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Isn't $150 a little high for the intended use of the One Laptop per Child aim? If I had a kid, I have a feeling they would be beyond the target ages for this b

by mhurron 13y ago

Isn't $150 a little high for the intended use of the One Laptop per Child aim? If I had a kid, I have a feeling they would be beyond the target ages for this before I would give them a $150 device.

robg 13y ago
What would you give them instead? $150 is certainly better than an iPad and even better than an iTouch, even at used prices.
- venomsnake 13y ago
  Just today I bought 7 inch android tablet Prestigio with dual core cpu @ 1.5GHz and 1024x600 resolution for 120$ ... with 20% VAT and 5% customs tax included in that price. I bought it for my girlfriend's kid. So 150 looks steep indeed. On a side note - does anyone knows of a good educational suite for 6yo - basic math, basic english, etc?
  - salgernon 13y ago
    You should check out the software include in the XO tablet. I suspect it might suit your needs.
    - venomsnake 13y ago
      My googlefu may be rusty but it seems it is either not released yet or bundled only with the tablet.
      - jamii 13y ago
        The software is open source and can be found at http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Downloads http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Downloads [EDIT] Retracted. This tablet is using entirely different software from the original sugar suite.
  - speeder 13y ago
    We don't make traditional suite like this... But we try to incorporate that stuff in our apps. https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Kidoteca https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Kidoteca
- mhurron 13y ago
  What would I give a kid? Nothing. They can use the families shared devices.
Cthulhu_ 13y ago
iirc, one of the original ideas for OLPC was a "Buy two, get one" deal; you bought one for $100, which was, especially at the time, still considered cheap for a laptop, but it was enough to actually buy two devices, one which would be handed out for free to schools in poorer countries.
- sp332 13y ago
  The first device was supposed to be $100 each, so you paid $200 for yours and someone else also got one. But it was never actually that cheap.
atwebb 13y ago
Definitely not, at least for us, $150 to introduce them to tech early on and get them familiar with everything that is now common place is a great move. Sure, they may break it, but they also almost break everything everyday. It additionally has the benefit of replacing all the poorly made, single function Leap/Step devices and toys. We gave our 3 year old a Fire and it's been fantastic for development and writing. Slap a sturdy case on it and we've been good so far.
Shivetya 13y ago
My concern wasn't price, my concern is what ages is the education software applicable too. Now, as to the price point. Most here will spend that one fifty in two or three months on just their cell plan with data, or perhaps cable, the choices go on. No consider than many parents buy their YOUNG children Nintendo or similar game devices, these XO tablets are not much more expensive than some and cheaper than others. So if you can trust your/a kid with a hundred dollar game machine then this is a no brainer.
fnordfnordfnord 13y ago
If you had a kid, you might very well give them a $150 Android device! I've seen days where I would've given my kids $150 in cash just to keep them busy/quiet for an hour or two, if I thought that would work. There is already the fairly popular Nabi (~ $150), which is customized for kids. We've definitely handed over the $400-ish phones, and readers.
chiph 13y ago
You're subsidizing the ones that get distributed at low or no cost in other countries.
- venomsnake 13y ago
  Or you are subsidizing the new yacht of Wallmart's CEO.
  - chiph 13y ago
    While I don't shop at Walmart (I feel that Costco treats their people far better), I do have to admit that having access to Walmarts supply chain could be a net positive for OLPC. General order of business for Walmart is to demand ever lower prices of their suppliers. Since OLPC doesn't actually make the devices themselves (I think a Chinese ODM does it), and the volume is low, OLPC doesn't have the ability to apply much pressure to the suppliers. However, distribution via Walmart could get the volume up to where they're now buying components in the "500k-1m" column, with significant cost savings. And the OLPC people could get a Walmart junior VP on the phone and he'd apply some pressure to the suppliers. So far as subsidizing a new yacht -- sure, Walmart is going to take a cut. But I expect it's a pretty small one, as they get a lot of positive publicity for supporting the OLPC project. So for them, much of the carrying cost of this device is a marketing/publicity expense, not like they were selling a refrigerator or something.

