next »

[XOLPiC]

I ordered five minutes into day one--no sign of it (in CT) yet. I ordered one for my daughter in TX a 5 days later. She got hers yesterday. I'm positively vibrating with anticipation.

I'm a writer too, but I don't expect the keyboard will be practical for speed and volume. I wonder if anyone has actually tried writing, not just typing, on their XO?

Thanks.

[Alex Guichet]

I plan to use this XO to occasionally write short stories when I'm bored (which I don't usually show anyone) but I too wonder if the keyboard will be large enough for me to type on.

[The Nose]

I do find it hard to adjust to the smaller keyboard (it's fine for hunt-and-peck but when I try to touch-type the muscle-memory distances are all wrong). I will probably buy a USB keyboard (folding, but full-size). At first I thought it would be a pain because I can't hold two keyboards in my lap and, even worse, I would find myself reaching for the wrong one. But someone else suggested that you can rotate the screen 180 degrees away from your face then rotate the entire laptop 180 degrees (so the screen is facing you again) and then plug in a full-size keyboard and mouse.

            screen
                /
               /
              /
________/___
fs kb         xo kb


I will still need a table because I know I can't balance the extra pieces without dropping something.

[geobreeder13]

TheNose: What folding keyboard are you going to use?

Does the XO accept USB keyboards and mice (is that the plural of computer mouse?) I'm not very good on the linux/command prompt ... sorry, terminal, usage. Will I be able to plug in my keyboard and start typing or do I need drivers?

Thanks for the idea about flipping the screen.

[geobreeder13]

I was looking through the accessory forum and I posted something that you guys might like:



http://www.amazon.com/Saitek-Keyboard-Mouse-Combo-Green/dp/B000HKGD2M/ref=pd_sim_pc?ie=UTF8&qid=1197865672&sr=1-1

[Mike Lee]

The Matias Folding Keyboard shown in the accessory forum looks good:

http://www.matias.ca/foldingkeyboard/

[ichabod]

It's actually not that bad, it just takes a little getting used to. I've had mine for two days, and I'm close to decent touch typing on it. The key (no pun intended) seems to be keeping your fingers off the keys, so that they don't get in the way of each other.

[JOEyGADGET]

Hi there. Is there a built in spell checker and/or thesaurus? If not, is there one for download that works within the Write program (and/or across the board on the XO)? Joe

Hi Everyone,
                  I'm Martin Sevior, one of the core abiword (and OLPC-Write) developers. The Write activity on the OLPC is a fully fledged Word Processor based on AbiWord. You can do almost anything that OpenOffice can do with it.

Regarding the upload to "google apps" idea, we're working on a website that will give you all the functionality of google docs (remote storage and collaboration) based on the real-time collaboration feature of write. You will be able to access this via abiword-2.6 (due for release really, really soon).

If you really feel you must use OpenOffice, fear not, the default file format for write is ODF as far as we can tell, the ODF we export is imported into OpenOffice without errors. If you find bugs please report them to us and we'll fix them ASAP.

Finally I have had a B2 machine for many months (I used to improve the performance of Write) and I must say that I found the keyboard rather small for comfortable writing. It is perfect for small children though.

[Lershac]

Uh, I dont think anyone with adult hands will be writing a novel on this.  I have mine, and I find it more comfortable (and faster) to "thumb it" like my blackberry.  I plan to use mine to read and surf.

[decibel]

Uh, I dont think anyone with adult hands will be writing a novel on this.  I have mine, and I find it more comfortable (and faster) to "thumb it" like my blackberry.  I plan to use mine to read and surf.

I usually end up holding it like a painter's palette (thumb holes = brilliant) and typing one-handed. Though, I'm still trying to get used to the whole membrane thing. It doesn't give you the immediate tactile response that the key was pressed so sometimes I end up with a lot of repeated letters. On the plus side of that, the keyboard is surprisingly sensitive.

