G2 FAQ

Why would OLPC do another G1G1?

Raising funds through donations is the most direct way to decrease the cost of laptops to children in the least developed countries. The Give One Get One program that ran in the last few weeks of 2007 raised enough money to supply 80,000 laptops to children free of charge. Also, there is a big demand for people who want to get involved in the program either to donate or to contribute with their technical, support, learning, and deployment expertise. Providing a means for people to get their hands on a laptop helps us to recruit many more volunteers.

Will Windows be available in a future G1G1 program?

Microsoft's Unlimited Potential program (inexpensive Windows software) is not available on the general market; so it unlikely that they will provide it for the G1G1 program. No other information is available right now.

How will OLPC ensure that laptops will avoid the problems of the first G1G1?

Many partners, volunteers, and OLPC people involved in the first Give One Get One program came together for a review of that program and provided specific feedback on what went well, what went wrong, and what we could do to improve in a future program. This information was presented to OLPC management and has been the base for discussion of the next Give One Get One program.

What countries will the next Give One Get One program roll out to?

We intend to use a partner who can take and fulfill orders in multiple countries. The actual countries where G1G1 will be rolled out will be limited to those where the shipping, customs, taxes, warranty requirements, and support requirements are well understood. We don't have that list today, but it will include US and Canada and we hope to include some European countries.