OLPC's Hidden Killer App: Ultimate E-Book Reader

MMascaro · 02-07-2009, 11:57 AM

From Wired.com http://blog.wired.com/business/2009/...ome-polis.html

An interesting bit here on other uses of equipment. The statement about limited books is interesting.

________________________________________
As the One Laptop Per Child project scrambles to revitalize itself after numerous setbacks, staff layoffs and dismal sales, it could find the footing it needs to survive by playing to its product's hidden strength as a low-priced, take-it-anywhere e-book reader.

The OLPC's XO Children's Machine is still a little clunky around the edges, and the availability of free, modern e-books is slim. But several open source projects are emerging that promise to improve the XO's capability as an e-book reader.

Bender says he can't speak for OLPC regarding its sales strategy, but he does say that its laptop has a significant advantage: Unlike e-books devices like Amazon's Kindle or Sony's Reader, the XO is a fully featured computer.

"So while you can use it to read a PDF or wiki page," he says in an e-mail, "you can also use it to annotate pages, write commentary, or even publish your own book: consumer as producer."

About OLPCs future:
OLPC founder Nicholas Negroponte has been making the rounds with a mocked-up design of the next generation XO, a booklike dual screen computer with a hinge. Negroponte says the new hardware will be ready in 2010.

Robotech_Master · 02-08-2009, 12:16 PM

Heh. Not only does the article get the OLPC's price wrong ($400, not $200) but it's also over a year late in noticing the OLPC makes a great e-book reader. TeleRead mentioned it back in November '07.

HarryT · 02-08-2009, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robotech_Master

Heh. Not only does the article get the OLPC's price wrong ($400, not $200) but it's also over a year late in noticing the OLPC makes a great e-book reader. TeleRead mentioned it back in November '07.

It's $400 in the "buy one, give one away" programme, but that's because you're buying two of them.

Robotech_Master · 02-08-2009, 12:23 PM

Yep. But the article just said it cost $200, and compared that price favorably to the Kindle at $360 and the Sony at $370—when what anyone who read the article would be paying, if the G1G1 program were active, would be $400.

02-07-2009, 11:57 AM	#1
MMascaro Connoisseur Posts: 96 Karma: 903 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Maryland USA Device: HP mini 1035/Sony Reader	OLPC's Hidden Killer App: Ultimate E-Book Reader From Wired.com http://blog.wired.com/business/2009/...ome-polis.html An interesting bit here on other uses of equipment. The statement about limited books is interesting. ________________________________________ As the One Laptop Per Child project scrambles to revitalize itself after numerous setbacks, staff layoffs and dismal sales, it could find the footing it needs to survive by playing to its product's hidden strength as a low-priced, take-it-anywhere e-book reader. The OLPC's XO Children's Machine is still a little clunky around the edges, and the availability of free, modern e-books is slim. But several open source projects are emerging that promise to improve the XO's capability as an e-book reader. Bender says he can't speak for OLPC regarding its sales strategy, but he does say that its laptop has a significant advantage: Unlike e-books devices like Amazon's Kindle or Sony's Reader, the XO is a fully featured computer. "So while you can use it to read a PDF or wiki page," he says in an e-mail, "you can also use it to annotate pages, write commentary, or even publish your own book: consumer as producer." About OLPCs future: OLPC founder Nicholas Negroponte has been making the rounds with a mocked-up design of the next generation XO, a booklike dual screen computer with a hinge. Negroponte says the new hardware will be ready in 2010.

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02-08-2009, 12:16 PM	#2
Robotech_Master Addict Posts: 359 Karma: 1321 Join Date: May 2006	Heh. Not only does the article get the OLPC's price wrong ($400, not $200) but it's also over a year late in noticing the OLPC makes a great e-book reader. TeleRead mentioned it back in November '07.

02-08-2009, 12:23 PM	#4
Robotech_Master Addict Posts: 359 Karma: 1321 Join Date: May 2006	Yep. But the article just said it cost $200, and compared that price favorably to the Kindle at $360 and the Sony at $370—when what anyone who read the article would be paying, if the G1G1 program were active, would be $400.