First $100 Laptops Sold

I have written about the $100 laptop before, and today it seems (via Gizmodo) that a whole heap of them have been sold.

Libya has become the first nation to stump up the cash for 1.2 million laptops from the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Foundation - enough for every schoolchild in the country.

I think its really interesting that by 2008 Libya will beat Scotland (and I guess the rest of the world?)to become the first country to have a an exclusive 1:1 laptop to student scheme. Some of you may know that there is currently a project underway to provide children in East Lothian with a laptop each. the project is called Learning Hubs and you can find out more about it from their web site. Karen has been attending the meetings on behalf of the council and there is now a wiki that has been set up to talk over ideas and to let the project develop.

I think 1:1 is the way to go. I don't know how we would pay for it,manage it or evaluate it but I am convinced it will motivate children to learn and provide them with valuable skills in our increasingly flat world. With improvements in technology such as the proposed new Intel laptop for under £200 ready to be released in 2008 I wounder how far we are away from every child in Scotland having access to the technology?

IPDATE: Interesting artical in the Guardian this moring about the $100 laptop. http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1920033,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=1

Comments

[Ewan McIntosh]

I think it's important to remember that computer doesn't necessarily mean laptop. In the Learning Hubs project the aim is 1:1 devices or learning hubs. These might be smart phones, PDAs, laptops... any handheld learning device.

Is the computer always the best way to communicate and learn? Not necessarily - we talk on our phones and we can surf the net on them far more practically than getting out a computer and paying £16 for 2 hrs wifi - that's what I'm doing now.

[wayan]

Libya has not paid cash. They only singed a MOU - not even a binding contract - with OLPC.
http://tinyurl.com/ymtkyn