‘One laptop per child’- Nicholas Negroponte is surely doing an appreciable task with his XO. The $100 laptop seems to be a promising one.
Children who haven’t seen electricity are learning on laptops. We don’t undermine his efforts. This is surely an inspiration for the developing to dream heights earlier restricted only to the developed. The problem of ‘no school’ and ‘no education’ is solved to an extent. That’s appreciated.
But if the aim is humanitarian, then why do competitors surface? And even if they do, why grow restless and irritated? Intel has now given every student in Mexico a ‘classmate’ which Negroponte says is to kill his XO .Maybe there is real profit that is not visible now.
Why create a situation that could make children cry for laptops when the family is looking in vain for ways to meet basic needs? Of course, education is important, but one that creates an addiction…...? Linux is an easier software, cheaper than Windows. There is another version where you can choose between Windows and Linux…and it costs more. But will children really gain? Or are they being made experimental objects to test the possibility of a new trend in business? According to Negroponte, XO illuminates the household metaphorically. This is his dream. But does Afghanistan and Peru need a ‘school in a box’ rather than bread? Will his dream shatter the already shattered hungry families? Many doubts are left unanswered. We got to wait and see….