Ok this is a news group where any question can be answered and boy
have i been helped here as well as millions of others. I have an
ultimate question. I as a Christian am going out to Malawi July this
year. I once saw a program on UK bbc click. The 100 dollar laptop.
This is a laptop for any African child to have a laptop. My problem
now is how can I get my hands on one of these laptops.

I did say this was an the ultimate question.

This is a mercy mission


Desmond.

"Des" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:fcda3095-bd60-4567-8a3e-(E-Mail Removed)...
> I once saw a program on UK bbc click. The 100 dollar laptop.
> This is a laptop for any African child to have a laptop. My problem
> now is how can I get my hands on one of these laptops.

This is a US project originating at MIT, with various company
sponsorships. Information is summarized at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Laptop_per_Child

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Des wrote:
> Ok this is a news group where any question can be answered and boy
> have i been helped here as well as millions of others. I have an
> ultimate question. I as a Christian am going out to Malawi July this
> year. I once saw a program on UK bbc click. The 100 dollar laptop.
> This is a laptop for any African child to have a laptop. My problem
> now is how can I get my hands on one of these laptops.
>
> I did say this was an the ultimate question.
>
> This is a mercy mission
>
>
> Desmond.

Does the recipient have a source of power ?

Is there a WiFi network available within reach ?
Part of the value of the computer, is being able to
access knowledge sources on the net. One trick with
these, is they use a mesh network, where one powered
XO-1 can forward a message for another XO-1. That makes
these computers a communications network, as well
as a computer. But that only works, if the computers
are close enough to one another, and to a real WiFi source,
to become a mesh network.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OLPC_XO-1

If the recipient has both a reliable AC power source, and
an Internet connection, it may be just as well to purchase
a small netbook. This one has a 40GB SSD (flash memory), making
the device a little more shockproof. There is still the danger,
if it is dropped, that the screen could crack. Devices cheaper
than this one, seem to have regular hard drives.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834220369

You'll also want an OS localized to the language of the
recipient. I have no idea how you go about that. The XO-1
laptop would have software designed for collaboration and
exploring, which a regular laptop may make more difficult.

For an individual, this takes a lot of preparation work up
front. Spending the money on the hardware is the easy part.
Making it do something for the benefit of the recipient
is the hard part.

The reason for mentioning the AC power source, is lithium
batteries don't have a good shelf life. If attempting to
use the device in a more portable fashion, the battery will
wear out in a few years. As long as it runs on AC, without
the battery, there is still the possibility of using it
years from now when the battery will no longer hold a
charge. Lithium batteries are too expensive for the recipient
to be buying for themselves.

Paul

Des wrote:
> Ok this is a news group where any question can be answered and boy
> have i been helped here as well as millions of others. I have an
> ultimate question. I as a Christian am going out to Malawi July this
> year. I once saw a program on UK bbc click. The 100 dollar laptop.
> This is a laptop for any African child to have a laptop. My problem
> now is how can I get my hands on one of these laptops.
>
> I did say this was an the ultimate question.
>
> This is a mercy mission

http://laptop.org/en/ and it is $199.00 but you may give smaller amounts.

I note that you did not say who the laptop was for but a donation will help
a child get a laptop.
I'd donate money for food first, it's estimated that 2500 children a day die
from hunger in Africa.
Blackboards work, laptops can wait.