At the National Educational Computing Conference, Nicholas Negroponte described for the audience the now famous "$100 computer". He was quick to note that the price might actually fluctuate depending upon commodity prices for things like the battery. Regardless, the price tag certainly is intriguing and has a catchiness to it. The price tag is also crucial to the One Laptop Per Child initiative.
What was eye opening were the actual reasons why we pay so much for computers at our local stores. In the presentation, the actual cost of a computer from marketing, sales, operating system, and the hardware to support the operating system were all described as contributing factors. As we're on the cusp of the release of Vista and Leopard, the latest offerings from Microsoft and Apple, hardware demands may increase again.
The operating system for the "$100 computer" is actually a Linux distribution. As such, it can be customized for exactly the needs of an educational computer. The machine will come loaded with educational and productivity software to meet student needs. In addition, the computer features a mesh technology so that students can connect peer to peer or to the internet. With laptop computers, the life of the battery is always an issue. Design for energy conservation is crucial with this project so you'll see innovative ways to display the screen, no hard drive but plenty of USB ports, and most importantly the ability to charge the battery without plugging it into a wall. The details are fascinating and the link above provides some good reading as well as pictures of the computer prototypes.
This project has not gone unnoticed on a global scale. At this link, you'll see a world-wide map of countries who have expressed an interest at varying levels. That's a great deal of interest. What's probably more interesting than the countries that have shown interest are how few of them haven't.
How many times have we heard that we want students "trained" to use the technology that they'll use after school. When I think about the educational career of a Junior Kindergarten student, I certainly cannot predict the future fourteen years down the line. Can you? It's just not realistic.
But, if you are thinking of the future, closely consider the map. How many countries and how many students will work with this computer and become familiar with the functionality of Linux and the Open Source software that goes with it? How long before that generates computer literate users that come to expect this? While we filter out chatting and collaboration among our students (at least in the daytime), how long before computer literate users from a peer to peer mesh background show us that there is power in numbers.
Linux has been long thought to be suitable only for servers. In fact, its basic stable and secure design makes it ideal for this use. More and more though, we're seeing distributions that are geared directly towards the desktop. In fact, the Ubuntu distribution has targeted the educational desktop with Edubuntu. Here you'll find a very responsive system loaded with educational applications. Unlike other platforms where software acquisition involves a trip to a store, a tour of the Ubuntu "universe" with the Synaptec Package Manager will let you download and immediately install a program to fill a need.
Linux still has the baggage that it's the operating system for hackers. For the desktop, it's still a little rough around the edges and requires the occasional drop to the terminal to do this or that. But, great leaps in functionality have happened recently. The interface lets you manage most things in a menu driven environment. Educational applications in particular aren't as plentiful but opportunities are just around the corner. See the map again.
Recently, Dr. David Thornburg was interviewed to share his thoughts about Linux and Open Source software in the classroom. His thoughts about the readiness and the Indiana Linux initiative are interesting.
As he notes, Linux won't completely replace Windows and the Macintosh OS but it does seem appropriate in the right places.
What's a person to do? For the venturous, you might just want to try it out. Edubuntu, for example, has a Live CD that you can download, boot your computer from the CD-ROM and run all that Edubuntu has to offer from the CD-ROM. You might then be enticed to install it on an old computer that's kicking around the house. You might even want to install Linux in its own partition to have the best of both worlds. Or, you might just want to keep your eyes open and watch the One Laptop per Child Initiative.
If it falls into place as per the plan, it could dramatically change the way that technology plays out in the classroom and in the lives of our students.
