XO Giving
You can help support OLPC's mission by contributing time and knowledge or
donating money, or by participating in our annual giving campaign below.
Give 1, Get 1
The 2008 Give 1, Get 1 campaign launched on November 17, at laptop.org.org/xo.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are there other ways to donate?
- Yes. You can just "Give One" through Amazon, or "Give Many" laptops, or simply donate any amount via Amazon to the OLPC Foundation.
- What operating system do the laptops run?
- The laptops run the latest release of the Sugar learning environment on a Linux-based Fedora Core operating system. (It will not dual-boot Windows and Linux, contrary to some reports.) For answers to this and other frequently asked questions, see the XO Giving FAQ.
- 8.2.0 is the latest release but my new laptop has 8.1!
- It was extremely important for us to have Amazon stocked with inventory so orders could be fulfilled and delivered right away, the first day of the program. That meant that manufacturing actually had to begin before 8.2.0 was released. Later machines have 8.2 built in.
- You can find instructions on upgrading along with other information about the 8.2 release at Release_notes/8.2.0
- How are "get" XOs sold through G1G1 different than those overseas?
- The XOs sold in the US and other developed nations will ship with a US/International keyboard, with the default language set to English. They will ship with a slightly different set of activities and collections, something which is customized by each country and deployment.
- If I give an XO through the G1G1 program, will I get a certificate in the mail?
- No, for reasons of printing and mailing overhead.
- Will G1G1 ship XOs to donors in my country?
- Quite possibly. See #International questions below.
- Can I use a non-US credit card to donate?
- Yes.
- Will the "get" XO include a solar or human-power system?
- No. However you can get your own solar panels separately from one of our suppliers.
- Will the "give" XO include a solar or human-power system?
- Yes, where it is needed and cost effective, as determined by the deployment project team.
- Will the "get" Laptops use the anti-theft 'leasing' system?
- No.
- Will the "get" Laptops require a 'developer key' to run free software that isn't signed by OLPC (e.g. Ubuntu or Gentoo)?
- TBA; most likely yes. Developer keys are available for all XO users and provided within roughly a day to everyone who requests one.
International questions
- Which countries are covered by Give One Get One?
- As in 2007, Give One Get One is running in the United States.
- Give One Get One is also available from amazon.co.uk, shipping to perhaps 30 European countries and Canada. For more information on this program, see XO_Giving/Global.
- Can donors receive XOs in other countries?
- Yes. We will continue to work to expand the shipping options and range of countries.
- Can donations be made from other countries?
- Yes, you can donate to the OLPC Foundation from anywhere, in any amount, as well as using Amazon.com. You can also donate to OLPC Europe.
- Is there any way of finding out which country/community your "Give" laptop is sent to?
see XO Giving/Global for further answers to this and other questions, and XO Giving/G1G1EU for more information about Give One, Get One in Europe.
Other questions
Please use the "talk" page to ask new questions — click the [discussion] tab above.
- Why are XOs sold in developed nations (as part of the get one give one program) only being sold for a limited time? Couldn't any child regardless of geography, culture or income bracket benefit from a educational laptop like this? Additionally, wouldn't it help create manufacturing economies of scale if more were sold?
- This year's XO Giving program will start on November 17, and has no currently scheduled end date. Yes. Yes.
- Can I vote for which country receives the given XO?
- No. OLPC has been using the Give One laptops to start pilot projects in the least developed nations in the world (as defined by the UN) where suitable arrangements can be made with grassroots organizers to manage the deployment. This includes the recent pilots in Mongolia, Haiti, Rwanda, and Ethiopia.
- What do I do if I want to give both laptops to children in a developing country?
- You can "simply give" as many times as you want -- these $200 donations will go directly to XO programs in the developing world.
- My UK-based business would like to participate. For tax purposes, should we declare the G1G1 cost as a charitable donation or as office equipment, or as a mix of both? What benefits the OLPC programme more?
User communities
Users of the XO have formed many user groups (some even before the 2007 units arrived). See Regional groups.
When you get your XO, follow the "Help using the XO" link in the side navigation under "About the XO".
Give 1, Get 1 2007
The 2007 Give 1, Get 1 program (or "G1G1") concluded on 31 December 2007. G1G1 2007 has archival info on the 2007 program.
During the program, participants who donated USD $399 would cover the cost of one laptop to be distributed by OLPC to one of its least-developed partner countries, and would get 1 to keep, for themselves or for a child in their lives. OLPC also has a static Official FAQ on this program.
Discussion
Discussion topics have been moved to the discussion page at Talk:XO Giving.