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The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge
The OLPC team has posted a
set of pictures of the first "B1 test" version of the laptop on its
arrival at their office. The holiday season, it seems, has arrived early
in Cambridge.
(Log in to post comments)
Which Cambridge? Posted Nov 15, 2006 17:33 UTC (Wed) by dvrabel (subscriber, #9500) [Link] If you Americans are going unimaginatively steal place names like Cambridge, you could at least state which one you mean1 ;) Particularly when you don't mean the real one. 1Or, use the name of the relevant institution (which would be more logical).
Which Cambridge? Posted Nov 15, 2006 17:58 UTC (Wed) by mbanck (subscriber, #9035) [Link] Oh man, I guess everybody thinks everybody knows by now that OLPC is done at/by MIT's media lab.
Michael
Which Cambridge? Posted Nov 15, 2006 20:36 UTC (Wed) by jg (guest, #17537) [Link] OLPC is independent of MIT; we are a non-profit corporation.
Many of us came from the Media Lab and/or have MIT history of some sort or another.
And that the definition of 'tool' Posted Nov 20, 2006 0:02 UTC (Mon) by Baylink (subscriber, #755) [Link] includes "no sense of humor."
Excuse me: "humour". :-)
Which Cambridge? Posted Nov 17, 2006 11:17 UTC (Fri) by dwmw2 (subscriber, #2063) [Link] Don't worry; there's a unit on the way to the real Cambridge too -- it's just stuck in Hong Kong airport with me at the moment.
If you feel like wandering round the corner on Tuesday afternoon I should be in the office (with it) then.
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 15, 2006 17:35 UTC (Wed) by frazier (subscriber, #3060) [Link] The keyboard is interesting:http://wiki.laptop.org/images/e/ee/AP1_12.jpg
Notice the 'erase' button where Backspace typically is. Also, the CTRL is where one normally sees CAPS LOCK.
The touchpad area is interesting too. I'll have to read up a little bit more on this project.
-Brock
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 15, 2006 18:00 UTC (Wed) by mbanck (subscriber, #9035) [Link] Which one is the "Get source" key? :)
Michael
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 15, 2006 18:23 UTC (Wed) by cjb (guest, #40354) [Link] > Which one is the "Get source" key? :)
That's the yellow "gear" symbol next to the erase key; so, view source is fn-equals.
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 15, 2006 18:55 UTC (Wed) by tjc (subscriber, #137) [Link] The big square "enter" key is nice, but it's positioned about one key width further to the right of where it usually is, which might be a problem for people with small hands.
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 15, 2006 18:56 UTC (Wed) by tjc (subscriber, #137) [Link] And then there's the whole issue of typing on a big green rubbery mat...
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 15, 2006 20:10 UTC (Wed) by irios (guest, #19838) [Link] The rubber keyboard must be the Cambridge heritage ... the closest thing I've seen was on the (in)famous Cambridge Computers Z88, of 1988 vintage, which also was an ultra low power laptop computer with an unconventional design and a rubber keyboard. It also looks a lot like the keyboard on the Sinclair Spectrum, a tremendously popular Z88 antecessor from another company based on the REAL Cambridge, which surely brings fond memories to many of the older readers in Europe.
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 15, 2006 20:43 UTC (Wed) by jg (guest, #17537) [Link] This keyboard actually feels pretty decent.
We use the rubber keyboard to keep dust and water from wrecking the keyboard, which causes many/most keyboard failures in harsh environments.
Our machine must survive a kid getting soaked to the skin in a monsoon rain, or a dust storm in a desert.
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 15, 2006 21:20 UTC (Wed) by dilinger (subscriber, #2867) [Link] Not to mention coffee and soda, in those harsh office environments. :)
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 16, 2006 4:19 UTC (Thu) by gjmarter (subscriber, #5777) [Link] I'm glad to see how small the laptop is. Hopefully that will help keep it out of the offices and in the schools.
