There’s no denying the fact that the winter holidays seem to start earlier every year. And as annoying as it is to see American commercials and stores instantly transition from Halloween to Christmas (completely ignoring Thanksgiving altogether), One Laptop per Child (OLPC) couldn’t start their “Give One Get One” program early enough. Tis the season to be tech-savvy.
From November 12 to 26, the non-profit organization asks those in the U.S. and Canada to purchase two XO children's laptops for $399 U.S. Participants keep one laptop to give to a loved one and the other is sent to a child in a developing region such as Afghanistan, Cambodia, Haiti, Rwanda, or elsewhere.
"Since announcing the Give One Get One program eight weeks ago, we've experienced a tremendous outpouring of public support," said Nicholas Negroponte, founder and chairman of One Laptop per Child. "OLPC is about learning not laptops. It is wonderful to see how many people deeply care about empowering children, who in turn are the world's most important natural resource."
The XO laptop is not available in retail stores, according to OLPC. The unit is designed for low power consumption, using 5% to 10% less power than the average laptop. It also has a hi-res screen suited for direct sunlight or dim indoors, can be powered by solar energy and human energy with pull cords and hand cranks, a mesh (peer-to-peer) network that turns each unit into a full-time router connecting each laptop for Internet access, runs on free, open source software, and contains no lead, mercury, cadmium or PVC.
OLPC began its work in 2005. The association hopes to empower the lesser privileged by providing one connected laptop to every child, giving them an equal chance and availability to resources that would otherwise be beyond their fingertips.
You can read more or participate by visiting http://www.laptopgiving.org or call 1-877-70-LAPTOP (1-877-705-2786).