One Laptop Per Child News on Countries

OLPC Party Trick: Face Juggling Your XO Laptop

Posted on March 28, 2008 by Wayan Vota in Countries: Canada, Use Cases: User Groups

The OLPC Canada XO User Groups always seem to be forgotten when we talk about One Laptop Per Child's supporters. During G1G1, even OLPC forgot Canadians are humans, with kids too.

But I don't think I'll ever forget Luke, the only Canadian who can face juggle an XO laptop:

Now that was wild, eh?

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Are There Still 24,000 G1G0 OLPC Donors Waiting for XO's?

Posted on March 12, 2008 by Wayan Vota in Countries: Canada, Sales Talk: G1G1, Countries: USA

Since OLPC started Give One Get One, a few enterprising individuals in the OLPC News G1G1 Forum have been running nightly scripts that check each XO order number on their tracking page, to separate shipping fact from fiction.

On Monday, Dr. Toast posted his XO tracking number results for those that are still waiting:

A few quick observations based on these stats: right now there are about 45,000 laptops that have shipped, and about 24,000 that have not. The laptops have been going out at a trickle for the last several weeks, although there was a big spike of over 5,000 laptops that went out on March 3 (mine was in that batch).

Thanks to Goney3, we now have a visual of the OLPC shipping activity for those that have the email from OLPC:

"Your donation is ready to be shipped and is in our shipping queue. Please check back with us every few days for updates If you have received this same response after several days (2 weeks or more) please contact Donor Services to verify your shipping info"

If you are one of the 24,000 who is still waiting for OLPC to Give One Got Done and have a spreadsheet skill, please download Dr. Toast's stats and do a deeper analysis on the trends you see with XO laptop shipping.

You'll have a few thousand friends if you do.

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VBCXO User Group Meetup in Vancouver, Canada: Saturday!

Posted on February 15, 2008 by Wayan Vota in Countries: Canada

Calling all Vancouver, BC geeks, educators, parents, children, and technologists! Canadians are just now getting their hands on XO laptops after reminding OLPC that G1G1 Canadians Are Humans, With Kids Too, and the excitement to mesh is palatable.

To satiate the demand, Jeremy Penner of VBCXO User Group and Wayan Vota of OLPC News invite you to mesh up in a networking storm at tomorrow's:

Get your XO geek on with VBCXO!

VBCXO User Group February Meetup
A fun discussion and discovery of One Laptop Per Child technology for the whole kids to geeks XO-loving family.

Saturday, February 16
4:00 - 7:00pm
ShaShuka Art Gallery and Eatery
6555 Fraser St - map
Vancouver, BC

We'll have plenty of XO's to play with and five (5!) XO-related prizes for lucky XO users!

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10,000 Give One Get One XO Laptops Going to OLPC Mongolia

Posted on January 11, 2008 by Wayan Vota in Countries: Canada, Sales Talk: G1G1, Countries: Mongolia

XO-1 laptops in Mongolia!

While the Give One Get One community in the USA slowly receives the "Get One" side the of XO laptop distribution, the other side, the "Give One" laptops are soon to be on their way to need children according to Walter Bender:

We are going to be hashing this out to a large degree on Monday. But I do know that we are already preparing 10K machines for Mongolia, 1K each for Haiti, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Cambodia at the factory now.

The initial machines in all cases, as far as I know, are directed to programs with government involvement, but not necessarily government run.

That's great news, especially for Mongolia, a land I've traveled through before.

OLPC Mongolia also happens to have a very rich benefactor in John L. Thornton, who promised to support 20,000 laptops for the country back in October. I wonder if Bender's 10,000 batch is half of that or an extra allotment?

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Was Give One Get One an One Laptop Per Child Success?

Posted on January 07, 2008 by Wayan Vota in Countries: Canada, Sales Talk: G1G1, Countries: USA

Reading today's press release from OLPC, I was amazed by the success of the G1G1 program:

In total, the campaign raised $35 million and more than 100,000 XO laptops are already in the process of being distributed to children in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Haiti, Mongolia and Rwanda.

But in reading Nicholas Negroponte's interview with Forbes magazine, I didn't hear a sense of accomplishment from Negroponte himself:

Success for OLPC LC-DC

What is the final tally of Give One Get One? 162,000, for $35 million.

