The pain of OLPC

The OLPC is an amazing little device. Unfortunately, the altruists who are running the project haven�t gotten far enough, and they�re laying off staff (although they have managed to get 500,000 laptops to the third world).

I admit to being completely baffled by the organization�s model. They practically refuse to sell these machines to the public � a public that really wants them. The only way to get one was to buy one off eBay (overpriced) or to do a give-one, get-one deal at $400.

It�s just bizarre to me that they wouldn�t sell these � think of all the parents who might get these little things for their kids as their first computer; or the people who simply want to experiment and play with a cheap, high-quality open-source device. The decisions by OLPC show an incredible arrogance and ignorance of basic economics.

Hey, OLPC: Get off your high-horse and do something that the business world learned a long time ago: When a customer wants to buy something, LET THEM BUY IT.

Then, maybe, you can get enough funds to actually do what you want to do.

Alex Eckelberry