Price point plus sales to individuals

[Edward Cherlin]

2009/2/18 Robert D. Fadel <fadel at laptop.org>:
>
> On Feb 18, 2009 at 10:24 PM, John Watlington wrote:
>
>>I don't see how a non-profit can do this, as requires financing at
>>risk, and
>>staffing for uncertain demand.    Let me know when you have the capital.
>
> Absolutely true and I'm not sure the capital would be enough. Its difficult
> to imagine OLPC entering a retail channel, directly or indirectly.

We aren't talking about retail at this point. The idea is to support
schools, museums, and the like to get 30 or more each.

Eventually I would like to see GiveOneGetOne revived, but not with the
abysmal marketing we saw last time. OLPC is one of the great brands,
if managed appropriately.

> Perhaps I
> have misunderstood the intent but thats what it seems like when we talk
> about individuals buying small volumes, perhaps simply to tinker with a cool
> machine.

I am working with The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose CA, which
wants 50 for a lab exhibit where school classes could get a working
demo and a peek at software in development. Other museums such as the
Exploratorium and Zeum in San Francisco and the MIT Museum have
expressed interest in creating a variety of exhibits. It's a cool
machine, but they want to use it, not tinker with it.

We also want to support home-schooling groups and other small trials.

Another reason for this is to educate the public and to create the
political will to get XOs into US schools, and to get the US to fund
XOs in developing countries.

> In the immediate future I don't see overwhelming evidence that OLPC should
> devote resources to satisfy every volume demand in every channel. The outcry
> over discontinuing Change The World was far greater than the willingness of
> people to put up money.

I will see what I can do. There is interest in funding a program such
as I have outlined, which is quite different from OLPC's program.

> Very often those willing to pay were small-volume
> resellers.
>
> OLPC is better off focused on its engineering, advocacy and implementation
> efforts AND supporting accompanying networks of olpc-phile communities.
> Running an effective developer program is fundamental to all the above.

So what is this nonsense about OLPCorps?

> r.

-- 
Silent Thunder (默雷/धर्ममेघशब्दगर्ज/دھرممیگھشبدگر ج) is my name
And Children are my nation.
The Cosmos is my dwelling place, The Truth my destination.
http://earthtreasury.net/ (Ed Cherlin)