| One of my podcasting co-hosts, Mark Gura, and I | | | | eliminated. |
| have been intermittently discussing the $100+ | | | | Open source software is no longer just for the |
| laptop project for the last two years on our | | | | tech heads. These platforms are point and click |
| popular bi-weekly series. If you happen not to be | | | | similar to most other programs. And there are |
| familiar with the $100 laptop project; it has been | | | | thousands of open source programs freely |
| spearheaded by Nicholas Negroponte formerly of | | | | available for us to meet business, education, |
| MIT. The importance of it is the way it has | | | | graphic, music composition, media design, |
| leveraged opened the tidal wave of adoption of | | | | application needs to name just a few As some |
| open source software and forced computer | | | | K-12 superintendents are bringing in open source |
| manufacturers to develop low cost netbooks. This | | | | networks (they call them Open Technologies) into |
| education-related project has truly transformed | | | | their schools we are seeing the march of the |
| the computer industry and tech user | | | | penguins, pencils and laptops strut their stuff for |
| expectations! | | | | education! At a time of increased scrutiny of |
| Background | | | | school budgets and greater accountability, I |
| Negraponte's project is now called the One | | | | expect that 2009-2010 will be a time when open |
| Laptop per Child project (OLPC) because the basic | | | | source software, dumb terminals, as well as |
| purpose is to provide low cost, durable laptop | | | | virtual terminals (to be discussed in an upcoming |
| computers to the children of developing countries. | | | | e-zine article) will be charging ahead at a double- |
| The prototype of these laptops have gone | | | | or triple-time pace. |
| through wide variations, and brought much | | | | Update May 2009 |
| criticism over the past few years and they are | | | | The massive wave of netbooks (Asus, Acer, HP, |
| never meant to be the "does everything" | | | | Dell, and more) which have flooded the computer |
| computer. | | | | market in the last 16 months has been a |
| These are basic models and yet quite | | | | welcome relief for consumer and school budgets |
| revolutionary in several ways. For one, they are | | | | alike! We have Dr Negroponte to thank for |
| very small, have alternate power sources, such | | | | transforming the computing industry nearly single |
| as hand powered, can be linked together to form | | | | handedly by pushing his OLPC project to the |
| an intranet (wireless broadband that can mesh | | | | forefront of the corporate table of competition. |
| network) and most of all do not suffer from | | | | The details unfolded close on the heals of the |
| what the founder dubs "Microsoft bloat." In the | | | | progress of Negroponte was the Asus group and |
| dedicated efforts to keep the cost so very low, | | | | the release of the ee pc with Linux on board |
| the software that is used is open source, which | | | | (originally). |
| requires a much smaller installation footprint and | | | | Not just for tech people these were released in |
| hardware operation requirements. | | | | the standard grey and black colors, but also |
| The Original Prototype 2007 Details in Brief: | | | | shocking pink and green, and white-- we can see |
| Linux-based operating system, a dual-mode | | | | the market was broader than the standard |
| display, a 500MHz processor, 128MB of DRAM and | | | | computer industry had been addressing). Their |
| 500MB of Flash memory. No hard drive, four USB | | | | product was enthusiastically received and so |
| ports and the wireless broadband that creates a | | | | impacted the public marketplace that the major |
| mesh network. | | | | computer manufacturers had to respond - quickly. |
| Enter: Wider Public Adoption of Open Source | | | | Now in June 2009 we have netbooks available |
| Software! | | | | from every major manufacturer available for |
| In several episodes of the Teachers Podcast we | | | | under $500. The resulting smaller, much less |
| discuss the merging of another one of my | | | | expensive (roughly 77% reduction in price) and |
| favorite technology trends with the OLPC | | | | robust hardware selections we now see all around |
| phenomenon- open source development and | | | | us in computer and office stores, is originally due |
| software. Open source development occurs when | | | | to OLPC shake up of a sanguine, over priced |
| groups of people openly share source code in the | | | | system. |
| development of the programming languages, | | | | A related wave of adoption is also continuing in |
| operating systems, or another application. The | | | | spring 2009, and that is Open source, from Open |
| purpose is that the community will be able to test | | | | Office.org to Linux, has seen very good year so |
| and work collaboratively world-wide on the | | | | far. Not only are we seeing more ads for these |
| project with many minds and perspectives | | | | products in mainstream publications, but lay people |
| available that might not otherwise be able to | | | | (non-techies) are asking, requesting, and using |
| meet and work together. It truly is a community | | | | them. What does this mean for Microsoft? Will |
| and thereby the content and the product remains | | | | there actually be a backlash against steep upgrade |
| "open" that is free for use. Very often a Creative | | | | prices? We have talked about frustration for |
| Commons code license is used is to describe use | | | | years, but is the time here for it to have a |
| and attribution of the software. | | | | significant impact? These are exciting times for |
| Probably the most famous current example is the | | | | the voice of the people! |
| operating system Linux (identified with by its | | | | The Connection |
| mascot of the penguin aka Tux). Related to Linux | | | | As more and more people catch the vision of |
| which has scores of programmers working on it | | | | netbook and realize they don't need high-end |
| around the world, there are also other Linux-like | | | | computers for all student classrooms and instead |
| operating systems available also including Apache, | | | | they could even provide computers to go home |
| Ubantu, Linspire and more. For the education | | | | with children; it will be open source software |
| sector open source software has been way | | | | penguins leading that march as well. It's been a |
| behind in adoption as schools have stayed | | | | long day coming for our educational system to |
| mainstreamed primarily on pcs and small number | | | | see that this is a much more economically way to |
| on macs in the younger grades. However, having | | | | serve the teachers and students and thereby be |
| visited a few educational technology conferences | | | | able to serve ALL of them. |
| the past two years I have seen a different trend | | | | An important aside- very much worth the read |
| finally being paid interest and the OLPC project | | | | and exploration- Negroponte is so open source he |
| could push it even much further again! Let me | | | | is now publishing a wiki where he is openly |
| explain. | | | | displaying the technical production notes, tech |
| At ed tech conferences we have experienced | | | | requirements, software, participating countries, |
| hands-on demonstrations of Linux or Ubantu | | | | photos of the prototypes and much more (see: ). |
| network labs which are "dumb terminals" hooked | | | | Bringing such tools into the hands of multitudes of |
| up to a server and all gaining internet access and | | | | schools and students around the world, near and |
| applications from the server. This first-hand | | | | far, can really change who the voices will be, and |
| experience provides a point of entry for many | | | | who will be in the global conversations in just a |
| teachers, ed tech specialists and school | | | | few months and in our global political future. |
| administrators who might have never otherwise | | | | Providing such a tool and entry to the outside |
| considered these options. In these cases, | | | | world for not just students, but also for their |
| participants see that there is no great loss in | | | | families, for that is part of the purpose, can build |
| function with this configuration whereas the cost | | | | a growing wave of social change through many |
| for this equipment is a small fraction of a | | | | forms of literacy and understanding. When the |
| conventional school lab. This is because of two | | | | walls of Equity and Access are broken down in |
| obvious major factors 1), the hardware are not | | | | even in these small ways, the opportunities are |
| stand alone computers, and 2) the operating | | | | many for people to rise in to new possibilities. |
| system is open source. Hardware costs and | | | | Penguins, open source, education and $100 laptop |
| upgrade costs are also greatly reduced, as well as | | | | have much empowering potential for the children |
| the fact that software licensing and upgrades are | | | | of the world, adults and nations. |