cause you personally support.

$400.00 seems like a good price for them to do some quality promotion of their cause.

It's not *that* expensive taking into account the ASUS EEE retails for $260 for the basic model (around $400 for the "good one"). Anyway, for $600 one can get a good 15" laptop that doesn't look like it's been designed by a 4 year old.

Just donate $300 to charity, take the federal tax deduction (which ought to save you as much as 33%). Then go spend $200 on something you really want or need.

i agree with jimk. the "don't buy one if you don't want it" argument is even more appropriate here than usual. there are other low cost options, and the product isn't intended for the general buying public.

those interested in buying the product probably support the project as a whole and wouldn't be so against the setup.

anyway, i don't think the higher than "regular" price is really a surprise. it's almost an added bonus that you can think of the extra money as going to help one child individually. i mean, if that makes you feel better than simply helping the project as a whole (which you'll still be doing).

I'll tell you exactly how they force you to donate to charity: If you watch the entire ad on T.V. then the phone will ring, but there will be no one on the other end. At that point you've got 48 hours to buy a $400 OLPC or convince a friend to watch the ad. And if you don't, then this scary looking Asian chick with hair down to her knees will crawl out of your T.V. screen and eat your brain.

@JimK: That's the point; you can't buy one.

@David Flores: Now that sounds kinky. where do I sign?

@Haroon_Malik: Its a carity thing. I have no problem with it. Buy a pair, give yours to some kid in the projects and the kid in some third world contry can have a pen pal who can describe the hoorors of poverty in the US: being forced to sit under a window air conditioner instead of central air and watch a 20 inch LCD tv instead of a 50 inch plasma

*charity *horrors

what's the point of buying one of these? If you're in a position to do that wouldn't you have some kind of computer and just want to give a computer to a kid instead? Why do you people want one!?!

first thing i would want to know is whether you get a tax deduction for the two hundred dollars that is going towards the charitable donation.

the second thing is that there is quite a digital divide right here in our own country. schools that do not have adequate computer facilities. there would be quite a value towards giving school kids in our own country technology and educational tools that might then improve literacy here in out country.

@BarkoNorwang: Donating to a good cause? Getting an item that is normally unobtainable?

Why knock a good thing?

I'm confused, can these be used more or less the same as a "real" computer? Most of what i've seen of them makes me think they're more like toys.

There is another purpose to this. The OLPC has a plan for dissemination of the lap tops and which education projects it is going to work with first. This allows proactive NPOs and groups of people to bypass OLPC's plans. Technically, if I wanted a particular town or school to be a part of the project I could. I would be paying a premium, but I wold also be supporting OLPCs plans.

I like the idea of the OLPC, it would make a good around-the-town computer for writing, checking email, etc...

All charities have problems. If you don't like this one give to some other one; or just wallow in your own gadget bathed sanctimony.

My only gripe with it is that for $400, I *should* be buying one laptop for me, and _three_ for children in developing nations...

@Rob C: Totally agree. I can't wait to get my hands on an EEE PC.

Ok, I have a question. I help a Charity in India that helps children orphaned by HIV. I want to give the $400 and have both laptops donated to this organization. Does anyone know if this is possible?

I find it funny that people complain that a corporation selling a product is not taking a profit and is instead making a humanitarian gesture by donating it to a child in a developing nation, when they these same critics would have no problem if that $200 went right into some manufacturers pocket as a profit.

In the impossible event that the consumer some day gets the ability to decide whether or not a company should earn a profit from their purchase of a consumer good from that same company I will be happy to join the outraged and demand non-profits follow suit.

Also, $400 for superior power consumption, screen functionality, wireless range and power regeneration seems like a steal and I am also positive OLPC will sell out domestically with this first manufacturing run. It might not be the interface the modern Giz geek is looking for but I am sure there is a market there (for sure the Linux community will make it even more versatile in ways OLPC never intended).

Apple made $400 profit per iPhone sold according to some estimations.

