One laptop per child - Give one, get one

November 12, 2007 by Barbara.

First, let me say that we have too much stuff in our house already. Specifically, there are many computers. We have 3 desktops and 2 laptops that work plus a few of each that don’t. There are only 3 humans and 2 cats if you’re keeping count. Still, I saw one of the One Laptop per Child devices at GTEC last month and I covet it. As an aside, I must say how impressed I was that Infoglobe allowed the laptop to be shown as part of its booth. Infoglobe doesn’t seem to make any money from the Give One, Get One promotion but one of the fellows working at the booth had contributed to the code and had asked to display the computer and Infoglobe agreed. Hat tip to them.

Now back to the One Laptop per Child. Nicholas Negoroponte, co-founder and director of the MIT Media Laboratory, had originally wanted to make a $100 laptop available to children in developing countries but the costs are now closer to $200. The site says that the purpose of the initiative is to “To provide children around the world with new opportunities to explore, experiment and express themselves.” The laptops are rugged, hand-rechargeable, and destined for good homes where kids will really benefit from them. The question is: should one of them be destined for my house or yours?

For a limited time, beginning on November 12, you can take advantage of a “Give one, get one” program. For $400 US (a bargain for me with the high Canadian dollar) one laptop is sent to a child in need and another is sent to your home. You can also just donate $200 and send the computer to the needy child. The problem is that I love the cheery green silicon keyboard and the little briefcase-like design. I want to recharge the battery by hand because it seems a poetic juxtaposition to transform my physical effort into bytes. I even like the way that they explain support:

Although we believe you will love your XO laptop, you should understand that it is not a commercially available product and, if you want help using it, you will have to seek it from friends, family, and bloggers. One goal of the G1G1 initiative is to create an informal network of XO laptop users in the developed world, who will provide feedback about the utility of the XO laptop as an educational tool for children, participate in the worldwide effort to create open-source educational applications for the XO laptop, and serve as a resource for those in the developing world who seek to optimize the value of the XO laptop as an educational tool. A fee based tech support service will be available to all who desire it. We urge participants in the G1G1 initiative to think of themselves as members of an international educational movement rather than as “customers.

The agreement terms provide for a $199 charitable contribution deduction against your U.S.-source income. The problem for me is that I have no U.S.-source income. I have to be 100% generous, with no tax break in my thoughts as I decide. Ken thinks the purchase is silly or maybe just unwise. He doesn’t covet tech like I do. He did say that it was my decision whether to take advantage of the Give One, Get One promotion, though. I’ve tried telling myself that Reid would like the laptop but since she isn’t yet typing and it doesn’t seem the sort of machine that will run her games since it supports no rotating media. I haven’t given up on putting programs onto a thumb drive or hooking up a separate CD/DVD drive via a USB connection. The latter would involve buying another drive and that is why my addiction to shiny new technology gets expensive. When it comes down to it, I want the laptop for me and if I have to share it with Reid, I will.

 I’m undecided and could use some advice if you have any to share.

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