The One Laptop Per Child association, otherwise know as OLPC is an ICT4D (Information and Communication Technologies for Development) non-profit organisation. The OLPC is funded by a number of organisations who have contributed $2 million each to the scheme. The companies include Google, eBay, Red Hat, AMD, Marvell, SES, Brightstar Corporation, News Corporation and Nortel Networks.
The goal of the OLPC association is fairly self explanatory; it is to distribute a laptop to each and every school child in developing countries and around the world. The association has been overseeing the development of the XO Laptop, the laptop that will be distributed.
The XO Laptop, previously known as the “$100 laptop” is manufactured by a Taiwanese company called Quantar Computer and has may key advantages:
- It is an inexpensive laptop
- Functional in a variety of harsh and remote environments including high head and humidity.
- Energy saving
- Extremely durable
- Runs on Linux, a free operating system
- Connects to the internet using mobile adhoc networking which allows multiple users to connect to the internet from one connection.
The XO Laptop was first rolled out in November 2007 and is distributed to governments. It will be up to the governments to distribute the laptops. The operating system and the software for the XO laptop is localized to the language of the county that make the purchase.
Currently around 667,000 laptops have been sold to various different countries including:
October 2007 – Uganda – 100,000 laptops
Novemeber 2007 – USA – 15,000 laptops
Decemeber 2007 – Peru – 270,000 laptops
Decemeber 2007 – Mexico – 50,000 laptops
Janurary 2008 – Give One, Get One Program – 167,000 laptops
May 2008 – Colombia – 65,000 laptops
In the near future I’m sure may more countries will be participating in the program as it gives the children the opportunity to “explore, experiment, and express themselves”.
