The OX-9 as the One Laptop per Child program is now being called is a great idea and shows what's possible when technology is not overburdened. The design is functional and fantastic and would have a huge impact in the developing world. But the fact that the computer has to come from the government rather than through the public markets raises skepticism. Doing so limits the impact the laptops are going to have.
The problem is that it is limited to ONLY developing countries. Selling to the public would allow market forces to take the project to a greater level of empowerment and allow it to be measured up with ther products in the market. I am interested in this project not because of what it could do for the Children, because despite the promotions, only a very small amount of children will ever get their hands on this machine. But because it has opened a new door for less is more products. Somebody in the developed world that just needs a basic laptop could buy one of these. It would follow the same pattern the DACIA Logan has in Europe. The car is selling in Europe as strong as in the developing countries it was intended for.
The OX-9 will have a bottom-up shake up. on one side allowing kids learn programming and other computer skills early creating a new class of customers. On the other hand it would influence how technology is used in the developed world. To the advocates of the OX-9, sell it to the public as well as selling it to governments of developing countries and unleash the full potential of this innovative project.
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