Abstract
The One Laptop Per Child project initiated by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is to create a practical learning tool for children in impoverished households in remote areas worldwide. Notebook PCs for this project will be distributed through government agencies to schools that sign up for the project; therefore, this is deemed a charitable initiative. In the PC industry, the emphasis has been placed on the US$100 concept in the early stages of the project in a bid to get enterprises involved. The industry has focused more on the low-cost aspect than on the charitable objectives of the initiative. This report will examine the significance of this project for the development of the IT sector and the challenges for the initiative, as well as possible strategies for the IT industry to develop a low-cost PC similar to the OLPC models.
OLPC is a bold, innovative project with a worthy goal-that of promoting IT adoption among the digitally disadvantaged. However, both OLPC and the other low-price PC initiatives that have been launched recently all have to make difficult trade-offs between functionality and cost. To overcome the challenges, PC vendors may have to do some adjustment in terms of the PC specifications and architecture as well as their business models.
Replacing Traditional Specifications with Modular Designs
To achieve economies of scale and keep production cost down, OLPC adopted uniform specifications for its notebook PCs. With a modular design, it should be possible to achieve both economies of scale and more flexible product architecture.
As regards the hardware, a range of different processing, storage, and networking modules could be designed, and then combined in different combinations to meet the needs of individual regional markets. For example, depending on the IT infrastructure in each country, the networking function of the notebook PCs could be designed to support either 3G or WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access).
A similar approach could be adopted with the software. Different application program modules could be designed for use by different age groups, in line with the functions provided by the relevant hardware modules. By changing the combination of modules, notebook PCs could also be created to meet the needs of adult learners or other groups with special requirements.
Adopting Traditional Client-Server Architecture
The OLPC philosophy stresses the need for children to be able to make free use of the notebook PCs, using mesh networks to connect with other devices and access the Internet. The emphasis is on child-centered education, and on making learning fun, rather than on traditional, systematic, curriculum-based learning. It remains to be seen how well this concept will work in those countries that have a different attitude towards education; there is also the question of how children protect and maintain the security of applications for the notebook PCs.
Adoption of the traditional client-server architecture will make it possible for teachers to distribute the software application modules to be used on the individual students' client-end device, facilitating the implementation of a more systematic approach to learning. At the same time, by concentrating networking and processing functions in the teacher's server-end PC, the production cost for the children's client-end devices could be significantly reduced.
Focusing on Information Service Integration
A far more important issue than whether to opt for a uniform specification or a modular design, or whether to use mesh network or client-server architecture, is the question of global logistics, maintenance, and user training.
It may be that a completely different mindset is needed. Rather than viewing this challenge from the point of view of an IT hardware vendor, it might be more helpful to think in terms of service integration. Vendors can develop a range of different service models to meet the needs of different groups of users-ranging from schoolchildren in Nigeria to shopkeepers in India-in compliance with the social and economic environments in different regions. Such business models will ensure that people in whatever age group and from all classes can make use of information technology to access global information networks.
With this model, the service platform could make use of a wide range of different terminal products, including not only PCs but also mobile phones and mobile TV devices. With the restrictions on hardware and software specifications, functions, and architecture removed, the entire application system could be built around the specific needs of the people that will be using the services.