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 16, 2006 14:28 UTC (Thu) by eru (subscriber, #2753) [Link] We use the rubber keyboard to keep dust and water from wrecking the keyboard, which causes many/most keyboard failures in harsh environments.But can it handle the wear? All the rubber keyboards I have encountered have had problems with the symbols gradually rubbing off. I guess this can be solved by more careful design (eg. making the symbol of differently colored rubber material that is sufficiently deeply embedded in the key), but it probably cost more.
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 18, 2006 12:43 UTC (Sat) by JohnNilsson (subscriber, #41242) [Link] Or the symbols could be on the "inside" if the rubber would be transparent.
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 15, 2006 20:47 UTC (Wed) by oak (subscriber, #2786) [Link] I think the point of the rubber keyboard is that it protectsthe device better from dirt etc. than a conventional keyboard. Btw. I was reading OLPC comments on http://www.technologyreview.com/ and many people commented there that a phone would be much better for developing countries. They obviously missed the point of replacing school books (which requires larger screen than phone has).
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 16, 2006 1:09 UTC (Thu) by leoc (subscriber, #39773) [Link] How ridiculous. Using a cell phone as a general purpose computer would give these kids a lifetime of twisted, agonized, fingers and out of focus vision as they spend hours and hours attempting to peck out letters on the tiny little keyboard and see the results on the tiny little screens.
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 15, 2006 20:06 UTC (Wed) by bronson (subscriber, #4806) [Link] Control key next to the left pinky: brilliant! The control key is migrating back to where it is most useful. Why it moved away I'll never know.
Backslash to the right of the right pinky: what are they thinking?? This moves the enter key further away. Who types \ more than Enter?
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 15, 2006 20:13 UTC (Wed) by irios (guest, #19838) [Link] Again, the older readers will agree that these keys are just in the right position to pave the way for the triumphant comeback of WordStar and Lotus 123.
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 16, 2006 2:46 UTC (Thu) by drag (subscriber, #31333) [Link] Older readers? I never seen a keyboard with the control key in it's proper location.
Gah. The caps lock key sucks. The only thing worse then the caps lock key, is the caps lock key on my freaking Ibook. I had to patch the kernel in order to get that thing to work correct (as a control key). PITA.
What I REALY want though is a keyboard with a more or less conventional layout, but with control, alt, enter, and maybe a couple others lined up the center of the keyboard instead (or actually in addition) of the sides.
Think about it: You use the shift key and the enter key and if your using more advanced features your using the control keys and the alt keys a lot also. This is so.. However why is it always depend on stretching out your shortest and weakest finger?
Having it up the center would reduce hand fatigue a lot and reduce wrist movement by quite a bit (as you see most people would end up twisting the hand sideways to use other fingers to use the enter keys and the tab keys), IMO.
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 16, 2006 15:30 UTC (Thu) by tjc (subscriber, #137) [Link] Older readers? I never seen a keyboard with the control key in it's proper location.Northgate "Omnikey" keyboard had the control key to the left of the 'A' key. And the original PC/XT keyboard, of course: http://www.pcguide.com/ref/kb/layout/stdXT83-c.html I think the caps lock key displaced the control key when the AT-101 keyboard was introduced. It's too late to change now, since it's already been set in stone: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Memorial_to_keyboard.jpg
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 17, 2006 0:08 UTC (Fri) by beoba (guest, #16942) [Link] There are a few Sun keyboards floating around in the Physics building with Ctrl to the left of A. Not especially old keyboards, either, maybe 2-4 years max.
"Normally"? Posted Nov 15, 2006 20:54 UTC (Wed) by ncm (subscriber, #165) [Link] It's not normal for caps lock to be where the control key belongs. It's only usual.
"The sidewalks were clear, where one normally sees homeless people."
"The suspect was meeting with his lawyer, when normally he would be confessing under electrical encouragement."
"The patient's blood lead content was hard to measure, where normally it would be at a level that reduces IQ by ten to twenty points."
People can get used to practically anything, but that doesn't make it normal.
