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Walter Bender, Former President of Software and Content for the OLPC project, has stepped down due to his disagreement with founder Nicholas Negroponte, who wants to abandon Linux in favor of Windows XP in order to increase the marketability of the XO laptop. Bender had led the development of XO’s Linux OS, called Sugar. Before his resignation, he had been reassigned to oversee deployment of the organizations low cost laptops to children in developing countries. He had this to say in his exit statement:

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Resigned OLPC project founder Nicholas Negroponte says that the OLPC project might shy away from open-source soon enough, given that this platform has made their much-talked about project hard to pick up. He further adds that insistence on open-source software has actually scared some people away. And while I don’t think Linux is so bad that it scares people away, I agree with Negroponte when he says that using open-source software hampered the usability of their small computers.

Take for instance the lack of support for the latest version of Flash animation; this kills all possibilities of letting the children visit fully-Flash enabled web sites that are easy on the eye and offer to educate children using animated graphics, among other things. So the logical thing to do would be to trash Linux and just opt for Windows XP like Asus seems destined to do? Not yet, because they’re still toying with the idea of having a dual-boot option which lets users run either Windows XP or Linux on the same machine. Think of it as a downgraded boot camp software for Mac OS X. But don’t expect it to be released any time soon. They’re having a hard time making good on the current version already.

Read [Computerworld]

Maybe it was the pressure of wanting to release their product as early as possible, but the makers of the OLPC XO-1 laptop sure have a lot of explaining to do regarding the recent news about widespread keyboard failure on their computers. Apparently, a lot of users are finding that most of the keys on their keyboard have been acting a bit funny lately, with some having keys getting activated by presses on nearby keys, as well as a few that keep getting stuck after being hit one. Which is definitely bad news, especially for the intended target market of non-techies and first time computer users. 

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Word has it Dell is getting into the hot new thing: tiny PCs.  These small, convenient if lacking small laptops are caputuring the hearts and minds of todays laptop maker.  What is behind the bandwagon movement?  Is it consumer preference or is it a fight to stay relevant?

The OLPC is the first I remember to promise a cheap machine that you could actually use.  Their big push, buy one/give one went over well from what I hear and then was promptly discontinued.  Now the effort focuses on the lofty and worthy goal of only supplying them to third world nations, not your brothers kids.  But it was the OLPC that got me (and others) excited about the small size.

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In a case of pure irony, Wall Street Journal reporter Kevin Delaney bought an OLPC XO Laptop for his kids, thinking it would be a good for them to learn to be creative on a computer. Well, turns out, the kids don’t seem to care about creativity. They reverted back to their five-year old desktop because it was “easier to play simple games and watch videos on the Web.”

“Generally, we limit the kids to one or two hours on the computer on weekend days. And at first, they were eager to spend that time on the XO. But they soon became less and less interested in the laptop. Once Jack packed it up in a briefcase when he was playing at being a grown-up—but he didn’t actually turn it on.”

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Yet another ultra-portable notebook is expected to be offering some competition for the likes of the Eee PC and Cloudbook, of course this one has been around and in the works for a while. Originally thought of as a competitor to the XO OLPC laptop, the Classmate PC has similar features to the other more full featured ultra-portables currently on the market and includes a 7-inch 800 x 480 display, an Intel 900MHz Mobile processor, 256 or 512MB of RAM, 1 or 2GB SSD, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and will be running either Linux or Windows XP. The Intel Classmate PC should be hitting both US and European retailers soon. The Classmate PC has been available on the retail markets of India, Mexico and Indonesia, but this is the first time it will be available for sale outside those areas. Intel has done some pilot tests in the US and Australia at select schools. The Classmate PC is expected to retail for around $250 to $350, however there was not any mention of which stores will carry the notebook.

Read [Reuters] Via [Wired]

With the recent reports of the OLPC foundation looking for a CEO to replace Nicholas Negroponte, it seems they were only partially true. While they are indeed looking for a CEO, Negroponte has stated that not only is he not the current CEO, but they also have NO current CEO.

“Replacement is not the right word. We have no CEO. I have never held that title nor used it. I will continue to do what I do, no real change.”

So while the search for the CEO continues, it seems he will continue to act in his current role, which sounds like it will not have any changes based on a new CEO coming in.

Via [Gizmodo]

Nicholas Negroponte has announced that he will be stepping down as CEO of the OLPC organization. The announcement comes via a recent interview with Business Week and he has all but admitted things did not go fully as planned, stating that “management, administration, and details” are a weaknesses of his.

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In early December, OLPC offered up some details on when you would be able to expect your XO Laptop. Those who placed their order early, which was on or before November 15, 2007 should have received their XO before 2007 was over, but for many that date came and went without a delivery. This time the delay, or lack of delivery was due to an issue with PayPal. It seems that when the orders were placed the shipping address did not always make it over to OLPC.

This one can easily be blamed on PayPal, however its something that the folks over at OLPC should have noticed was missing. If you were someone who took advantage of the G1G1 program and your delivery date has come and gone, you may want to make sure your shipping address is on file with customer service over at OLPC.

Read [PC World] Via [Consumerist]

Back in early December, Birmingham, Alabama had become the first school district in the U.S. to purchase the XO laptops from the OLPC project. It now seems they may not have put as much thought into having these actually work as they did when placing and negotiating the order.

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