OLPC DELIVERY!! (Click on photos for Close-Ups)

The XO Laptop that we ordered from the OLPC Program has finally arrived! I was able to take the lap top home and unpack it for the first time! Click here for a website for more information on how I got started, and all the other features/functions of this fabulous laptop. I also took many photos of my experience. You can also click on them in order to have a closer look.


The FIRST thing I did when I got home was get started with the laptop! After I put in the battery, plugged in the power adapter, turned up the antenna, and turned the power on, I had to wait a little while for the battery to charge up. (Click here for a diagram and explanation for each of the pieces of hardware). I'm actually not sure about it's battery life, because I left the power adapter plugged in to allow the battery to charge while I was using it.

I then logged in and started playing around with the menu icons at the bottom of the screen. The "Journal" kept a history log of all the things I did with the laptop. For example, it says that 40 minutes ago, I recorded a video, and at the present time, I'm working out math problems with the calculator. This is quite handy for keeping track of past projects or just keeping track of progress in general.



Problems that I noticed right away: ...

• I automatically noticed that it took quite a while for each application to load up. Considering that I won't be the only one who runs out of patience, it will also probably be frustrating to the vast majority that will use the laptop.
  
• It was difficult to click around with the mouse because you had to press a separate button to "click" after using your finger on the touch pad to move around. I personally hate using touch pads, even on regular laptops, so this feature was definitely not a favorite of mine. I prefer using the standard mouse that is able to be plugged into the computer. The XO laptop does not provide that opportunity.
  
• When I tried to move from one application to another, the mouse would freeze (FREQUENTLY!) and I would have to wait a long time in order to be able to move it again. For one of the occurrences, I actually timed it, and it took 12 minutes in order to un-freeze, and load the next application.
  
• The buttons on the keyboard are much smaller than regular desktop/laptop keyboard buttons and were very difficult to type accurately.
  
• I wasn't able to connect to the internet for some reason... I clicked on the "Browse" icon and typed in a URL to see if I could get to the NDRS website, but an error page would always show up. If anyone is able to establish an internet connection, let me know!
• Some of the applications require knowledge with basic programming. I doubt that most of the children in a developing country (the kids that are the purpose of this laptop in the first place) would even have the slightest Idea of how to use these particular programs (Pippy, Turtle Art).
  
• Beware to everyone that gets impatient with freezing... I had to wait about 10 minutes for the mouse to "un-freeze"... and after it happened again, i waited 13 minutes and decided to restart the computer. I had to restart a total of 3 times in 2 hours. I researched this problem and discovered that many other XO laptop users encounter the exact same thing, but can't provide explanations..
• I realized that an electrical socket was required to plug a power adapter into the laptop in order to charge the battery... Suppose a child in Uganda with a laptop had no access to an electrical socket? How will they be able to charge the battery?
  

Aside from these disadvantages, here are some of my favorite applications that I tried on the XO laptop! (Please view the website I mentioned above for a complete list of all the included applications) -->Included with a few pictures, of course :)

• Paint: This program is very similar to the standard Paint Program that is under "Accessories" in the "Start" menu of most computers running with Windows. I was able to draw with a paint brush, also being able to change the shape of the brush (square/circle) and the thickness and color). I even used the rainbow effect brush! I was also able to insert an image i took with the webcam, draw pre-set shapes, and insert text.

• Record: Using the embedded camera and microphone, I was able to take photos, record videos, as well as record sound! The quality of the videos were less than satisfactory... they appeared rather "pixelated" and blurry. The audio sounded rather clear and the quality of the images produced by the camera were pretty good. I did not delete the samples that I recorded so that others will be able to see the quality. I'm not sure if I saved them properly though... hahah...

• Write: This was like a simpler version of Microsoft Word. I was able to type a couple of sentences, change the font style, font color, and font size. There were buttons to make the text appear bold or italicized.

• Calculate: This program provides a simple interface similar to that of a basic calculator. It is simple enough for a young child to input basic mathematical problems (2+2 = 4), as well as support more complicated branches of mathematics (using declared variables --> if water = 2 and dirt = 4, what does mud (dirt + water) equal? Mud = dirt + water, Mud = 4 + 2, Mud = 6. There are also tabs to use trigonometry(sin/cos/tan etc), boolean, constants(pi/e), and algebra (square, square root, exponents, natural logarithms, and factorials).

• TamTamJam: This program allowed me to click on various instruments, and vocals to put them together in order to create a song! I admit that it took me a while to actually figure out what the purpose of this application really was. However, I was rather pleased with the song I was able to create!

• Chat: I was able to talk to only myself in a chat room because I was not able to establish an internet connection. Hopefully we will be able to connect to another laptop in order to chat with them!

All in all, this laptop was way more complex then I expected! Sadly I only had a limited time with the laptop... one night exactly =(. So there is so much more that I have not discovered or figured out how to work out correctly. I hope the next person that is privileged to take this lap top home will discover those things and maybe we can discuss our findings with the class so we may all learn as much as we can from this amazing piece of technology. I'm so glad that it's finally arrived!