$100 (or $180) Laptop: Get One, Give One

Bob Sprankle alerted me on Saturday during our webcast to last week's article "$100 laptop to boost uptake with donation scheme." According to the article's author:

One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) is hoping to stimulate sales with a donation scheme that allows US residents to donate a laptop to a child in the developing world. The "give one, get one" scheme allows customers in the US to purchase two laptops for $399, one of which will be sent to the buyer while the other goes to a child in a developing nation. The scheme will begin on November 12 and run for just two weeks with the aim of boosting demand for the machines in poorer countries, while ensuring there's enough stock to fulfill new and existing orders.

As soon as my 9 year old son saw pictures of the OLPC he declared his fervent desire to get one. Until reading this article, I thought that might be an unreachable dream in the near term. Because of that, I was considering purchasing a new Macintosh portable before his birthday at the end of November and giving him my current Macbook. Now I'm thinking an OLPC laptop would be a better, and less costly choice for his first personal computer. Plus, as an important bonus, by purchasing this computer we would be literally providing an equivalent computer for a student in the developing world to use for learning. This sounds like a big WIN - WIN.

The OLPC laptop is now being called the "XO laptop" and the campaign to offer these for commercial sale will be offered "for a brief window of time." I'm going to save some money to place an order (pending spouse approval) after November 12th.

Then the big question will be, what will our child's school district say when he shows up with his laptop at school ready to use it for learning every day?!

I'm also wondering about getting one for myself, to use in professional development sessions with teachers and administrators. The potential impact of asking why our Oklahoma schools are not spending $400 to purchase as well as donate a $180 laptop computer for student use TODAY could be a powerful and memorable object lesson, I think, particularly if I use the XO laptop as my primary presentation tool.

Technorati Tags:
olpc, laptop, 1to1, learning, education, negroponte

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