Is that more than you expected? It is and it isn't. It's stunning to do that. On the other hand it doesn't quite create an economic model which could run the whole thing. If we had done a million units with G1G1 you could then maybe say the $100 laptop becomes a zero dollar laptop. So it didn't do that well in terms of the economic model to go forward.

On my hands I come up with a whole different tally. On the positive, I see a whole nation now seeded with future OLPC supporters.

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G1G1 Donor: Are You Still Without Your XO Laptop?

Posted on December 26, 2007 by Wayan Vota in Countries: Canada, Sales Talk: G1G1, Countries: USA

It is the day after Christmas, and all through the land, Give One Get One donors are yet still binary: with xo laptops or without.

As this discrepancy becomes more acute - the lucky half exploring a national XO Chat session and the rest watching in jealous agony - the OLPC Learning Club has a message for those coveting thy neighbour's Linux laptop:

Yes, its time to take a Biblical approach and find your inner patience. And if you wear through that you can always live vicariously (or just bitch) on the OLPC News Forum.

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G1G1 Canadians Are Humans, With Kids Too

Posted on December 19, 2007 by Guest Writer in Countries: Canada, Sales Talk: G1G1

As Canadians we don't get to use the OLPC tax deduction unless you have USA income, but that's ok because we believe in the project.

We can't utilize the T-Mobile Hot Spot service unless you drive to the Ottawa or Hamilton airports, but that's ok because we believe.

But, to be discriminated against based on nationality on a project of international scope is wrong. OLPC is losing goodwill at a massive rate. It is unfortunate that OLPC set our expectations so high and did not follow through. It is becoming apparent that OLPC did not even attempt to send out the Canadian orders on a first come first serve bases.

I have personally stopped lobbying our Provincial and Federal governments re. OLPC in Canada and have put on hold a local school fundraising program centered around OLPC.

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OLPC News Christmas Shopping List for XO Laptop Lovers

Posted on December 16, 2007 by Wayan Vota in Countries: Canada, Sales Talk: G1G1, Hardware: Peripherals, Countries: USA

We may all be hoping for a Green Christmas, but by the looks of the G1G1 shipping lottery, not everyone will have an XO laptop under their tree by December 25. Before you curse OLPC, remember that they are focused on children in the developing world. You should be focused on being a good American consumer, and I'm here to help. I've just complied the OLPC News Christmas List for XO Laptop Lovers on Amazon.com:Nicholas Negroponte

Being Digital - Negroponte's breakthrough work on the history and future of technology
OLPC on 60 Minutes - a must-have for every OLPC-loving geek if only to see Craig Barrett squirm.
I ♥ Nicholas Negroponte - you know I will be wearing this with pride come summer. (my favorite!)

.

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G1G1 Shipping Information for XO Lotto Players

Posted on December 15, 2007 by Wayan Vota in Countries: Canada, Sales Talk: G1G1, Countries: USA

My big ass sign of hope

As editor of OLPC News, you would think I have some secret reservoir of Give One Get One shipping knowledge, or have my XO laptop already. If only!

What I do know, I learn from your scattered comments on OLPC News and the XO Shipping Forum. Here's a distillation of what I've learned so far:

XO's are coming from Brightstar's distribution center in Libertyville Il.
There isn't any order/shipment relationship. Week 2 people are getting laptops already
They are using FedEx Ground to ship laptops nationwide
You can call FedEx Ground to see if your laptop is on its way
If it is, I suggest being ready with a big-ass sign
And then be quick to get your XO lest it become G1G0.

Good luck everyone. May we, and the world's children, win the XO Lotto.

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Got XO? To the OLPC News Forums, Yo!

Posted on December 14, 2007 by Wayan Vota in Countries: Canada, Sales Talk: G1G1, Countries: USA

Are you this happy too?

Are you one of the super-lucky kids (at heart) who has a One Laptop Per Child computer already? Did Santa come early with your G1G1 XO? Then revel in your geek glory on the OLPC News Forum, G1G1 Introductions Board!

