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OLPC tablet at target walmart amazon — Parallax Forums

OLPC tablet at target walmart amazon

prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
edited 2013-11-11 05:14 in General Discussion
EDIT -False alarm - this is just a rebranded Vivitar.- EDIT

Just noticed this, there are several stories on the net http://blog.laptop.org/

Recall the first OLPC, the XO-1, was responsible for driving the low cost netbooks and laptop we see to today. At the time, a laptop cost no less than $1200. The XO-1 was also a driver for the RPi. The XO-1 Pixel Qi screen is still the best solution for daylight readable display.

I have not gotten mine yet, but compared to the other kid tablet offers, this is equivalent in the very least. My guess it will be very flexible and adaptable as the OLPC tends to be.

IF you:
* have kids 4-14
* want cheap tablet to experiment as interface to projects
* want to learn SCRATCH
* watch to play with linux (linux is "underneath" the android)
* want to play with FORTH (firmware OFW is forth, and is available )

This might be an option to consider

Comments

  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2013-11-06 06:27
    Braino,
    The XO-1 was also a driver for the RPi
    It was? I have been following the Pi story for a long time and never have I heard any of the founders of the Raspberry Pi Foundation mention they were driven by OLPC. They do talk at length about many other things that motivated the Pi.
  • Peter KG6LSEPeter KG6LSE Posts: 1,383
    edited 2013-11-06 06:35
    I had a 1st gen OLPC I LOVED IT

    but Iit was n bed with me and I fell assleep on it and the screeen died .....

    Ironny as I Was in the middle of fashing the OS to something more usefull then" sugar ."
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2013-11-06 13:26
    Heater. wrote: »
    Braino,

    It was? I have been following the Pi story for a long time and never have I heard any of the founders of the Raspberry Pi Foundation mention they were driven by OLPC. They do talk at length about many other things that motivated the Pi.

    Not directly, but OLPC was driver to the events that drove RPI. Like Southern Gospel and Jazz evetually led to Rock. OK, maybe I'm talking out my butt again. But as I recall, there were no "system on a chip" mini workstations at the time, as there were no netbooks, and laptops were still super expensive. After OLPC, manufactures started comeing backwith smaller and cheaper untis (which the same manufacuters had previously declared impossible) and this set the environment which led the RPI. Maybe I got it all wrong.

    Anyway, If one is in the market for a cheap tablet, this might be one to look at. Walmart seems to have rasied the price to $369, Amzon is still $129
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2013-11-06 13:45
    Braino,

    Sometimes there is no "cause and effect" directly. Sometimes conditions are just right for similar ideas to emerge out of the ambiance of what is going on.

    If I ever saw an OLPC around here for a hundred euro I might grab one. 300 Euro is right out, I can get a nice Samsung Chrome book for that much.
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2013-11-07 08:03
    At the time of the OLPC introduction, it was declared impossible. In fact, it was common knowledge that a laptop of any kind for less than $200 would be unuseable and would fail. It could never reach the economy of scale where the price to drop down, and even it it did, it would never reach the target price. Millions of units later, there are STILL folks that declare the OLPC a failure, even as the new version are introducted into the consumer channels.

    The RPI is almost the same story, with different letters, and shorter date intervals. This is the basis for my confusion, that OLPC was an influence on the RPi becomeing a reality. I still say the OLPC influenced Eben et al to believe there project was possible; and if not, OLPC influenced ME to believe RPi was possible, as I had solid data to cite as evidence.

    OF course, if any unit is three times more expensive than a comparable unit, get the cheaper one. If you CAN get a unit that has the Pixel Qi display (I don't know if the Walmart OLPC table does or not), it might be a factor in the decision, the Pixel Qi is great indoors and out, and is not slow like e-paper.

    All the kids are being issued Chrome Books by the school system around here. I'm going to have to deal wth these pretty soon whether I like it or not, so it more toys for braino!
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2013-11-11 05:14
    Turns out this is a false alarm. THIS OLPC tablet is a Vivitar 7" rebranded. It has have the OLPC kid software ON it, but is just a standard android tablet underneath.

    http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/26/olpc-xo-tablet-review/
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