Looking back at the press reports around One Laptop Per Child's Give 1 Get 1 program for XO laptop sales, I'm a little confused. I know exactly when the program will start:
But when will it end? The ABC News report says:
Every time an American orders a laptop, during a two-week period from Nov. 12 to Nov. 26, a kid in a developing country will get one for free - it's called the Give 1, Get 1 program.The New York Times reports the same dates for G1G1: November 12 to November 26th. Yet if you read through the XOGiving.org F.A.Q. you have a whole other time period. The two weeks of XO-1 sales are cut to just seven mad days - to an XO Black Week:
A limited number of laptop computers will be available for purchase in North America for a limited time from November 12th to November 19th. They will initially only be available as part of a Give 1 Get 1 initiative.Now funny enough, I don't think the end of Give One Get One will really matter. I say that there is so much demand for the "$100 laptop", even at $399 that G1G1 will sell out fast!
If the OLPC website is in error, when they change the date, they might want to revisit the "North America" geographic designation as the USA/Canada sales plan does not cover all of North America. The 100 million people of Mexico consider themselves North Americans too, including the only confirmed buyer of XO's so far, Carlos Slim
Now calm down. I think you may be anticipating much more demand than there will be. I mean, how large is the readership of this site, or of laptop.org for that matter. Yes, you are surrounded by potential buyers.
That said, I have priced FedEx for a 10 lb package to Mexico City. A mere $128! Gulp. My friend wants me to order two for him.
"If the OLPC website is in error, when they change the date, they might want to revisit the "North America" geographic designation as the USA/Canada sales plan does not cover all of North America."
Wayan, 'North America' has always been the USA. In fact, if it wasnt for terrorists, most people in the US wouldnt even know other countries exist.
Robert,
Arrogant "Americans" have always though they represent both North and South America and couldn't find Central America on a map.
For the rest of us, the thought of the United States of America representing the United Mexican States is insensitive and ignorant as well arrogant.
Getting back to the release date for a moment . . .
November 12th is a rather odd choice in that it's a legal US holiday . . . Veteran's Day Monday, when most banks will be closed. I wonder how credit card processing will go.
Steve . . . is your Potenco "power yo-yo" going to ship with these US-bound laptops? Or is that a separate purchase?
Wayan, well said. Unfortunately the appalling usage of saying "American" instead of "USA citizen" has taken hold everywhere, it seems, and very few people seem to notice.
I wonder what the reaction would be, should anyone start saying "German" instead of "European". But then, Germany is not currently ruling the world. :-|
Wonderful Laptop! I like electronic gadgets
I think the small November G1G1 windows is geared to the OLPC initial production schedule of 40,000 the first and 80,000 the second month.
A comment: If OLPC can keep its promise of the "$100 Laptop" as it has its brilliant technical achievement, it may be home free. At $200 it can sell millions of XOs to American and European school systems (for whom it would be a bargain), and just GIVE equal millions of XOs to the developing world.
Now OLPC & the press are in agreement, but sadly, Mexico still gets the shaft in the updated F.A.Q.:
"A limited number of laptop computers will be available for purchase in North America for a limited time from November 12th to November 26th. They will initially only be available as part of a Give 1 Get 1 initiative."
http://www.xogiving.org/faq.html
Nicola and Wayan,
History and geography are sensitive subjects is the USA. Disputes over those subjects can get you suspended from class. Also, the USA does not recognize the official existance of several nations. So our maps look different from yours. To be fair; you should not confuse mis-education with arrogance.
Everyone in the western hemisphere is an American, but our language has no way to express it. In the spanish language "Americans" are everyone in the "new world", but english is more limited. However, there is a use of "Anglo-American" and "Latin American" in some places.
As for ruling the world; the school children are taught that the USA is an average sized nation, and is somewhat threatened by other nations like North Korea. Most people have no way to compare nations. Travel outside the country is rare. The school propaganda is that the US is the only nation that really believes in freedom, and that other nations are plotting to take that freedom away.
It may be hard to believe, but many people here think that the Iraqis are actually powerful enough to take "freedom" away from "Americans".Most people believe that Japan and the USA are roughly the same, and that the Emperor was a huge threat in WWII.People here have a distorted views on a nation's size and strength. They also think France is lazy, because France is seen as equal in size but the military is much smaller.
Whenever I run by the White House while out jogging, I am reminded of mis-educated Americans who hope that "Childrens do learn".
Wayan,
Au contraire,the"Unitary Executive" thinks very deeply:
The Project for the New American Century
The Federalist Society
The Heritage Foundation
The Cato Institute
The American Enterprise Institute
The Hoover Institution
They know exactly what they are doing...
But does he?
Yes and Yes,
First, the US presidency is not an Absolute Monarchy. Personally, he has many “advisors” from the political party interest groups and the American upper-class (ruling-class). Institutionally, he shares power with the Legislative and Judicial branches of government;capable of impeaching(terminating)him.
Also, the US is a federation of states. The national army is backed by many state militias. The main reason that the US has a volunteer army rather than conscript army is because the state militia guardsmen take the brunt of the tours of duty. So, the president cannot do anything without these power sources giving him backing. The main reason the US has never collapsed into dictatorship is because of the federation of states that don’t like each other. There is no way to unite everyone. However, individual US states have had dictatorships (e.g. Huey Long in Louisiana).
Second, These turn of events have been planned for a decade or more:
The Project for the New American Century: Mission Statement
“we need to accept responsibility for America's unique role in preserving and extending an international order friendly to our security, our prosperity, and our principles.Such a “Reaganite” policy of military strength and moral clarity may not be fashionable today. But it is necessary if the United States is to build on the successes of this past century and to ensure our security and our greatness in the next.”
Signed,
William J. Bennett (US Secretary of Education), Jeb Bush (Bush Family representative), Dick Cheney (US Vice President) , Zalmay Khalilzad (US Ambassador to the United Nations), I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby (US White House Chief of Staff), Dan Quayle (former US Vice President), Donald Rumsfeld (US Secretary of Defense), Paul Wolfowitz (President of the World Bank)
June 3, 1997
Will the people who buy these laptops be able to use wi-fi spots for internet?
And how does the mesh network system work again? Will one person be able to hook up their computer the internet and pass the connection to other people?
Will people be able to connect their printers to the laptops without any problems?
"Will people be able to connect their printers to the laptops without any problems?"
I count myself extremely lucky if I succeed in connecting a printer to any computer. :-)
Winter