OLPC is not making any profit. It's a non-profit.

The XO will come down in price only once it is mass manufactured. The first batch will cost $188 each, and add to that a little shipping cost and "Give 1, Buy 1" is it.

As for Asus EEE, it's a fake. It'll cost $399 this Christmas and you won't be giving any Asus to a kid in the third world when you buy an EEE for $399.

So sad that no-one has figured out that OLPC and projects like those just want to expand the PC consumer base so their mother/sister/daughter companies can make a ton more money in the future. With all the outsourcing the west is doing, we're going to need cheap laptops ourselves in 10 years time when we have to live in shantytowns because a few rich people needed to get a new boat. And so it begins.

@Monsterdog: Yes. Much better to let the children of 3rd world countries remain oblivious to all this technology and lead simple, happy lives away from the things of man like literacy, which is really just an invention of book companies anyway.

@bandit: I would assume that $200 of the $400 sent to OLPC is tax deductible.

@CyberSpy: It looks like a toy because it's designed to be appealing to children, but that doesn't mean it is a toy. The OLPC specs are about the same as the Pepper Pad 3 (less the HD) that I currently use to run OpenOffice and Thunderbird, surf the web, watch videos, and do all the other stuff one does with a computer. Saying its a toy is like saying that desktop computers in 2000 were nothing but toys.

As they keep saying, it's a learning initiative, not a laptop initiative. The idea is motivating a lot of people to develop open courseware, donate online books, musical samples, etc. And develop learning projects for kids like creating surveys of local species, recording people's stories, etc. If you don't find any of this inspiring and instead bleat about how some other computer is better, you've sucked too hard at the teat of gadgetude.

But it's still one hell of a computing device. It has more innovation than any mainstream computer platform in the last 10 years.

* Because every level of the hardware-firmware-BIOS-kernel-libraries-app stack is open source, they've got suspend and resume so fast and reliable they're considering doing it between keystrokes.

* Flip the screen and it's a full sunlight eBook table as good as anything else on the market. And it has game controls so maybe there will be cool games.

* The wireless presence is pervasive. Everything you work on is collaborative, so you can share what you're writing/surfing/playing with your class. In the Sugar UI, you back out of your project and see what other people in your class are doing, then back out further and see the other users. It's new and different and inventive.

* They've rethought file operations. All your activities go into a Journal, so you find what you work on by reviewing the Journal (I think).

* They're working on a cheap lens attachment so the laptop becomes a microscope so kids can do simple medical tests.

* The microphone input can serve as a voltmeter and ohmmeter; people have built an oscilloscope activity for the OLPC.

* There's a View Source key fer chrissake! I guarantee the next James Gosling, Linux Torvald, and Andrew Tridgell will come from a disadvantaged village with access to one of these laptops.

* etc. Read the OLPC weekly news update, it's fascinating.

Even if the hardware is a complete failure, much of the software will be applicable to other Linux-based computers. Even if the software is a complete failure, the idea that educational resources and activities and the devices they run on should be empowering, open source, and available to all is here to stay.

The Give 1 Get 1 offer is at [www.xogiving.org] , they take orders starting November 12th.

What would be cooler than sitting in a Starbucks, sipping your $4.50 latte, with your hip lime-green XO, showing the world what a conscientious savior of the world you are...

/sarcasm

And, yes, I'm sure it will happen. And I'm sure I will accidentally spill my drink on the person that does this. Nothing wrong with buying one of these, that's charitable -- but sitting in a Starbucks with one, that's unforgivable.

And they still have no recycling plan. Just what third-world countries need... more sources of pollution.

Here are some of their statements on the problem of disposing of the computers:

[Will it] contribute to the landfills worldwide if made in vast quantities

We hope that is not true. If the program is run well by governments all or most laptops will be accounted for. No doubt some laptops will find their way into trash bins and garbage dumps, where there are strong financial incentives for almost all of them to be reclaimed. Will broken laptops be brought back and recycled or parted out for new laptops (refurbished)? Hopefully. And hopefully distribution and reclamation will be conducted in a responsible manner.