"Normally"? Posted Nov 16, 2006 1:29 UTC (Thu) by djabsolut (guest, #12799) [Link] People can get used to practically anything, but that doesn't make it normal.The above re-definition of "normal" is most interesting. It's also wrong. The most encompassing definition of "normal" is "the average or mean". Ergo, if the vast majority of today's keyboards have a particular key in a particular position, then that position is normal for today. Perhaps better fitting words for the above examples are along the lines of "unhealthy", "unwanted" or "immoral" etc.
"Normally"? Posted Nov 16, 2006 1:51 UTC (Thu) by ncm (subscriber, #165) [Link] Was a time when people weren't everywhere living on the street, when even the idea of government agents torturing people was repugnant, when we weren't all walking around with poison in our veins, and when keyboards had the control key next to the "A". They weren't all the same time, but each seemed pretty normal at the time. I don't recall being asked if I wanted to change any of them. However many people have got used to all those things, I'm resolved not to. They're not all abominations on the same scale, but it does no good to distinguish. Losses are all of a piece.
"Normally"? Posted Nov 16, 2006 9:53 UTC (Thu) by gnb (subscriber, #5132) [Link] Fortunately xmodmap can solve one of these problems, unfortunately itreally is the least important.
"Normally"? Posted Nov 16, 2006 9:43 UTC (Thu) by frazier (subscriber, #3060) [Link] I'll let djabsolut's point below stand as the word for normally seen. That said, you bring up a great point about CAPS LOCK vs. CTRL.
Here's a huge image of an old (5150?) IBM PC:
I was young when the keys started moving around on PC platforms (under 16 years of age) and I vaguely remember the CTRL key moving down and not liking it. Now, I understand that I have no problem with the CTRL moving back to the 5150 position (other than adjusting back). Past that, does the CAPS LOCK (next to the vowel A on the keyboard) present more of a liability than an asset for the average user? I have a hunch it does.
Also, I was thinking the IBM PC-AT might have moved the CTRL key. If it did, that's not shown in this image:
-Brock
P.S.> More info on the keyboard layout is here:
"Normally"? Posted Nov 16, 2006 16:11 UTC (Thu) by mbanck (subscriber, #9035) [Link] Here's a huge image of an old (5150?) IBM PC:So that is why on ThinkPads the ESC key is next to the 1 instead of F1? :) Now that I haven't typed on my R51 for a while I always get confused if I use other ThinkPads for a short while...
Michael
"Normally"? Posted Nov 20, 2006 0:08 UTC (Mon) by Baylink (subscriber, #755) [Link] Computer related design doesn't even get *postcards* from normal.
(Credit: I stole this line from House writer Doris Egan.)
missed the chance... Posted Nov 15, 2006 23:00 UTC (Wed) by niner (subscriber, #26151) [Link] Trying to improve the keyboard is nice. But why they want to torture those children with the querty layout escapes me. This would be *the* chance for a real step forward.
missed the chance... Posted Nov 16, 2006 0:42 UTC (Thu) by freemars (subscriber, #4235) [Link] Both QWERTY and Dvorak assume what's typed will be in English.
not that big a problem Posted Nov 16, 2006 14:20 UTC (Thu) by niner (subscriber, #26151) [Link] Of course the biggest advantage of the Dvorak layout is when writing English texts. That effect lessens when using a language that's more and more different. It's still very good at German here for example and still as good at Spanish or Portuguese (think about Brasil).
But QUERTY isn't good at any language. Quite the opposite: it's designed to be bad. It's like everyone get's the worst choice so all have equal (non-)benefit
Some non-English layouts Posted Nov 16, 2006 19:10 UTC (Thu) by tjc (subscriber, #137) [Link] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvorak_Simplified_Keyboard#Foreign_language_layouts
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 16, 2006 0:44 UTC (Thu) by oska (guest, #25556) [Link] No 'Windows' key. What a shame ... ;)
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 16, 2006 1:50 UTC (Thu) by pjdc (guest, #6906) [Link] It's there, but it has a hand icon on it.
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 17, 2006 1:47 UTC (Fri) by jg (guest, #17537) [Link] No, the hand ("grab") key has other purposes.
The semantic equivalent to "menu" is our "frame" key, and will be mapped to the same X Keysym.