by mhurron 13y ago

Isn't $150 a little high for the intended use of the One Laptop per Child aim? If I had a kid, I have a feeling they would be beyond the target ages for this before I would give them a $150 device.

robg 13y ago

What would you give them instead? $150 is certainly better than an iPad and even better than an iTouch, even at used prices.

venomsnake 13y ago
Just today I bought 7 inch android tablet Prestigio with dual core cpu @ 1.5GHz and 1024x600 resolution for 120$ ... with 20% VAT and 5% customs tax included in that price. I bought it for my girlfriend's kid. So 150 looks steep indeed. On a side note - does anyone knows of a good educational suite for 6yo - basic math, basic english, etc?
- salgernon 13y ago
  You should check out the software include in the XO tablet. I suspect it might suit your needs.
  - venomsnake 13y ago
    My googlefu may be rusty but it seems it is either not released yet or bundled only with the tablet.
    - jamii 13y ago
      The software is open source and can be found at http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Downloads http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Downloads [EDIT] Retracted. This tablet is using entirely different software from the original sugar suite.
- speeder 13y ago
  We don't make traditional suite like this... But we try to incorporate that stuff in our apps. https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Kidoteca https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Kidoteca
mhurron 13y ago
What would I give a kid? Nothing. They can use the families shared devices.

Cthulhu_ 13y ago

iirc, one of the original ideas for OLPC was a "Buy two, get one" deal; you bought one for $100, which was, especially at the time, still considered cheap for a laptop, but it was enough to actually buy two devices, one which would be handed out for free to schools in poorer countries.

sp332 13y ago
The first device was supposed to be $100 each, so you paid $200 for yours and someone else also got one. But it was never actually that cheap.

atwebb 13y ago

Definitely not, at least for us, $150 to introduce them to tech early on and get them familiar with everything that is now common place is a great move. Sure, they may break it, but they also almost break everything everyday. It additionally has the benefit of replacing all the poorly made, single function Leap/Step devices and toys. We gave our 3 year old a Fire and it's been fantastic for development and writing. Slap a sturdy case on it and we've been good so far.

Shivetya 13y ago

My concern wasn't price, my concern is what ages is the education software applicable too. Now, as to the price point. Most here will spend that one fifty in two or three months on just their cell plan with data, or perhaps cable, the choices go on. No consider than many parents buy their YOUNG children Nintendo or similar game devices, these XO tablets are not much more expensive than some and cheaper than others. So if you can trust your/a kid with a hundred dollar game machine then this is a no brainer.

fnordfnordfnord 13y ago

If you had a kid, you might very well give them a $150 Android device! I've seen days where I would've given my kids $150 in cash just to keep them busy/quiet for an hour or two, if I thought that would work. There is already the fairly popular Nabi (~ $150), which is customized for kids. We've definitely handed over the $400-ish phones, and readers.

chiph 13y ago

You're subsidizing the ones that get distributed at low or no cost in other countries.

venomsnake 13y ago
Or you are subsidizing the new yacht of Wallmart's CEO.
- chiph 13y ago
  While I don't shop at Walmart (I feel that Costco treats their people far better), I do have to admit that having access to Walmarts supply chain could be a net positive for OLPC. General order of business for Walmart is to demand ever lower prices of their suppliers. Since OLPC doesn't actually make the devices themselves (I think a Chinese ODM does it), and the volume is low, OLPC doesn't have the ability to apply much pressure to the suppliers. However, distribution via Walmart could get the volume up to where they're now buying components in the "500k-1m" column, with significant cost savings. And the OLPC people could get a Walmart junior VP on the phone and he'd apply some pressure to the suppliers. So far as subsidizing a new yacht -- sure, Walmart is going to take a cut. But I expect it's a pretty small one, as they get a lot of positive publicity for supporting the OLPC project. So for them, much of the carrying cost of this device is a marketing/publicity expense, not like they were selling a refrigerator or something.