Thanks to Dave for sharing this fun, interesting article! I already knew most 
of what was in it and could probably add some things, but it was a very 
thorough overview of the history of our favorite little "green machine."


It might be fun to debate what could have been done differently to make it more 
successful... but I think it already was very successful and, if it hadn't been 
for the world financial crisis that hit in late 2007-early 2008, we might be 
seeing millions of the XOs all over the world.


Just a few asides... I still believe the XO-4, with touch screen, to be the 
best possible solution for a child's computer. And, with the more efficient 
XO-4, the hand crank finally became viable.


Long ago many of us were looking for easy ways to adapt the hand crank concept 
to generate power for the XO. Who else remembers the "cow power" experiment? 
Bicycles were also suggested as chargers, where a student could charge their 
computer while riding to and from school.


I had wanted to try to modify a treadle sewing machine so the machine could be 
folded down and covered with a desktop and a user could gently move their foot 
up and down as they sat and did their homework on their XO. Alas... even in 
rural Montana where I went to a lot of farm and ranch sales, I couldn't find a 
working treadle sewing machine. Most owners had turned theirs into saddle racks!


Anyone else want to add some interesting anecdotes or ideas from the not so 
distant past of the XO? Remember... it is still very much alive and well in 
many places around the world!


Caryl

________________________________
From: IAEP <iaep-boun...@lists.sugarlabs.org> on behalf of Dave Crossland 
<d...@lab6.com>
Sent: Monday, April 16, 2018 10:17:05 AM
To: iaep
Subject: [IAEP] The Verge article on OLPC/Sugar

www.theverge.com/2018/4/16/17233946/olpcs-100-laptop-education-where-is-it-now<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theverge.com%2F2018%2F4%2F16%2F17233946%2Folpcs-100-laptop-education-where-is-it-now&data=02%7C01%7C%7C3342fb09295442408ef908d5a3bdfdc0%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636594958756639800&sdata=R14PUrH49svAG%2FC5263rjheK9pHQvtewUTOUXAI7NsE%3D&reserved=0>
_______________________________________________
IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)
IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org
http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep

Reply via email to