Jobs offers Mac OS X for $100 Laptop

[Gasu E.]

I think it is preposterous and selfish to look at this from the perspective of macs- this involves much bigger issues than that. On the one hand, the program sounds awesome. On the other hand, I feel like things like clean drinking water, education from teachers, and shelter are far more in need than laptops if we are trying to make this world a better place.

Your motives are good but you are missing the bigger picture. What is needed in the places we are discussing is economic growth. And the kind of economic growth that is most needed is driven by micro -cale, start-up businesses located in the heart of the target development area. Clean drinking water, etc., won't happen unless it is in the interest of some provider to make it happen. But injections of new technology can cause positive disruption to a stagnant local economy-- witness the cellphone.

 

[Gasu E.]

Pardon the off topic post, and the language for which I expect a slap on the wrist, but I, being american, do not want to be reperestented by such shameful attitudes.

Here, here! The only thing I hate worse than a mindless America-basher is a mindless ugly American. I can easily laugh off America-bashing Europeans with their unabashed racism and bigotry, ultra-violent histories and stagnant, idiotic economies*; but a stupid American, I have to live with.


* these characteristics do not apply to all Europeans, but boy-oy-boy what is it with those French?

 

[50548]

In my opinion, we are probably being too nice to these people we've captured. Who cares if we strip them if it gives us info which helps save our soldiers. I would also hope we have centers that the rest of the world didn't know about so we can conduct our side of the war without stupid media butting in. We are at war with these idiots of people and could and probably should just kill them and make it simple. It's either them or us. If you have a family or friend over there, who are you rooting for???

Well, assuming you really mean what you just said, you are just a sorry ass example of an "American"...and it's because of people like you that terrorism exists in the first place.

By the way, you've already killed a LOT of people, not just "terrorists"...Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq are just the most recent examples...and that's why the really civilized world cannot agree with your bullish attitude at all.

MAN THE PUMPS!

 

[dernhelm]

Well, assuming you really mean what you just said, you are just a sorry ass example of an "American"...and it's because of people like you that terrorism exists in the first place.

By the way, you've already killed a LOT of people, not just "terrorists"...Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq are just the most recent examples...and that's why the really civilized world cannot agree with your bullish attitude at all.

MAN THE PUMPS!

Newsflash. He is a troll. Please do not feed the trolls.

P.S. I'm an American and I haven't killed anybody. So I would appreciate it if the "really civilized world" would cap their overt hatred of me even though they don't even know me, and have never even met me.

 

[mac-er]

By the way, you've already killed a LOT of people, not just "terrorists"...Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq are just the most recent examples...and that's why the really civilized world cannot agree with your bullish attitude at all.

MAN THE PUMPS!

This coming from a continent that has been killing innocent people for thousands of years. Ever heard of the Crusades? The Inquisition? Killing of inhabitants of the New World? Two World Wars started by your continent? The Holocaust, more recently? So, please, drop the high and mighty attitude.

 

[SiliconAddict]

Please guys stop. . . Every time a troll wins little kittens die. Please. Think of the kittens.

 

[Peace]

Mwahahaha. You do realize that Linux can be trimmed down to run on practically anything. And I do mean ANYTHING

It currently can run off your iPod. Or run off a 512MB flash drive. I've got a nice variant of Slackware on mine with Open Office, FireFox, a few media players, and a couple other apps all easily fitting in a 2GB space with over 1.5GB to spare. Sorry dude but when it comes to size Linux kicks the snot out of Windows and OS X. Now that beig said there is a lot of functionality in X and XP that, that 512MB install of Slackware doesn't have but for the basics its tiny and that is what we are talking about right now. How thin can you get?

Once again I get the concept
<snippet>
I've got a nice variant of Slackware on mine with Open Office, FireFox, a few media players, and a couple other apps all easily fitting in a 2GB space with over 1.5GB to spare.
</snippet>
The $100 computer only has a 1 gig flash..

I mean good grief..with all the corporations that can make a tiny 20 gig HD why cant they just chip in on the deal.They can write off the expence which I'm sure the other companies involved with this project are going to do.

 

[SiliconAddict]

Gah. Just went through the last couple pages. Time for an o' fashioned moderator cleansing.

 

[Peace]

Gah. Just went through the last couple pages. Time for an o' fashioned moderator cleansing.

It's good to be king.
If just for a while.

