Why did One Laptop Per Child fail?

Intel and Microsoft give computer manufacturers discounts on processors and on Windows XP when the manufacturers use them in smaller, lower powered laptops. Without these discounts Netbooks would be so expensive that nobody would buy them.
Intel's Atom series of low power consuming processors are commonly used in Netbooks. Atom processors were developed as a response to the OLPC's choice to use a low consuming processor that was not made by Intel.
I suggest that the discounts are being offered to prevent manufacturers from using other processors and OS choices in Netbook sized computers.
Now Netbooks are not a guaranteed sucess by any means, but they are popular and sales are growing. If you look at the OLPC as the first Netbook, you could say that they started something. They may not have succeeded at their original goal but if Netbooks are used by people who can't afford a larger, more expensive computer then OLPC gets some of the credit.

I know this was based on good intention, but I was against this programm from the beginning. Investing that money in education and health care directly would have been less glamorous but smarter if you really wanted to help country development. We're talking of almost 200 000 000USD (based on 400USD for two laptop and aroud 1M units shipped)

A country is not going to turn into the next silicon valley because they can access wikipedia. Most advance knowledge (college level and beyond) is still easier to access in print form as of today.

The main reason this program was popular (IMO) was that it looked "hot" to give technology, and for some, that you'd get a cheap laptop (I admit, I tought of getting on the bandwagon just for the "free" unit). I wished they'd used that program to use the publicity to tell people why those kids need our help to improve their access to education (and technology) and to work with alternative NGO like Unicef for those who wanted to help in other ways.

We are a foundation in the Netherlands and since december 2007 we have done several projects with the XO laptop of OLPC and with other laptops like the Intel Classmate 3 and the ASUS EEE 901 and 1000H.

We disagree with this conclusion. The laptop is excellent and now the XO 1.5 is presented we know it will be good enough for all countries. The XO 1.5 is dual-boot, maybe this is the solution to reach more target groups. It is still the only laptop suitable for developing countries. Sugar is very nice although some things need to be finished.

In the Netherlands the XO has been tested at 2 poor schools. It was a big step forwards from every classroom one old computer with Windows 98 to every child a laptop. Since October 2008 the kids have used the laptops intensively. When you read what they chatted about it was 95% about what they discovered in the educational applications and on the internet, not about things outside education. One pupil discovered how to upgrade the software, explained it to the class and after 10 minutes everybody had the newest version, for free! Reading digital schoolbooks is very nice with this screen. After 9 months all laptops still did their job although they have also been used at home every day. In a few weeks we will publish our report about this pilot.
If this laptop could play Flash in a proper way they would like to order much more. Maybe the XO 1.5 is the solution for this problem.

Our projects in Nicaragua, Ghana and Tanzania have showed the same positive results. And learned us you have to be patient: education needs evolution, not revolution.
But working with the organisation OLPC is almost impossible. Bad communication, no support for NGO's, difficult to order XO's (now it is impossible) etc. We understand it is necessary to focus for such a small organisation with limited resources. However our own experiences and what we have seen about OLPC projects in countries like Mongolia (10.000 laptops still in stock, 1500 stolen) there is only one conclusion: OLPC has the wrong focus. If you have to start small in countries like the Netherlands where you need several years to really implement IT in education how can you expect you can do such a job in such countries in several weeks or months with hardly no support?

I have visited OLE Nepal, a local organisation of 20 persons collaborating with the government. They do it in the right way. Start small (2 schools, after 1 year 6 schools, now 23 schools), develop local content, use everything which is developed elsewhere, train the teachers, train people of the government in training teachers, set up internet connections, schoolservers etc. They have enough XO's now but there is a shortage of good people to manage new projects. Teachers and pupils are very happy using the XO's. OLE Nepal will report soon about it.

My dream is to start a new version of OLPC: Every Child A Laptop. Same concept, other focus, more collaboration, local manufacturing, willing to listen. Use the excellent R&D of MIT to develop the XO 2.0 and collaborate with companies and NGO's to implement it in a proper way. A small webshop to deliver laptops etc. to NGO's, grassroots and individuals. It is a pity OLPC is not interested. Maybe other organisations like to cooperate with us?

Frits Hoff
foundation OpenWijs.nl
www.openwijs.nl

Please see my blog response to Alanna Shaikh's attack on One Laptop per Child at: http://bit.ly/cQjp3

I am the former senior systems administrator for OLPC, speaking only for myself.

Henry Edward Hardy