So they're depending on the efficiency of government, including government in third-world countries?

Another statement on the problem of sending millions of computers out into the world with no plan for recycling them:

People say that OLPC has no plan for recycling the laptops, or training teachers, or getting software into local languages, or preventing wholesale theft and resale of the machines, or a host of other things that we clearly should plan for. The fact is that it is too soon to have an announced plan for any of these things. But lack of an announced plan does not equate to lack of planning. Significant numbers of people are putting their best thoughts and other efforts into these problems, and will have much to say at the appropriate times.

***

What do we need to do next?

* Build and test the computer, and get it ready for production
* Get more software for it in more languages
* Get financial commitments for the first production run and field trials
* Plan enough of the training and logistics for the trials
* Research the trials
* Plan the next larger rollout

Please note: "Come up with a take-back plan" is not on the to-do list.

Call me a pessimist, but I fear African water tables choked with mercury, lead, and other heavy metals from a failed recycling plan.

Additionally, on using refurbished computers, their answer was "It will take too many man-hours" with no further explanation.

In 50 years of making plastic, every molecule of plastic is still in existence. No matter how noble the cause, I cannot support a plan this environmentally reckless. I like the human race. I'd like it to continue to exist. This plan looks more and more like a train wreck waiting to happen.

I don't see how anyone is being forced to do anything. You don't want $200 to go toward a donated OLPC, don't buy an OLPC. If you don't want to donate money toward Product(RED), don't buy a Product(RED) item. Not that hard.

By contrast, big corporations donate money towards all sorts of causes I don't support, like the ISP fight against net neutrality, and rarely do they publicize where that money goes. If anything OLPC should be applauded for being upfront with where the cost of the purchase goes.

OMG-Ponies, my heart is pumping blood for you at 72 beats a minute.... You should get rid of your polluting PC and dine in your own atmosphere of righteous indignation.

I'm with skierpage, and I plan to buy one at $400. I don't think it detracts from other charitable giving. I want one because I'm a big fan of low-power, rugged computing, and also a fan of design. This machine has all those things going on. Also, a lot of my computing time is just spent in a terminal and reading text on webpages, and I don't need a 10-pound quad-core gaming rig that'll fry my lap to do that. A tiny little thing with a sunlight-readable display would be much nicer. I'd rather support this for $400 than get some faster, power-sucking laptop with less attention to hardware design, durability, and innovative features that make a difference. Plus, if I'm lucky, trying to type on that tiny tiny keyboard will improve my fine motor skills. (I've played with a prototype, and it is very small for adult hands)

I don't expect it to have mass market appeal, but I think there will be a surprisingly large number of geeks who want one of these things.

Socially, I think it's interesting because it will give some kids (yes, only kids who already have enough of the necessary infrastructure in place, like water, food, and shelter, of course there's still a huge need for all the other forms of charity that help those without even basic necessities) an amazing change in their life. Sure, some will just look at porn. But others will teach themselves more than we can imagine, and get hungry for higher standards of living. They'll be able to see how all the fortunate people in the world have it, and they'll be able to tell us about how their lives are. And I think it will accelerate the pace that the developing countries are increasingly able to compete with the developed countries for talent, which I think is a good thing.

@OMG-Ponies: Maybe you're just trolling, but even *millions* of OLPCs, burning in piles of plastic and heavy metals, aren't going have anywhere near the environmental impact that all the old lead-acid vehicle batteries and CRT displays and plastic bags and containers and other 1st-world consumer electronic detritus that makes it's way to the developing world. Millions of OLPCs is nothing compared to the millions of everything else that is already choking environments everywhere. This is not to say that OLPC should get a pass for not having a recycling plan, but before you complain about that, why don't you complain about all the lack of environmental regulation in those countries? Or the lack of infrastructure in those countries in general? Or all the larger companies, who make a much larger volume (and mass) of products that go unrecycled? If you're going to have some righteous indignation, you could pick your battles better, instead of shooting down an organization making a good effort to help.

