[OLPC India] OLPC XO vs. Asus Eee PC 701

[Sameer Verma]

Marc Valentin wrote:
> Hi,
> Today, I received the Asus Eee I ordered some time ago. I am already
> impressed by the machine. The software didn't include a "logo" program
> but I was able to add kturtle with no problem. So far so good, if I
> get the XO before the end of the year maybe I will consider it too but
> at the moment I feel the Asus Eee is the right machine for our school.
> I received also today an email from Asus India : the Eee PC will be
> available in India in January.
> For those who want to compare the XO and the Eee PC, here is a test :
> http://laptopmag.com/Features/OLPC-XO-vs-Asus-Eee-PC-701.htm
> Their conclusion : "This contest was fairly close, but we feel that
> even though its goals are much more limited in scope, the Eee PC 701
> accomplishes them more fully than the XO, as its interface and
> applications are much more intuitive. 

Marc,

Intuitiveness depends on the user. According to the article, especially
the learning curve part, the intuitiveness would be Michael A.
Prospero's, the author of the article. Their criticism is that kids
cannot figure out how to open it. Well, my two year old can open the
laptop, power it on and work the mouse pad. She has never used a laptop
before. It took her a whole of five minutes of observation to figure
that one out.

> Of course, the Eee PC 701 also
> costs about $200 more, but it's well worth the premium."
>   
Again, well worth for Michael A. Prospero. Perhaps your school kids will
disagree?
> Actually, as an NGO, the only possibility we have to buy the XO is
> through the G1G1 program, so the price is the same as the Eee PC :
> $400. For 100 XO, the price is $299 with GiveMany but which indian
> school is ready to buy 100 laptops ???
>   

So, if the price is the same for buying EEE or XO in quantities < 100,
the choice shouldn't be price dependent, right?

> Also, most of the teachers are used to MS Windows, I feel it will be
> easier for them to adapt to the Eee Pc than to the XO.
>   

There you go. Your approach is teacher centric. That seems to be the
problem with most of what I read about such endeavors. Constructivist
learning is clearly student-centric. Whether it is Windows or the Mac,
the approach is to build a platform for grown-ups and then adapt it for
kids. After all, the hope is that they will eventually grow into "grown
ups" and then be comfortable with Windows or a Mac. Get them while they
are young! If that's the case, then why do we bother with children's
clothes, for instance? Just get them wear grown up pants and shirts and
roll up the sleeves. They will eventually grow into them so ten years
from now!

Of course, if you are looking for a cheap laptop for your teachers, then
shop away.

Sameer

-- 
Dr. Sameer Verma, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Information Systems
San Francisco State University
San Francisco CA 94132 USA
http://verma.sfsu.edu/
http://opensource.sfsu.edu/