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Child's play: Sneaking a peek at the OLPC OS (Linux.com)

Linux.com takes a look at the OLPC laptops. "The first One Laptop Per Child hardware devices are still months from deployment, but you can sneak a peek at their Sugar desktop environment and bundled applications by running an OS image under an emulator. It's a great way to finally get some hands-on time with this long-anticipated project, even though it's not perfect."
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Child's play: Sneaking a peek at the OLPC OS (Linux.com)

Posted Dec 5, 2006 21:42 UTC (Tue) by csawtell (subscriber, #986) [Link]

You can try out the Squeak component of the OLPC very easily by downloading the browser plugin version of the Squeak interpreter from squeakland.org.

It's pretty good free fun for primary school aged children. ( And their parents. )

Enjoy!

Child's play: Sneaking a peek at the OLPC OS (Linux.com)

Posted Dec 5, 2006 23:22 UTC (Tue) by jimmybgood (guest, #26142) [Link]

I went to the squeak site. They call the program free and refer to the "liberal" license. They even claim, "You are allowed to change Squeak...", but I can't find the code.

Child's play: Sneaking a peek at the OLPC OS (Linux.com)

Posted Dec 5, 2006 23:43 UTC (Tue) by dskoll (subscriber, #1630) [Link]

It's hard to find, but squeak source can be downloaded from http://www.squeak.org/Download/

Child's play: Sneaking a peek at the OLPC OS (Linux.com)

Posted Dec 6, 2006 10:11 UTC (Wed) by MKallas (guest, #38539) [Link]

It's rated non-free by the FSF:
http://www.fsf.org/licensing/licenses/index_html#NonFreeS...

Everyone else can go home now

Posted Dec 6, 2006 2:11 UTC (Wed) by N0NB (subscriber, #3407) [Link]

since Microsoft is now testing the $100 laptops and the project has added
an SD slot at their request:

http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2170209/microsoft-looki...

From the article:

'"We put in an SD slot in the machine just for Bill. We didn't need it but
the OLPC machines are at Microsoft right now, getting Windows put on
them."'

'The SD slots allow users to add additional storage capacity to the
laptops. Additional memory would be required for Windows to run on the
current OLPC XO test models because they ship with only 512Mb of built in
Flash memory.'

'The system requirements for Windows XP demand a minimum of 1.5Gb of
storage space for both the Home and low cost Starter Edition that
Microsoft targets at developing nations.'

So, it would appear that all other comers need not apply since Microsoft
is now the software benefactor. Bill's commitment to charity is so heart
warming. Also, the price has now increased to about $140 per unit.

I think I'll be sick now.

Everyone else can go home now

Posted Dec 6, 2006 2:30 UTC (Wed) by corbet (editor, #1) [Link]

From what I hear, several of the target countries wanted an SD slot. The internal controller supports SD, so the additional cost was for the connector - less than a dollar.

Meanwhile, the OLPC folks aren't going to tell people what system can run on the machine - it's a totally open system, after all.

Everyone else can go home now

Posted Dec 6, 2006 10:36 UTC (Wed) by MKallas (guest, #38539) [Link]

"it's a totally open system, after all"

And as (almost) every notebook available nowadays, will it come with a proprietary OS installed, so they have millions of new dependants, then?

Everyone else can go home now

Posted Dec 6, 2006 10:52 UTC (Wed) by ringerc (guest, #3071) [Link]

Another way to look at is that laptops made to run the MS system may help meet the production numbers required to make this thing practical - so you might well look at letting it run Windows as helping the Linux one happen at all.

Sounds good to me, but then I prefer to see choice than one alternative forced on everybody.

Everyone else can go home now

Posted Dec 6, 2006 12:44 UTC (Wed) by cpm (subscriber, #3554) [Link]

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day

Teach a man to fish, feed him and his family for years

Teach a man to order his fish online, and pay with credit
card, lock him into economic servitude forever, neatly
bypassing all other possible models.

Microsoft, creating monopolistic single vendor lockin
for the whole world! Thank you Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation.

Everyone else can go home now

Posted Dec 6, 2006 11:18 UTC (Wed) by dark (subscriber, #8483) [Link]

"less than a dollar" could still be the difference between the $100 laptop and the $101 laptop :)

Everyone else can go home now

Posted Dec 6, 2006 13:15 UTC (Wed) by busterb (subscriber, #560) [Link]

It is $150 now.

Everyone else can go home now

Posted Dec 7, 2006 8:13 UTC (Thu) by ekj (subscriber, #1524) [Link]

Which ain't that different from the original goal, seeing as there's been a little bit of inflation, and the dollar has fallen significantly in value.

Everyone else can go home now

Posted Dec 7, 2006 11:08 UTC (Thu) by emj (guest, #14307) [Link]

That's alot of inflation...

Everyone else can go home now

Posted Dec 6, 2006 14:50 UTC (Wed) by sepreece (subscriber, #19270) [Link]

Yes, but leaving the Windows question aside entirely, it probably adds more than $1 in value to the platform.

SD connector good for everyone

Posted Dec 6, 2006 17:47 UTC (Wed) by dwheeler (subscriber, #1216) [Link]

Adding an SD connector is good for everyone. It probably costs less than $1 to add, and anything - including Linux - could use whatever the SD connector connects to.

Anyone remember the original Mac? It had limited memory, and no reasonable way to add any memory, which limited its usefulness. The OLPC system is different in many ways, and making it IMPOSSIBLE to add capabilities that are widely useful elsewhere is probably too risky. Especially since it's hard to predict exactly what will happen with these machines.

And there's a big difference between adding an SD connector, and adding the memory as well. Adding an actual SD memory stick with fast memory (fast enough that it's plausible enough to use as more main memory) isn't SPECTACULARLY expensive, but it would significantly add to the price of these machines. And when you buy large numbers, that matters. A lot. But adding the CONNECTOR doesn't cost much, and lets you buy large lots of computers. That means you only need to add the actual memory for specific locations where it's desired. More flexibility is often worth a small amount.

OWPC?

Posted Dec 6, 2006 15:09 UTC (Wed) by justme (guest, #19967) [Link]

"A computer on every desk and in every home, running Microsoft software."

Achieved on the back of a charitable project?

OWPC?

Posted Dec 6, 2006 20:19 UTC (Wed) by cpm (subscriber, #3554) [Link]

Sure seems to have that potential, yes. I'd say this is most
certainly being looked at quite hard by the folks at the
Redmond campus.

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