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These are questions commonly asked by governmental officials about the OLPC plan, with short answers here and links to longer discussions elsewhere. Please add questions and answers that you have encountered.

These are questions commonly asked by governmental officials about the OLPC plan, with short answers here and links to longer discussions elsewhere. Please add questions and answers that you have encountered.

==OLPC and Partners==

==OLPC and Partners==

'''What is One Laptop Per Child?'''

===What is One Laptop Per Child?===

[http://laptop.org/en/vision/index.shtml Mission Statement]: To create educational opportunities for the world's poorest children by providing each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning. When children have access to this type of tool they get engaged in their own education. They learn, share, create, and collaborate. They become connected to each other, to the world and to a brighter future.

: [http://laptop.org/en/vision/index.shtml Mission Statement]: To create educational opportunities for the world's poorest children by providing each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning. When children have access to this type of tool they get engaged in their own education. They learn, share, create, and collaborate. They become connected to each other, to the world and to a brighter future.

'''What is Sugar Labs?'''

===What is Sugar Labs?===

[http://www.sugarlabs.org/ Sugar Labs] is the non-profit/NGO responsible for Sugar education software development.

: [http://www.sugarlabs.org/ Sugar Labs] is the non-profit/NGO responsible for the development of  the Sugar educational software [[Sugar Application Stack| platform]].

[[Sugar]] is the core component of a worldwide effort to provide every child with equal opportunity for a quality education. Available in 25 [http://translate.sugarlabs.org/ languages], Sugar’s [http://activities.sugarlabs.org/ Activities] are used every school day by almost one-million children in more than forty countries. Originally developed for the One Laptop per Child XO-1 netbook, Sugar [[Supported systems|runs on most computers]]. Sugar is [http://conservancy.softwarefreedom.org/|free and open-source software].

:[[What is Sugar?|Sugar]] is the core component of a worldwide effort to provide every child with equal opportunity for a quality education. Available in 25 [http://translate.sugarlabs.org/ languages], Sugar’s [http://activities.sugarlabs.org/ Activities] are used every school day by almost one-million children in more than forty countries. Originally developed for the One Laptop per Child XO-1 netbook, Sugar [[Supported systems|runs on most computers]]. Sugar is [http://conservancy.softwarefreedom.org/ free and open-source software].

'''How are OLPC and Sugar Labs related?'''

===How are OLPC and Sugar Labs related?===

Sugar Labs is a spin-off of OLPC. They coordinate their work on XO hardware and Sugar software.

: Sugar Labs is a spin-off of OLPC. They coordinate their work on XO hardware and Sugar software.

'''What are the OLPC groups?'''

===What are the OLPC groups?===

TBD

:TBD

''Are they official parts of OLPC?''

: ''Are they official parts of OLPC?''

OLPC America is. The other groups are formed by volunteers.

:: OLPC America is. The other groups are formed by volunteers.

==XO==

==XO==

'''What is the XO?'''

===What is the XO?===

 

: [[olpc:XO | XO: The Children's Machine]]

[http://wiki.laptop.org/go/XO XO: The Children's Machine]

===Does the XO run Microsoft Windows?===

'''Does the XO run Microsoft Windows?'''

: Yes, See [[OLPC:Windows]]; but, Microsoft has not marketed it for the XO-1.

Yes, but you don't want it for your schoolchildren. Windows imposes extra costs at every turn for upgrades and applications, and does not run the Sugar education software.

: Windows imposes extra costs at every turn for upgrades and applications, and does not run the Sugar education software.

You may hear the argument that schoolchildren should use the tools that are the de facto standard in business and government offices. There are several objections to this theory, particularly as it applies to Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office.

: You may hear the argument that schoolchildren should use the tools that are the de facto standard in business and government offices. There are several objections to this theory, particularly as it applies to Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office.

* Linux, Sugar, and other Free Software comes with source code, so that more advanced students can learn from it and improve it. In particular, it can be adapted to any local language requirements without asking permission from a vendor.

* Linux, Sugar, and other Free Software comes with source code, so that more advanced students can learn from it and improve it. In particular, it can be adapted to any local language requirements without asking permission from a vendor.

* That isn't how we teach children anything else.

* That isn't how we teach children anything else.

'''What does the XO cost?'''

===What does the XO cost?===

Currently, the cost is $189 in quantity, starting at 10,000 units.

: Currently, the cost is $189 in quantity, starting at 10,000 units.

'''What else will we need to pay for?'''

===What else will we need to pay for?===

OLPC provides

: OLPC provides

* XOs

* XOs

* Some localization

* Some localization

OLPC does not provide

: OLPC does not provide

* Electricity

* Electricity

* Teacher training

* Teacher training

Open Learning Exchange, Earth Treasury, and other organizations can assist with these requirements.

: Open Learning Exchange, Earth Treasury, and other organizations can assist with these requirements.

'''What questions should I ask when evaluating XOs and other computers for education?'''

===What should I consider when evaluating computers for education?===

The first question is, What do our students need? The answer to that question determines what weight to give the rest of the questions.

: The first question is, What do our students need? The answer to that question determines what weight to give the rest of the questions.

Children, especially poor children in areas lacking infrastructure, need computers that are

: Children, especially poor children in areas lacking infrastructure, need computers that are

* rugged

* rugged

* usable in sunlight

* usable in sunlight

These are not the questions asked by prosperous buyers, who usually want the biggest and fastest computers they can afford. There are, of course, many computers with faster processors, more memory, and more storage than the XO, but no others designed specifically to meet the stringent requirements of children.

:These are not the questions asked by prosperous buyers, who usually want the biggest and fastest computers they can afford. There are, of course, many computers with faster processors, more memory, and more storage than the XO, but no others designed specifically to meet the stringent requirements of children.

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to see more specific measures, please ask us.

'''?'''

===?===

[[Category:FAQ]]

[[Category:FAQ]]