downloadsquad.com— "Kids who learn how to type and research and program on these computers will be getting used to unlike anything they're likely to encounter on any other computer system."
Nov 25, 2006View in Crawl 4
"children" like me think that any kid who can't figure out an OS in less than a couple of weeks shouldn't be using a computer anyway. Picture that, people who are computer-idiotic not using computers! Watch 99.9999999% of the virus problem disappear overnight...
After watching the video of the GUI, I gotta say I'm not crazy about it-- but I strongly disagree with the "ruin computing" argument.That's the same nonsense that gets constantly trotted out when school boards try to make a case for replacing classroom Macs in their districts with Windows machines: "They should be taught on what they'll use when they get out in the real world!" Oh, bulls**t. The schools are supposed to teach -concepts- that can be applied and/or adapted in different situations, not specifics. Teaching a kid to only use Windows instead of teaching him/her general computing concepts would be like only teaching them 12 x 17 = 204 instead of teaching them how to do long multiplication of any two numbers.The same logic applies here. The children who use the OLPC machine will be armed with knowledge of GUI concepts, and they will apply them in the future should they come across OS X, Windows, or any Linux GUI. There will certainly be a transition period, but it will surely be shorter than if they had never had the use of a computer at all.~Philly
Just thought of another thing.With all of these laptops heading to some rougher areas of the world. What's going to stop a larger human taking away the smaller human's laptop? Even UNICEF has huge problems with Well development and water management in some countries. The NGO's go in, dig the well and after the well is finished, local thugs move in and take over the supply and charge people for fresh water. The people the water was supposed to help doesn't help them because they are in most cases destitute, so they end up drinking from the same malaria infested water as before.All I'm seeing from this whole project is another thing that someone can kill for in no specific situation. After all how much gun/ammo can a $100 laptop bring a thief? The object in question is higher than the GDP per capita in most of the countries it is intended for.Plus as a mesh network it would make an excellent field communication device to move squads around, say, an oil rig in Sierra Leone to pop the engineers working on the platforms. Or a coordinated attack and "cleansing" of refugee settlements in Rwanda. Computers are great, but they way these things are built (tonka tough) and operate (smooth as linux). The para-military and military uses are quite obvious. Although the iMac colour scheme might be a little, erm, less bully boy than a soldier would want. I'm sure that someone will figure out how to make it camo colour.
That computer might be the only computer those kids EVER get their hands on even as adults. I think getting anything in their hands is a good thing. It won't hurt them. I learned on a Commedore 64 which doesn't resemble any computers of today. That didn't hurt me. I say get them computers and internet access. It is the internet access that is the most important thing. If they can get the kids that, they are successful.
I wouldn't say it's unlike anything they might encounter on a regular computer. The fullscreen iPhoto interface is a lot like that one. At any rate it still has a lot of the most common interface elements like icons, toolbars, scrollbars, etc.The only difference here is it has a fullscreen interface again like iPhoto.Also kids especially if they grow up on computers are more adaptable than one might give them credit for. So I don't see this ruining regular computers for them at all.
Closed AccountNov 26, 2006
Good! we dont want millions of f**king kids stealing our jobs!
ungamedplayerNov 26, 2006
Sugar isn't lame.. the article is.
razishabanNov 26, 2006
"children" like me think that any kid who can't figure out an OS in less than a couple of weeks shouldn't be using a computer anyway. Picture that, people who are computer-idiotic not using computers! Watch 99.9999999% of the virus problem disappear overnight...
phillymjsNov 26, 2006
After watching the video of the GUI, I gotta say I'm not crazy about it-- but I strongly disagree with the "ruin computing" argument.That's the same nonsense that gets constantly trotted out when school boards try to make a case for replacing classroom Macs in their districts with Windows machines: "They should be taught on what they'll use when they get out in the real world!" Oh, bulls**t. The schools are supposed to teach -concepts- that can be applied and/or adapted in different situations, not specifics. Teaching a kid to only use Windows instead of teaching him/her general computing concepts would be like only teaching them 12 x 17 = 204 instead of teaching them how to do long multiplication of any two numbers.The same logic applies here. The children who use the OLPC machine will be armed with knowledge of GUI concepts, and they will apply them in the future should they come across OS X, Windows, or any Linux GUI. There will certainly be a transition period, but it will surely be shorter than if they had never had the use of a computer at all.~Philly
albinoravenNov 26, 2006
Just thought of another thing.With all of these laptops heading to some rougher areas of the world. What's going to stop a larger human taking away the smaller human's laptop? Even UNICEF has huge problems with Well development and water management in some countries. The NGO's go in, dig the well and after the well is finished, local thugs move in and take over the supply and charge people for fresh water. The people the water was supposed to help doesn't help them because they are in most cases destitute, so they end up drinking from the same malaria infested water as before.All I'm seeing from this whole project is another thing that someone can kill for in no specific situation. After all how much gun/ammo can a $100 laptop bring a thief? The object in question is higher than the GDP per capita in most of the countries it is intended for.Plus as a mesh network it would make an excellent field communication device to move squads around, say, an oil rig in Sierra Leone to pop the engineers working on the platforms. Or a coordinated attack and "cleansing" of refugee settlements in Rwanda. Computers are great, but they way these things are built (tonka tough) and operate (smooth as linux). The para-military and military uses are quite obvious. Although the iMac colour scheme might be a little, erm, less bully boy than a soldier would want. I'm sure that someone will figure out how to make it camo colour.
moleculeNov 26, 2006
FTA: "The entire operating system has been retooled, probably to work well on a small screen..."probably not. The GUI perhaps...
whiskerthemadNov 26, 2006
"Its easy to fubar linux"What? What? Are you really that f**king retarded? I'm just curious.
georgeblumeNov 26, 2006
That computer might be the only computer those kids EVER get their hands on even as adults. I think getting anything in their hands is a good thing. It won't hurt them. I learned on a Commedore 64 which doesn't resemble any computers of today. That didn't hurt me. I say get them computers and internet access. It is the internet access that is the most important thing. If they can get the kids that, they are successful.
smoketetsuNov 27, 2006
I wouldn't say it's unlike anything they might encounter on a regular computer. The fullscreen iPhoto interface is a lot like that one. At any rate it still has a lot of the most common interface elements like icons, toolbars, scrollbars, etc.The only difference here is it has a fullscreen interface again like iPhoto.Also kids especially if they grow up on computers are more adaptable than one might give them credit for. So I don't see this ruining regular computers for them at all.