OLPC Making Their Laptop Look Like A Book
One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project came out with their new laptop. What is the point?
I am not impressed with the new design and I really like gadgets and innovation. I can see where they are going but they better be careful that they don't become labeled as a glorified digital reader.
One thing I learned living in Asia is that the people in Asia do not want something sort of like what other people have. They want exactly what other people have. They want the BMW. They want the Gucci bag. They want the Tiffany ring. It is the same in South America (where my mother is from) They want a name brand. As we already know, the margins for hardware are very very small. The profit is to be made in the software.
Yes, I understand that the redesign is supposed to look like a book but did you ask the kids what they wanted or the politicians? My daughter wants a computer that looks like mine. She sees me working on a keyboard and she wants the exact same thing. Also, did you talk to the phone companies? There is a reason that Palm Pilots and phones still have buttons.. market research has shown that people like the feel of buttons.
The idea of a touch screen is nice though... I have a wacom board and my daughter loves it but are they going to provide the kids with digital pens too or are the children just going to use this computer as a glorified book?
I am happy that other computer companies are realizing that there is a market niche and are filling it nicely. I hope that the one laptop per child is able to achieve one of their goals.. they did achieve one of mine.. getting laptop makers to make a cheap laptop so that I can give it to my children.
I am not impressed with the new design and I really like gadgets and innovation. I can see where they are going but they better be careful that they don't become labeled as a glorified digital reader.
One thing I learned living in Asia is that the people in Asia do not want something sort of like what other people have. They want exactly what other people have. They want the BMW. They want the Gucci bag. They want the Tiffany ring. It is the same in South America (where my mother is from) They want a name brand. As we already know, the margins for hardware are very very small. The profit is to be made in the software.
Yes, I understand that the redesign is supposed to look like a book but did you ask the kids what they wanted or the politicians? My daughter wants a computer that looks like mine. She sees me working on a keyboard and she wants the exact same thing. Also, did you talk to the phone companies? There is a reason that Palm Pilots and phones still have buttons.. market research has shown that people like the feel of buttons.
The idea of a touch screen is nice though... I have a wacom board and my daughter loves it but are they going to provide the kids with digital pens too or are the children just going to use this computer as a glorified book?
I am happy that other computer companies are realizing that there is a market niche and are filling it nicely. I hope that the one laptop per child is able to achieve one of their goals.. they did achieve one of mine.. getting laptop makers to make a cheap laptop so that I can give it to my children.
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