One Laptop Per Child
Thursday, January 31, 2008
The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project caught my attention last year after a co-worker of mine wouldn't stop talking about how cool it was and how it ws going to change the world. At first I didn't give the idea much credit. After all, why would children in third world countries need laptop computers when they don't even have enough to eat? But trying to keep an open mind I looked into the idea a little further. And have to say that I have found it to be an interesting concept for many reasons.
On a social front, I can see how this invention will help keep education materials for children up to date by increasing the ease at which lessons and reading materials are distributed to students. Thus creating a more educated and informed generation all over the world who may someday help solve the problems they, themselves suffer from today. And as far as innovation, the OLPC project shows how much we can accomplish when we have a goal in mind and through the pursuit of that goal, how many new innovations can come about.
For example, not only has the OLPC project proven how inexpensively a mobile computer can be produced but it has also resulted in new technologies, such as the unique multimode display developed by Mary Lou Jepsen, former CTO of One Laptop Per Child, which she is now commercially marketing under her newly formed company, Pixel Qi. The multimode display offers a regular color mode for normal use and a reflective, black and white mode that is fully readable while exposed to direct sunlight.
If nothing else, OLPC has shown how the pursuit of a goal, especially with limited resources (as is the case with most people's goals), can result in fantastic improvements in processes and efficiency as well as new innovation that may end up, as in the case of Mary Lou Jepsen, being a commercially marketable product all on its own and helping people at the same time.
http://laptop.org
http://pixelqi.com