Talk:Ask OLPC a Question

Dear OLPC Project,

The Ndebele Art Project is a 501c.3 non profit organization and was started in 2004 to address the urgent need of the African artists in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. I would like to explore the possibility of partnering with OLPC to address the educational needs of the tribe. We have a preschool started at least the building and two teachers and the supplies.

One of the items the tribe has asked for is computers for the teachers and then the teenage children. Our Board will be traveling to Zimbabwe on November 13th and would like to deliver computers at that time. We are looking into solar or hand crank computers, can you help? Our website is www.napafrica.org. Any information you could provide regarding a partnership or the purchase of equipment would be appreciated.

good work

i'm not sure if this is the right place to do this but i want to say that i think this is an amazing project and all the best with it.

how could we help?

I find this project absolutely marvelous, and would like to contribute. How could we be of any help ? Alain.

I'm a Spanish teacher of Modern Languages (English, Italian, French, Spanish). I would like to offer my help to make this project real in any way possible. I have years of experience teaching, and I would be very honored to do anything I could to develop your idea. Felix (miguelmarvel@hotmail.com)

Is Bandwidth needed?

OLPC,

I wondered if bandwidth would be a component? Given it is, would discounted bandwidth access be of interest? Contact at culturecongress@yahoo.com

Public traded company

Is olpc a public traded company, and if not will it be any time soon?

Mesh network capability and satellite connection ?

This a great project and I think it will be succesful in closing the digital divide.

However it seems that the computers would be useless if a user does not have internet access.

I know that the laptops will have wireless connection that is provided by satellite.

My question is will the wireless connection provided by satelitte cover all the regions of the world.. for free?

This is important because you indicated that the machines "will make a mesh network of their own , peer to peer". However this is only usefull if there are a great number of laptops in close proximity. I don't know the distance required to establish this network but it must similar to free wireless hot spots in the US.

How many individual units are needed to make this network effective?

Thanks ooumard@hotmail.com

Range?

How far does the Internet reach? In other words how close do the Laptops have to be to each other in order to be able to network?

Peter Mikael Jensen

Increase public awarness and purchases

Follow the apple lead with the RED products. And produce a RED version. Convince Starbucks T-Mobile to provide free or reduced wifi for anybody with an olpc laptop.

The demand for them would be unstoppable even at $300-$400 dollars. People would be able to check email drink their coffee with there bright red laptop smug in the knowledge that everybody walking by knows they are doing there bit to save the world.