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 16, 2006 2:49 UTC (Thu) by hamjudo (subscriber, #363) [Link] lwn is shown in one of the later pictures.The screenshot shows this story with 4 comments.
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 16, 2006 4:02 UTC (Thu) by smithbone (subscriber, #1758) [Link] I'm glad you like it. I took that picture with lwn.net in mind.
Where's the crank? Posted Nov 16, 2006 9:34 UTC (Thu) by justme (guest, #19967) [Link] I'm sure I'm out of the loop not knowing this, but is the hand crank idea still alive, and if so, why isn't it in any of the pictures?
Where's the crank? Posted Nov 16, 2006 11:29 UTC (Thu) by copsewood (subscriber, #199) [Link] I read somewhere that they are still planning to support human power, but probably as a separate foot-driven optional unit. Makes more sense for places that do have electricity that they don't have the extra hardware built in, adding to the cost/weight. In practice this has to support places both with and without electricity.
Where's the crank? Posted Nov 16, 2006 18:04 UTC (Thu) by BenHutchings (subscriber, #37955) [Link] The crank would quickly tire out a child, didn't generate power many times faster than the laptop used it, and required the laptop to be rested on a surface such as a table-top rather than just anywhere. Also, the crank would have to be even more robust than the rest of the laptop. For all these reasons it's been abandoned and the assumption is that the computer can be recharged from other source. It's supposed to have a very forgiving charger circuit so you can run it off almost any power source.
Where's the crank? Posted Nov 17, 2006 1:43 UTC (Fri) by jg (guest, #17537) [Link] There are three separate devices being done by different companies.
One is a hand crank (but separate from the machine).
Another is a pull cord device, that is very promising.
The third is a foot powered device.
And yes, the laptop will take almost anything that is nomially between 10V and 25V and "do the right thing" with the power.
Where's the crank? Posted Nov 17, 2006 2:50 UTC (Fri) by djabsolut (guest, #12799) [Link] the laptop will take almost anything that is nominally between 10V and 25V and "do the right thing" with the powerAny particular reason for that range of voltages ? Wouldn't modern switched-mode power supplies handle a more "go-anywhere" range of 10V to 250V ?
Where's the crank? Posted Nov 17, 2006 16:40 UTC (Fri) by hamjudo (subscriber, #363) [Link] They have to balance efficiency, cost and size. The efficiency is inversely proportional to the on resistance of the MOSfets in the switching power supply. At a constant cost, the on resistance of a MOSfet is more or less proportional to its maximum working voltage. So a power supply that can handle 250 volts will be rather inefficient at 12 volts, or it will be incredibly expensive. It will also be larger and heavier than one that can only handle 25 volts.Above about 60 volts, there are additional safety concerns. Wallwarts that produce 12 volts from anything between 100 and 250 volts are commercially available and plentiful. That puts the high voltage into a separate device that can go through the expensive and slow safety testing and certification without slowing down the whole process. There will be some efficiency cost to have two stages of voltage conversion, but that is better than delaying the project.
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 16, 2006 19:30 UTC (Thu) by lysse (subscriber, #3190) [Link] Is anyone else thinking "Fisher-Price presents: My First iBook"...?
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 16, 2006 22:51 UTC (Thu) by csawtell (subscriber, #986) [Link] Um, Not a single picture of a member of the intended user community usingone.
The first OLPC test system arrives in Cambridge Posted Nov 17, 2006 1:51 UTC (Fri) by jg (guest, #17537) [Link] Sorry; I didn't have a camera handy with my son this morning....
The pictures we put up were within a few hours of its arrival, and courtesy of U.S. Customs delays, we had no idea when it would show up. There was a minor oversight with the customs paperwork.
When I called FedX about it, they said the paperwork had come it, but was awaiting FDA approval (true story!). I guess a kids computer with a penguin inside is definitely a mind-altering substance ;-).
Indeed, where are the children? Posted Nov 17, 2006 1:52 UTC (Fri) by xoddam (subscriber, #2322) [Link] Just close those scissors before someone does themselves an injury!
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