<a href="http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/eco-friendly/olpc-laptop-repair-460201">http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/eco-friendly/olpc-laptop-repair-460201</a><br><br><br><br><h1>Nigerian 5-Year-Olds Repair OLPCs in "Hospital"</h1>
<h2>Affordable Laptops Are Simple to Repair</h2><br><br><br>
<p>At the <a href="http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/greener-gadgets-conference-460131" target="_new">Greener Gadgets Conference</a> in New York City, former <a href="http://laptop.org/" target="_new">One Laptop Per Child</a>
(OLPC) CTO Mary Lou Jepsen explained that the discount laptops have met
with a number of roadbumps in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation.
Part of the problem has been <a href="http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=76023" target="_new">wavering support</a> from lawmakers there and negative local press. But part of the problem has been literal bumps. </p>
<p>Jepsen explained that children in Nigeria learn at metal desks that
are bolted together in pairs. They are supposed to seat two young
learners, but more typically seat five in common crowding conditions.
This means the desks are constantly getting jostled around, and the
brand-new XO OLPCs get knocked to the floor. Even though they were
built to be extremely rugged, occasionally a screen or other component
will get broken. </p>
<p>In the developing world, a consumer can't just drive to the nearest
repair shop. That's why Jepsen and team designed the XO to be so easily
repairable (it even comes with embedded extra screws). The key
components can be easily swapped out with a screwdriver, including the
$1 backlight for the LCD display (something that usually cannot be
readily replaced on typical laptops). Even motherboards can be swapped
out easily, though actually repairing one takes some expertise — about
as much as repairing a TV, suggested Jepsen, depending on what's wrong.
</p>
<p>How simple is it? In Nigeria a 5-year-old girl with a can-do spirit
took it upon herself to troubleshoot and repair the OLPCs of her
classmates, said Jepsen. A teacher encouraged her, and the class set up
a "Laptop Hospital," where the kids learn to repair their own hardware.
</p>
<p>How is this green? Shipping is greatly reduced if people can fix
their own gadgets on site. Jepsen pointed out that communities in Peru
that now have OLPCs take 20 days to reach via roads from major cities.
Instead of tossing whole products that have one or two problems, people
can swap out individual pieces, leading to much less resource use. </p>
<p>Plus, the whole reason for the OLPC was to serve as a powerful
educational tool. When young people, or any consumers, learn better how
things work, and take responsibility for them, their experience is
enriched. And they learn to take care of things better, which leads to
longer life, and less resource use. </p>
<p>Plus, part of the OLPC's ease of repairing also translates to its
ease of recycling, which is a big bonus for the planet. Too many
devices are difficult to break down into reusable materials. </p>
<p>The OLPC also wins praise for it's incredibly low power use (2
watts, compared with 30 to 40 watts for a typical laptop). It was
designed to work with alternative sources, since so many parts of the
developing world don't have reliable, or affordable, grid electricity.
Jepsen said power sources being deployed include simple hand cranks,
$10 solar panel kits, wind turbines, stationary bike motors, and even a
device that harnesses the power of cows walking in a pasture. </p><br>