Filed under: Laptops

It’s hardly a scientific test, but when a Cnet editor’s 8 year old daughter was given the choice between an OLPC XO laptop running Windows XP or the Linux-based Sugar UI, Sugar was the winner. As Cnet points out, either OS when properly incorporated into the teaching curriculum should serve the children of developing nations equally well. Only one, however, promises to prepare our youth for middle management.

P.S. Amazon’s Give One, Get One program will be limited to Linux according to Cnet and confirmed in the OLPC Wiki — no dual-boot for you Santa.

[Thanks, Justin G.]

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Filed under: Laptops

We knew we’d be seeing a comeback of the Give One, Get One program this year, and now OLPC has confirmed a November 17 date — just in time for the holidays, how convenient for everyone! We’re still not certain on a price, but $399 is quite likely. It’s not like they’re doing the volume right now to drive those costs down, and the component-reduced XO 1.5, which is supposed to actually get close to hitting OLPC’s $100 laptop goals, won’t be landing until next spring. Dual-booting to XP is still unconfirmed.

[Thanks, Charbax]

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Filed under: Laptops

Now that OLPC has met its One Laptop Per Child goal (in uh, Niue) it’s time to go whole-hog retail. According to Matt Keller, OLPC chief in EMEA, OLPC will resurrect its Give One, Get One XO program in late November with the help of Amazon’s big retail guns. Prices haven’t been disclosed nor has the nimble Sugar or poky XP OS selection. But if history serves, we’ll be looking at $399 for the Sugary pair just like last year.

Update: As it turns out, OLPC says that a dual-boot XP and Sugar OS XO will be shipping in the “next month of so.” Happy pappie?

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Filed under: Laptops

At the nexus of selfishness and altruism sits the OLPC Give One, Get One program. Today marks the first day of shipping for those of you who placed a G1G1 order during the program’s November 12th launch date. Each XO ships with new OLPC Ship.2 Build (650) software which introduces a network-based OLPC-update and more robust wireless networking in addition to the same (great) Sugar UI and easy-to-use application suite we’ve seen. They’ll also arrive touting the latest Q2D07 firmware which fixes a critical bug bricking some XOs in manufacturing. As noted earlier, these units should arrive before Christmas while the second XO heads to less-fortunates in early 2008. As it should be, eh you greedy/selfless bastage.

[Via OLPC News, thanks Wayan]

Read — OLPC Ship.2 release notes
Read — OLPC G1G1 shipping

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Laptops

We know quite a few of you out there have participated in OLPC’s Give One, Get One program, but if you’ve been sitting around all uneasy like waiting for some official shipping information, open wide. According to new information posted to the Laptop Giving website, only those in the US who made their purchase / donation by November 12th can expect their machine before Christmas, and any orders placed beyond that date have varying scheduled delivery ranges. Of note, OLPC does say that it’s trying to ship out as many laptops as possible before the holidays, but alas, no promises are given out either way. Also, the donated lappies will reported be headed to children in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Haiti, Mongolia or Rwanda in early 2008. Keep check on the read link for updated time frames as well as Canadian shipment estimations.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Laptops

Negroptone’s OLPC Buy One, Give One program has been extended to 31 December, 2007 — well beyond the initial two-weeks originally announced. The deal buys both yourself (or rather, your kid supposedly) and a tot from a developing nation new XOs for just $399. Already, the non-profit claims to be pulling in about $2 Million worth of “donations” each day. They’ve also opened up bulk buying to schools in quantities of 100-999 ($299 each), 1000-9999 ($249 each), or 10,000 and more ($199). Oh, and the program is now officially renamed “Give One, Get One” (GoGo) — we presume BoGo’ing the kids sounded too icky.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!