@Haroon Malik: I'm with the others who think it's ridiculous to call this being "forced to donate to charity". If you don't want it, don't buy it. Or build your own lightweight, rugged, portable, sunlight readable, mesh-networking, low-power computer for $200, or $400, or whatever. Maybe someday they'll sell straight to consumers, but the mission of OLPC is really to get these things into the hands of as many kids as possible, and they'll always be able to do that better if they're charging wealthy consumers who can afford it more for them.

This kind of plan is already out there, I believe. I remember reading that those Eton/Red Cross radios are overpriced because when you buy one they contribute some of the price to the Red Cross hurricane-relief fund. There was a PR blitz about it after Katrina hit.

If they're still holding off on manufacturing until they get orders for a million units, this is a pretty good way to get there in half the time and still stick close to their charter (i.e. at least half of the computers go where they're intended instead of all of them ending up with rich geeks). I like it.

This is amazing!

I said it then and i say it again: you tend to be snobs and take for granted what you have and know. Be sure to thank whoever or whatever (insert chance/luck/deity) you wish to thank for being born on such privileged spot of the universe.

Sheesh. Just keep saving for that precious gadget you NEED to survive on your concrete jungle and spare us your views on how charity works.

And look, if you have a better plan, then please by all means EXECUTE IT.

I still don't understand what the goal is in giving poor nations laptops. Having lived in S. Africa many years ago I can tell you from experience that a loptop computer was about the last thing any of the kids living in the townships needed. Potable water, proper sewage treatment, food, shelter, these were things that people needed. To me it seems like another attempt at "civilizing the savages."

@Windhawk: The keyboard is waterproof (rugged design is part of the hardware innovation), so I'll just shake my head at your misdirected coffee and anger and go on typing.

Anyone typing on one of these at Starbucks either contributed intellectual capital to the project or $200. Why should that engender hostility?

Where did this meme "Anyone who's visibly done something good must be a smug asshole!!" come from? It must be the psy-war division of GM marketing — there can be only one least-smog, least-CO2, most-efficient car in America, but the hate lavished on people who buy a Prius, and now an XO, is astounding.

@omg-ponies:
You're basically saying disadvantaged areas shouldn't have any electronics. But they do, they get the crappy toxic stuff that developed nations threw out last year. The XO isn't perfect, but the environmental aspect of its design is better than anything else available. From Hardware uniqueness :

Additionally, NiMH batteries have no safety problems (LiION batteries, when they fail, can fail by burning at extremely high temperature). And LiION batteries should be recycled carefully. NiMH batteries pose no environmental concerns.

Careful attention to environmental issues, no hazardous materials, fully ROHS (Reduction of Hazardous Substances) compliant.

The machine is rugged... [no fan, few moving parts, thicker plastic than others, few internal connectors — go read it]

There's less garbage from a dead XO simply because it's small. And since there's one configuration and it's open source, there's no forced obsolescence from Windows ME support ending or a software upgrade breaking compatibility.

ridiculous---- has anyone seen the reports of african kids looking at porn on these? google it

Here's a thought why not give them food, water and shelter instead of a goddamned toy computer! Let's concentrate on eradicating real problems before we worry about giving them toys.

@TripZ: Stop talking about them. Most people in the developing world have food, water, and shelter, but their kids lack educational opportunities and resources. Stop telling talented geeks how to contribute their talent, and by all means send your $200 to crisis aid groups like the Red Cross, CARE, or Oxfam.

@Mosher: What's your point? Should an educational computer not have an Internet connection?

@skierpage:
I can talk about whatever I want. Are you one of "them"? I was simply stating my opinion that there are much more useful things we could be doing in areas with less fortunate people.