OPLC purchase period extended

[Aahz]

Apparently demand has been such that you can buy an OLPC through the end
of the year:

http://www.laptopgiving.org/en/index.php

 

[Grant Edwards]

Apparently demand has been such that you can buy an OLPC
through the end of the year:

http://www.laptopgiving.org/en/index.php

I've ordered mine, but I still haven't gotten an answer on how
to sign up for the year of free T-Mobile WiFi access that's
included in the offer. The T-Mobile site says you need a PIN
from your "confirmation letter". I never I've gotten neither a
confirmation letter nor a response to the e-mail I sent to OLPC
asking about it. :/

The XO laptop comes with a built-in Python IDE, so everybody on
c.l.p ought to have one...

 

[Aahz]

I've ordered mine, but I still haven't gotten an answer on how to sign
up for the year of free T-Mobile WiFi access that's included in the
offer. The T-Mobile site says you need a PIN from your "confirmation
letter". I never I've gotten neither a confirmation letter nor a
response to the e-mail I sent to OLPC asking about it. :/

Given past experience with T-Mobile, you probably need to give them both
social security number and a credit card, so I probably won't take them
up on their "free" offer.

The XO laptop comes with a built-in Python IDE, so everybody on c.l.p
ought to have one...

That was more-or-less my reasoning for getting one, but the clincher was
finding out on Tday that my sibling and spouse had independently decided
to get one for my nibling, so I really needed to get one in order to help
them.

Supposedly with the monochrome screen the battery life is good enough to
use the XO as an eBook reader...

 

[Grant Edwards]

I've ordered mine, but I still haven't gotten an answer on how to sign

Given past experience with T-Mobile, you probably need to give them both
social security number and a credit card, so I probably won't take them
up on their "free" offer.

I got an e-mail today from the OLPC support staff saying that
the PIN would be e-mailed.

That was more-or-less my reasoning for getting one, but the
clincher was finding out on Tday that my sibling and spouse
had independently decided to get one for my nibling, so I
really needed to get one in order to help them.

Supposedly with the monochrome screen the battery life is good
enough to use the XO as an eBook reader...

I know that was the goal. I read somewhere that they're still
working on power-management issues.

It's running a tweaked RedHat linux, and the tools to build a
custom ROM image are freely available -- including a Qemu-based
emulator that lets you run rom images on a simulated XO.

The most imporant thing is that the "control" key is to the
left of the "A" keay where god intened. Not too surprising
when you realized the design was headed by folks from the media
lab at MIT. MIT requires everybody to use Emacs, right?

 

[Aahz]

The most imporant thing is that the "control" key is to the left of the
"A" keay where god intened. Not too surprising when you realized the
design was headed by folks from the media lab at MIT. MIT requires
everybody to use Emacs, right?

What the **** does that have to do with emacs? I use vi; my ctrl key is
immediately left of the "A" key as intended by the Flying Spaghetti
Monster.

 

[Grant Edwards]

What the **** does that have to do with emacs?

Emacs requires almost constant use of the control key, and in
my experience Emacs users are the most cranky about having the
control key in the "right playce"

 

[Paul Rubin]

The most imporant thing is that the "control" key is to the
left of the "A" keay where god intened. Not too surprising
when you realized the design was headed by folks from the media
lab at MIT. MIT requires everybody to use Emacs, right?

You've got to remember that the OLPC was made for little kids, and as
such, the keyboard is quite small. Also, because of its expected
physical environment, the keyboard is water resistant (membrane
cover). These two things make the OLPC difficult enough for a
grown-up to type on that although I've played with a few, I don't
remember where the control key was, and as an Emacs user I usually do
notice things like that. If you get an OLPC and plan to use it much,
you'll probably want an external USB keyboard. The built-in keyboard
is ok for occasional portable use checking email and stuff like that.
It's really unsuitable for a full-time computer.

 

[Grant Edwards]

You've got to remember that the OLPC was made for little kids,
and as such, the keyboard is quite small. Also, because of
its expected physical environment, the keyboard is water
resistant (membrane cover). These two things make the OLPC
difficult enough for a grown-up to type on that although I've
played with a few, I don't remember where the control key was,
and as an Emacs user I usually do notice things like that. If
you get an OLPC and plan to use it much, you'll probably want
an external USB keyboard. The built-in keyboard is ok for
occasional portable use checking email and stuff like that.
It's really unsuitable for a full-time computer.

It's not going to be a full-time computer. It's mostly going
to be something to play with -- though using it in tablet mode
as an e-book reader sounds like it might work.

 

[Paul Rubin]

It's not going to be a full-time computer. It's mostly going
to be something to play with -- though using it in tablet mode
as an e-book reader sounds like it might work.

It is fairly nice for that. It's especially cool that the screen
works outdoors (reflective). I don't know why regular laptops don't
do that any more.

 

[Damjan]

It is fairly nice for that. It's especially cool that the screen

works outdoors (reflective). I don't know why regular laptops don't
do that any more.

I think because they can't reproduce colors correctly with reflective light.
The OLPC is black&white (and grey) when in the reflective outdoor mode.

 

[Grant Edwards]

I think because they can't reproduce colors correctly with
reflective light.

It's hard to acheive much constrast with transflective color
displays.

The OLPC is black&white (and grey) when in the reflective
outdoor mode.

The other significant feature is its extremely high resolution
(200dpi) in B/W mode.