[manda]

I can almost type on the keyboard normally, the only problems i find myself having are that when going for the erase key my finger missess and I can't stop pulling my hand off the keyboard to hit enter with my thumb. But, I've written a few documents, a lengthy blog post, and I think with more time typing will be like normal-- going back to regularly sized keyboards ought to be interesting. 

Yay for having small girl hands!

[Gollumer]

Anyone know if we can put Open Office or some similar open source/FREE writing software on there?

Write appears to be a version of AbiWord.  As for OpenOffice, only if you install it on an SD card, it will eat up a large chunk of your storage otherwise.

[John S.]

I opted for the XO for writing purposes as well. I’m already a part-time freelance writer usually dealing with political/social matters and next year I’m “taking the plunge” by leaving the corporate world and converting myself into a full-time freelance writer and independent journalist. I’m in the process of liquidating my life currently and part of my goal is to go to a lot of places where the XO’s durability will be tested. On the agenda already: Svalbard (near the Arctic Circle), Senegal (Casamance Province in the south, where my sister-in-law is from), and the interior of Venezuela (with some friends working on one of the Bolivarian Missions there).

After shopping around, the XO seemed almost perfectly suited for my purposes so I began an effort to get a beta version from a friend of a friend who seemed to be able to get them. Then suddenly I heard about G1G1 and was a first day donor.

So, while I will have my “real” laptop that can be left in safe places, I needed something that I could carry with me while dodging polar bears in Longyearbyen and later while hanging out in equatorial villages in the interior of Venezuela and Senegal. Obviously the fact that the XO can be easily recharged completely off the grid and the battery lasts much longer than most laptop batteries was a major selling point as well. Not to mention that with it being Linux-based, required upgrades and the like can be done for cheap or for free (and money, or the lack thereof) is one of my big issues. The only actual features I really see myself using are the word processor, the internet connections (both WiFi & mesh), the camera and the microphone.

John S.

[decibel]

I opted for the XO for writing purposes as well. I’m already a part-time freelance writer usually dealing with political/social matters and next year I’m “taking the plunge” by leaving the corporate world and converting myself into a full-time freelance writer and independent journalist. I’m in the process of liquidating my life currently and part of my goal is to go to a lot of places where the XO’s durability will be tested. On the agenda already: Svalbard (near the Arctic Circle), Senegal (Casamance Province in the south, where my sister-in-law is from), and the interior of Venezuela (with some friends working on one of the Bolivarian Missions there).

After shopping around, the XO seemed almost perfectly suited for my purposes so I began an effort to get a beta version from a friend of a friend who seemed to be able to get them. Then suddenly I heard about G1G1 and was a first day donor.

So, while I will have my “real” laptop that can be left in safe places, I needed something that I could carry with me while dodging polar bears in Longyearbyen and later while hanging out in equatorial villages in the interior of Venezuela and Senegal. Obviously the fact that the XO can be easily recharged completely off the grid and the battery lasts much longer than most laptop batteries was a major selling point as well. Not to mention that with it being Linux-based, required upgrades and the like can be done for cheap or for free (and money, or the lack thereof) is one of my big issues. The only actual features I really see myself using are the word processor, the internet connections (both WiFi & mesh), the camera and the microphone.

John S.

Your story makes me think Wayan should offer a feature on the web site, something to the effect of "My XO Life". This would be a place where people like you can share how the XO is impacting your life and your experiences with it. Thank you for sharing yours, it's inspiring.

[John S.]

Your story makes me think Wayan should offer a feature on the web site, something to the effect of "My XO Life". This would be a place where people like you can share how the XO is impacting your life and your experiences with it. Thank you for sharing yours, it's inspiring.

I agree, that would be a neat idea. Right now I'm giving my writing website a complete overhaul and once its ready to go I'll be doing my own blog tracking how things go. Further, I know I'm not completely alone in seeing the XO as a tough travel laptop. For example, this guy (see link) is obviously a techie (unlike me) and seems to have a lot more money than I will, but he's been XOing all over the world: Italy, Russia, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and nows he's in Nepal. Also lots of techie advice about converting your XO into A Fedora box and the like. -- http://lukego.livejournal.com/ --