Projects/XO 1.5 Portugal

Project Title & Shipment Detail

Name of Project: XO 1.5 in Portugal (http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Projects/XO_1.5_Portugal)

Number of Laptops (or other hardware) You Request to Borrow: One XO 1.5, one XO 1.5 HS. Loan Length — Not sure, perhaps less than a year.

Team Participants

Name(s) & Contact Info: (include all email addresses & phone numbers)

Tiago Marques - www.tmarques.com/contact

Employer and/or School:

Self employed & student

Past Experience/Qualifications:

Academic scholarships for working with Linux. Currently administrating one Linux web server and working on web development.

Objectives

Project Objectives:

Showing among political parties that have strongly opposed the distribution of the Classmate PC from Intel, sold as the "Magalhães" laptop(please see http://iniciativa-magalhaes.com/). The Classmate was attributed to a national computer builder without a public contest and has gathered much criticism from the media and the political opposition. The XO 1.5 would be a viable alternative and a cheaper one. No alternatives have been show up till now and 500k laptops have been deployed. I'm unsure of the success of this due to the current economical climate in the country, but if there's will to continue with the initiative, the XO 1.5 would be very well positioned to replace the Classmate. I have some extra XO-1s but they are too slow to provide an impact given the classmate's superior performance compared to the old unit.

Plan of Action

Plan and Procedure for Achieving the Stated Objectives:

Sending the laptops to the two more socialist political parties in Portugal that have expressed concern over the Classmate project long term goals, including dependence on Microsoft software that has been shipping with all machines. I would need help from OLPC representatives on this, by providing information and a direct contact with the people involved with the current Portuguese project of laptops for children (http://iniciativa-magalhaes.com/).

Needs

Why is this project needed?

It would be great to have a cheaper machine for the kids here in Portugal. They frequently brake the fragile classmate, which is not ruggedized enough.

Locally?

See above.

In the greater OLPC/Sugar community?

More deployments. Contribution

Outside the community?

To enhance awareness. To improve the first experience through a better software distribution.

Why can't this project be done in emulation using non-XO machines?

Need to show running hardware.

Why are you requesting the number of machines you are asking for?

The XO-1 is too slow to cause an impact on the current project. There is need to show a machine with similar performance but better ruggedness and daylight readable screen.

Sharing Deliverables

Project URL— http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Projects/XO_1.5_Portugal

How will you convey tentative ideas & results back to the OLPC/Sugar community, prior to completion?

N/A

How will the final fruits of your labor be distributed to children or community members worldwide?

If it goes well, it may spur development of Portuguese translated software that may also benefit a further deployment in Brazil and other Portuguese speaking countries. Given the good relationships between the two countries, a successful deployment here may create interest from the Brazilian leaders.

Will your work have any possible application or use outside our community?

Cheaper, better built laptops for children in Portugal.

Have you investigated working with nearby XO Lending Libraries or Project Groups?

I'm the only one lending in Portugal. http://wiki.laptop.org/go/XO_PT/Library

Quality/Mentoring

Would your Project benefit from Support, Documentation and/or Testing people?

Yes, from some of the decision makers in the country. Would be a great feedback.

Teachers' input into Usability?

If successful, feedback will surely arise from the deployment.

How will you promote your work?

By contacting the political parties directly.

Can we help you with an experienced mentor from the OLPC/Sugar community?

I'd love to get some help for questions that may arise about bringing a deployment here.

Timeline (Start to Finish)

Please include a Proposed timeline for your Project life-cycle:

Shipping the laptops the month I get, as soon as they are available. Since we're in mid august and everyone is in vacation, that would mean handing them in September or October. I expect feedback by December but the units may be under loan to them for a whole year.

Specify how you prefer to communicate your ongoing progress and obstacles!

By direct contact with OLPC or by using the support gang mailing lists.

[x] I agree to pass on the laptop(s) to a local OLPC group or other interested contributors in case I do not have need for the laptop(s) anymore or in case my project progress stalls.