 

[radio893fm]

I can't believe they declined it! So, you are going to force the less fortunate of the world to suffer with an overly complex and inferior OS? I thought the whole idea was to help people not push your stupid open source idealism.

This Thread is showing what I been pointing out time and time again: it is very unfortunate to have such blind fan boys-os x is superior dude, that don't let their brains kick in before they start typing.

The bottom line is, this is a very noble initiative no matter the OS, technology or whatnot... this will help and hopefully make a change! Period!

If they declined to have OS X is probably because they could not have reached the $100 mark with it to begin with.
Then, the open source community have a tendency to create more in Windows and Linux than anything else... so what makes sense? To go Linux since it is free... then you have thousand of applications to go with it that are ready...

 

[SiliconAddict]

Once again I get the concept
<snippet>
I've got a nice variant of Slackware on mine with Open Office, FireFox, a few media players, and a couple other apps all easily fitting in a 2GB space with over 1.5GB to spare.
</snippet>
The $100 computer only has a 1 gig flash..

I mean good grief..with all the corporations that can make a tiny 20 gig HD why cant they just chip in on the deal.They can write off the expence which I'm sure the other companies involved with this project are going to do.

Because hard drives fail. That is why. Removing the hard drive and you remove the one final moving component. We had a few Windows CE based laptop systems back when MS was pushing the concept. We still use them today. That is 5 years of use and abuse. Not a single one had a problem. Low heat and no moving parts makes for a very reliable system. Also you misunderstand me. The thing easly fits in half a gig of RAM. Actually with the various installs mine takes up just over 340MB. (Just checked. Sorry, was lazy before.) These kids aren't going to be storing video or a ton of pictures. This is intended to learn on and the mesh network tech that the system will have will probably allow for one MASTER system that may have a larger drive shared out to these other computers. Who knows. Right now its highly concept driven. Since this is from MIT I fully expect to see some really cool internal designs out of this while keeping the price at that $100 level.

Also writing off something such as a hard drive. That's all well and fine for 100, 1000, 10000, or 100000 but what these guys are trying to do is create a device that can serve the poor nations of the world who have millions of people who could benefit from such a device. This isn't a short term project. This is intended to give a generation of children a leg up. What is being done here is Nobel Prize "stuff".

 

[Peace]

Because hard drives fail. That is why. Removing the hard drive and you remove the one final moving component. We had a few Windows CE based laptop systems back when MS was pushing the concept. We still use them today. That is 5 years of use and abuse. Not a single one had a problem. Low heat and no moving parts makes for a very reliable system. Also you misunderstand me. The thing easly fits in half a gig of RAM. Actually with the various installs mine takes up just over 340MB. (Just checked. Sorry, was lazy before.) These kids aren't going to be storing video or a ton of pictures. This is intended to learn on and the mesh network tech that the system will have will probably allow for one MASTER system that may have a larger drive shared out to these other computers. Who knows. Right now its highly concept driven. Since this is from MIT I fully expect to see some really cool internal designs out of this while keeping the price at that $100 level.

Also writing off something such as a hard drive. That's all well and fine for 100, 1000, 10000, or 100000 but what these guys are trying to do is create a device that can serve the poor nations of the world who have millions of people who could benefit from such a device. This isn't a short term project. This is intended to give a generation of children a leg up. What is being done here is Nobel Prize "stuff".

Ahhh..I understand now.
These systems will be network appliances basically..

 

[GorillaPaws]

Please guys stop. . . Every time a troll wins little kittens die. Please. Think of the kittens.

I second that motion. The place for polital discussions is in the political forum.

My thoughts on this project... WOW! If they can pull this off then I think this could be the beginning of a global educational revolution. I'm from the camp that this is just as important as many of the more basic humanitarian efforts (like food, water, shelter etc.). It's the whole teaching a man to fish thing. As far as them rejecting OSX, I can see both sides of it. I think OSX would be great if they could re-design it from the ground-up for a simple system like this where it'd only be 50-100megs (not like this is ever going to happen). But, trying to use a version of tiger isn't really going to work here, so I think they made the right call by going Linux. Hopefully, they'll strip out everything unnecessary, and get it down to bare-bones and as mal-ware-proof as possible.

Here's my main question: how many times do you have to crank that handle to get it to work for an hour?

 

[emotion]

This may well be a sign that steve is
ever so possibly willing lease OS X
in the future......

