Talk:Give 1 Get 1

Is it really impossible...

... for Europeans to take part in this program within the given period?

• Of course not, but import/export is your problem. There are services that will help you by providing a US mailing address that forwards to your real address; try Google to find one.

• Thanks for your hint. I've found several postal services by using the search terms "mail forwarding service".

That probably won't help if they're also asking for payment via a credit card with a US billing address.

Why don't OLPC just do this themselves using a transatlantic courier? Transatlatic trade isn't a new idea... If they don't have the human resources or expertise to negotiate a deal, they could just encourage discussions like this one about the best way to get them shipped over individually, and put the most highly recommended links and tips on their official site. Surely anything is better than a vaguely implied flat-out "No" to the 93% of the population of the world who aren't in Canada or the USA?

• Yes it is a interesting hint. But it is too bad, that Europeans cannot participate. I know a lot of people who are interested to participate. I think the Organization would get a lot of donations by making this Give 1 Get 1 Program available in Europe. Maybe the reason is because a fear of too many orders?

---Will the charging adapter work in the UK? What addition parts will need to be bought? Really disappointed Europe is being ignored here.

I'm disappointed this program won't be available in Australia. I was looking forward to the give 1 get 1 launch so I could get one for my nephew. This is sadly only going to increase the demand for grey market laptops on eBay. :(

I'm also dissapointed by this. For example the European market is about the same size as the USA. So the OLPC organisation could double their numbers of free laptops to give away. Also the price per laptop will go down since the volume goes up. Now if the whole world could join this program, it might triple the manufacturing volume. I just don't get this. Many of my friends will stop producing software if they cannot get a target machine to work with! A worldwide G1G1 program is an incentive to show your willingness to participate with the rest of the planet.

Note that if your friends are developing for the XO and require a laptop, they can apply to get one through the developers program, regardless of where they live. —Joe 12:19, 3 November 2007 (EDT)

There might be good reasons for limiting it to just North America, for example setting up distribution and servicing. Also, if it's successful in North America, perhaps mobile network partners on European networks would be more willing to offer incentives in order to be associated positively with the project (like T-Mobile in the States). I can't help but feel that the 2-for-1 idea could potentially end up as the largest mechanism for charitably supplying laptops to children in developing nations, so I hope they are quick to act on this and make the offer international if the N. American drive is a resounding success.

An alternative...

---Consider the Asus Eee PC. It's an OLPC copy, but:-

• It's actually researched, designed and built where it's intended to be used (at first, Taiwan & SE Asia)
• They're not restricting sales to governments only, and don't dictate how the laptop is supposed to be used
• They're aware of the existance of non-American, non-developing countries like ours enough to actually be making use of and selling to these countries
• They have a variety of models for a variety of needs

Unfortunately, both the Asus Eee's software and hardware are less adventurous than OLPC - e.g. no rubber coating, no lime green, a more ordinary operating system and no crank handle. And Asus's aims are entirely corporate. No-one else but them benefits from you buying one.

However, some of these drawbacks may be a good thing. E.g.:-

• It doesn't look childish, which is good for ambitious children who value their self respect.
• Profit motive means less ego motive and less dictating how the laptops are to be used.
• Although their software is less intuitive, it's a better preparation for the quagmire of badly written software that employers and higher education establishments use.

I'm not sure which is best - both have very different strengths and weaknesses. Asus is more corporate, but is a good corporation automatically worse than an NGO who arbitrarily cut out of a scheme every single country other than USA & Canada, and forget to even say so on their own website?