I'm not sure about the logistical details of The Give One Get One program. The administration of my school wanted to purchase ~100 computers for our sister school in Zambia and they were told that the requirement was a minimum bulk purchase of 100,000 laptops! How is this making laptops available to all children?

I have been following the OLPC saga for a while now. I even invested $800.00 of my own money to secure 2 laptops to share with my students. I think this idea is wonderful. My father, right here in Maine was born into poverty. He managed to become quite successful over the years, but if he had been given this opportunity as a child, I believe he would be even more effective for our society.

The idea of XP on these devices I find absolutely appalling. The entire idea was based on the sharing of FREE information. I am so disappointed they have chosen to go down this road. I understand that Apple offered software and was rejected? Is this true? I want to know why they are not part of this? I know Microsoft has a huge user base. I also understand this may be a political move to include the narrow minded people who can't imagine it is about the process, not the product.

If OLPC would like to keep people like me involved they had better add Apple software options too. And not make this about platform. Did anyone check which 1-1 programs are working in the world, and why? Just the incident in Virginia where the laptop program switch from Apple and then switched back to Apple should be telling these people something. In my opinion Apple gets the job done in education. I hope someone from OLPC gets this message, if this is really about education.

Hello,
I am a teacher in inner-city Philadelphia and 99% of my students dont have computers at home. I've asked them to do research papers and they cant comply because the local library will only allow each student to use the computer at 30 minute intervals. Not only that, but the few computers at my school are off limits to students. So many students right here in the USA are without basic technologies to do well in school. Now, dont get me wrong, I applaud the efforts being done over seas, but what about OUR KIDS??? So many kids are going to schools without the technology, money or supports needed to have a great education.

I do not want to sound too pesimistic, but I am curious about a few things. Does the drive to provide a laptop for all children include the consideration of the philosophy of "other" cultures? What about those that do not want or value this offer of computer availability? Is this work driven by a 'western' philosophy of 'faster, farther, sooner'? While I might be fascinated with this idea, are there other, more important and immediate concerns that need to be considered before focusing on this endeavour? Would a child primarily in need of a safe and healthy environment that includes fresh water, food, decent clothing, adequate shelter and freedom from fear or persecution see this project as a 'necessary' and reasonable use of your time, creativity and resources? Has this vision for computer accessibility been driven by compassion? or by competition?

I am in agreement with the Philadelphia teacher who expressed concerns over the needs of our kids in the United States. With so many illiterate, needy, and struggling children in our own country, I can't help but wonder why our initiative wouldn't be to first supply every child in our country with a laptop. Since illiteracy is such an issue in developing countries, and literacy is the building block of education, why don't we instead have an initiative to collect gently used books to donate to the children in developing countries? I feel like "one book per child" would be a much more obtainable goal.

HI everyone, I am new to this blogging idea. I have read through the one lap-top idea. I have a fellow teacher that travels to aulstralia often and visit schools there. May and most of the schools there are lap-top schools. In these school each child is given a lap top to use through graduation. There is so much that can be done in classroom when each child has a laptop. Lessons can be created using what students use everyday. imagine teaching science, having then complete a lab and videoing the lab with there phones. Pluging there phones into the laptops and down lodding the video. They can then calculate there results and great a power point, slide, report with video, ect.. to teach the class what conclusion they have come to and why. I one class period a teacher can have direct instruction, hands on, exploration, discuss, creating, applying, reteaching, and most of all student teaching other students. This is a educators dream!

I also agree with the fact that if we are buying the laptops the free ones should go to our children.

The XO innovation has fostered a lot of r&d in the small computers market. Project Inkwell's "Spark", Intel's Classmate, the ASUS eeePC... Mary Lou Jepsen former CTO of OLPC plans to sell her company's Pixel Qi for $75.00. We live in exciting times! Readers interested in meeting teachers with XOs can head over to the XO Group in Classroom 2.0 http://www.classroom20.com/group/xo

I agree with most of your sentiments about prioritizing needs for children in other cultures. However, government and politics always seem to play a part in the education for children overseas (here too for that matter). A team from our school goes annually to a village in Zambia. They have built a school, provided curriculum, and the tools to support it. For many of these children, it is their "safe haven" and they put a lot of hope for their future in education. To receive independent school funding from the government, the school must prove that it is established with permanency; in other words, they need computers. Taxes increase the cost of computers 6 times in Africa. Militant groups corrupt the system further by demanding their own share of "taxes" from mission groups trying to organize efforts themselves. And then they found out the OLPC mission only works if you purchase in mass quantities (100,00 to be exact)!

My students practically beg for time on the classroom computers available to them and I think it would be a great resource to have for each students use. I know it seems like an unrealistic goal to provide a laptop for each student in the world, but I would love to see the positive strides that would follow such an advance in the learning environment.

I think the idea that every child in the world could have access to an affordable computer is exciting! However as a parent and teacher I am frustrated. There are so many students in our own country that aren't having their basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, safety) met. Shouldn't that be more of a priority?