Clone programme anyone?

Then maybe later full OSX licensing. Apple will be the new M$?

 

[SiliconAddict]

Here's my main question: how many times do you have to crank that handle to get it to work for an hour?

Prob too early to tell. With a 500Mhz chip (My PDA is faster then that at this point.) and a new type of cheap display tech my total, complete, no illusions to be correct, guess may be a minute or so worth. Maybe a couple minutes. Imagine. . . Um teacher? I forgot my crank. Can I go home?

 

[Stella]

Clone programme anyone?

Then maybe later full OSX licensing. Apple will be the new M$?

At which stage, microsoft will look like hard done by Angels!

 

[iQuit]

For $100...it is a DAMN good laptop. It is even a tablet and media center.

 

[generik]

For $100...it is a DAMN good laptop. It is even a tablet and media center.

Who knows maybe Steve can provide PBs for them at $100. They sure seem to be on the cheap side nowadays

 

[Psychic Shopper]

Apple profits from schools

Over the years Apple has made a lot of money off of US schools. Apple offers the schools a "discount"and they snap it up. Imagine if Apple had made the same offer to US schools-build a cheap laptop and we'll supply the OS for free, instead of just giving them a discount.

 

[electronboy]

One Laptop Per Child sounds like a really good program though.

Uh, NO. One laptop per child is excessive. Think of all the landfill trash the packaging and used units would create in next ten years They would likely be sold or traded for food or some other item.

 

[pubwvj]

Yes, it is a marketing ploy and a very good one. It would benefit the users of those machines greatly. Jobs should offer to provide free copies of MacOSX and he should offer a $100 million in funding donation if they use MacOSX and stick with it AND Jobs should offer to create a special version that is capable of running well on the designated hardware. People who like it will want to upgrade to real Macs when they are able to do so so it will not hurt Mac sales in the slightest.

Moreover this would give Jobs the opportunity to create a very low cost notebook system, <$300 to be the machine above these machines but below existing Macs. We need something like that. Ideally it should come in a small form factor that can be put in a pocket.

MacOSX is better than open source solutions. and it will be very bad for the users if they go with Windows.

 

[electronboy]

it's because of people like you that terrorism exists in the first place.

Yawn. Nothing but a troll. Moving along.

 

[JeffTL]

Quick comment for those who think Linux is too complex. Ever heard of TiVo? Preinstalled on specially designed hardware, Linux can be easier to use than OS X.

Over the years Apple has made a lot of money off of US schools. Apple offers the schools a "discount"and they snap it up. Imagine if Apple had made the same offer to US schools-build a cheap laptop and we'll supply the OS for free, instead of just giving them a discount.

Well, for starters, they'd be broke, and the investors would sue the execs after the company folded.

 

[thedude110]

My thoughts on this project... WOW! If they can pull this off then I think this could be the beginning of a global educational revolution.

Um, well, laptops are a start, but let's not get crazy. Well trained teachers, small class sizes, sound pedagogy, toss in some collaborative learning -- THEN we're talking about a global educational revolution ...

 

[geese]

Uh, NO. One laptop per child is excessive. Think of all the landfill trash the packaging and used units would create in next ten years They would likely be sold or traded for food or some other item.

Yeah, cos its not a problem if the west is making and disposing plastic ***** left right and centre, but if its poor africans making rubbish- NO!

I work for a development agency, DFID as it happenshttp://www.dfid.gov.uk. Its easy to think that developing countries are one starving, poverty sticken hoard as its portrayed in the media. The levels and types of poverty are very different. Some people do have more urgent problems then laptops for their kids, but for many communities in South America, Asia and Africa it'll be an immense benefit. Imagine if how much education costs could be reduced if they didnt have to buy books for all the kids in a village school? It could all be replaced by a laptop. And with the power of multimedia- think how effective the learning could be.

Another point- the view that all developing country governments are corrupt and will hoard the cash is a little too simple. Obviously there is corruption, but then you could easily find it in the US, EU, and the UK. There are ways of by-passing corruption- donor countries can sign a deal with those governments to ensure these laptops are delivered sensibly and as agreed (it will be observed by the donot country as well, and if they mess-up no more funding for next year). Or Non-Governmental organisations would distribute the laptops directly.

In spite of the problems in the developing world- things ARE improving. Governments ARE spending more on education and there ARE success stories.