There, Ar7499 says, I won the XO lottery:

I am a day 2 buyer. I ordered on the internet very early on day 2, and yesterday, to my surprise, my (my kids, I guess) xo is here!!!!!

I live only about 20 mins from the libertyville shipping site. Maybe that means that there are a bunch in the fedex system right now for the rest of you.

Oh if only I could be so XO-lucky too! But alas, I have to live vicariously through other's First Impressions.

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What I am Going Through Waiting for My Own OLPC

Posted on December 13, 2007 by Guest Writer in Countries: Canada, Sales Talk: G1G1, Countries: USA

By James Chung with apologies to Mr. Watterson

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What Would You Tell a new G1G1 XO Laptop User Like Drew?

Posted on December 13, 2007 by Wayan Vota in Countries: Canada, Sales Talk: G1G1, Countries: USA

Jonathan helping with XO usage

An OLPC News reader wrote in to say:

Alright, so I got my XO last night. I ordered it for a xmas gift for my family, but I haven't any idea how to use it!

I'm not familiar with Linux or Sugar, so I putzed around playing with the camera, tamtam and journal apps a little. I wasn't able to get a wifi connection, though I do have a wireless connection in the house.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this thing! I had planned on having my wife use it for internet access, but I'm having 2nd thoughts. I desperately want to keep it, but I may be having a little buyer's remorse.

Anyone know where I should start with this new toy?

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What About the T-Mobile HotSpot Subscriptions?

Posted on December 12, 2007 by Guest Writer in Internet: Access, Countries: Canada, Sales Talk: G1G1, Countries: USA

Logged into T-Mobile with ease

With G1G1 laptops arriving, I emailed OLPC Donor Services and asked them if the T-Mobile HotSpot subscription information will be contained within the XO box or will the info arrive in some other manner. I received the following response, which I confirmed with a T-Mobile customer service representative. (Sadly, the T-Mobile rep had never heard of the XO but after telling her about it she said she planned to order one.)

Email response from OLPC Donor Services:

You will receive an email message close to the time that your laptop ships containing instructions on how to begin your complimentary year of T-Mobile HotSpot service. Please refer to http://hotspot.t-mobile.com for additional information on T-Mobile HotSpot Wireless broadband Internet service.

Thank You
OLPC Donor Services

After speaking with the T-Mobile rep, I kept asking myself why she did not know about the XO and the promotion.

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Give One Get One XO Laptop Christmas Delivery Dates

Posted on December 01, 2007 by Wayan Vota in Countries: Canada, Sales Talk: G1G1, Countries: USA

Dreaming of a green Christmas

Get ready for a Green America! Depending on your order submission timing, there's gonna be some serious envy this Christmas.

First Walter Bender says that First Day Donors are going to get lucky:

G1G1: Every "Day 1" Give One Get One participant (those that donated on November 12, the first day of our campaign) received email on Wednesday informing them to expect their "Get" laptops between December 14 and 24.

Then One Laptop Per Child just released shipping date projections for everyone else's XO laptops, subject to the whims of manufacturing and air freight:

If you made your donation by the date in the column on the left, you’re scheduled to receive your XO laptop(s) within the corresponding delivery window in the column on the right.
Donation Date Scheduled Delivery Window
Nov 12, 2007 Dec 14-24, 2007
Nov 13-15, 2007 Dec 17-31, 2007
Nov 16-26, 2007 Dec 26, 2007 - Jan 15, 2008
Nov 27-Dec 31, 2007 Early 2008
Please note that these are conservative projections. We are doing all that we can to ship as many XO laptops as possible by the December 24 holiday.

Donation Date	Scheduled Delivery Window
Nov 12, 2007	Dec 14-24, 2007
Nov 13-15, 2007	Dec 17-31, 2007
Nov 16-26, 2007	Dec 26, 2007 - Jan 15, 2008
Nov 27-Dec 31, 2007	Early 2008

And while we in the Lower 48 rejoice over a bright green stocking stuffer, I feel our Canadian neighbours to the north may just suffer:

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One Laptop Per Child News

Your independent source for news, information, commentary, and discussion of One Laptop Per Child's "$100 laptop" computer, the OLPC Children's Machine XO, developed by MIT Media Lab co-founder Nicholas Negroponte.