The announcement by the Indian government project to produce a digital tablet estimated at $ 35 (" Low Cost access-Cum-Computing Device Unveiled by Shri Kapil Sibal ", The Hindu, 23.07.2010) has attracted much comment, sometimes skeptical of the advertised cost and feasibility of the project, especially since it followed the sad story of the PC for $ 10 .
This tablet is associated with the educational program " Sakshat ", the" National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology "(NMEICT), and the project" National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning "(NPTEL) for creation of digital content for education .
In addition, other projects tablets are emerging in India, as one that was developed by the company allgo Embedded Systems , based in Bangalore (India), talent pool and the birthplace of Simputer , his legendary predecessor. This tablet was presented at the "Freescale Technology Forum" (21-24 June 2010, Orlando, United Kingdom), as shown in this video:
The figure of $ 35, often highlighted by the media, refers to the nomenclature of the product (the "Bill Of Materials"). Following statements tinged with controversy Minister of India, which pose the new tablet competitor of OLPC, several comments were published, including the independent news website OLPCNews:
- " How would you Accelerate the adoption of OLPC in India? "
- " MHRD India Should Stop Attacking One Laptop Per Child "
- " The Real Tablet $ 35 from India: an OLPC Complement, not Competitor "
- " Needed: Reality Check on India's $ 35 Tablet Computer "
In India, the press puts the ad in context, as can be seen in the article " Low-cost PCs fail to boot up fast in India ", which recalls the challenge of industrialization of a research project and development in a country like India.
Nicholas Negroponte, the founder of the OLPC project, published about him on the OLPC blog an open letter (" Welcome: $ 35 tablet for education ") calling for a rapprochement between the two educational projects. We will reproduce below the full content, exclusively:
"Welcome: A tablet to 35 dollars for Education"
One Laptop per Child (OLPC) commends the Minister Kapil Sibal to promote a tablet to 35 dollars. Education is the first solutions to eradicate poverty, protect the environment and create peace in the world. Access to a laptop or a tablet connected is the fastest way to enable universal learning. We fully agree with you and ask you to consider this open letter as the starting of OLPC India to allow free access to all our technology and our experience based on 2 million laptops we have deployed in over 40 countries in 25 languages. The goal pursued by humanitarian and charitable our organization is the opposite of any desire to compete. Instead, we focus on collaboration and we invite you to act in the same spirit.
At the same time, let me share with you the six following suggestions:
1. The importance of targeting children aged 6 to 12 years. It is they who are the most precious natural resource of your nation. For primary students, a tablet is not about computing or school, it's about hope. Thus, passion is the first tool for learning.
2. Your tablet should mark the end of learning "by heart" rather than an instrument that would help. A creative society is not built on memorization of facts but on learning to learn. Repetition and practice are mechanisms inherited from the industrial era, at a time when the repetition and consistency were systematic. The digital age is itself one of the personalization, collaboration and ownership. The didactic approach of the OLPC project is known under the name of constructionism. We hope you love it too.
3. The tablets are the future. OLPC announced his eight months ago that. However, it should be attentive to one aspect of the tablets, that learning is not confined to the consumption of media. The challenge is to make a tool. By design, the iPad is a medium devoted to consumption. OLPC urge you not to make that mistake.
4. The material aspect is simpler. However, a robust hardware, a sunlight readable display and low power consumption characteristics are less obvious. Our computer is regularly fed by solar energy because it is by far the most portable energy efficient. Despite this, we must not neglect the human production of electricity - with a dynamo where other methods that children can use at night or when it rains. It would be wrong to stake everything on solar power. In addition, a robust hardware must be capable of supporting water or a fall from a height of 3 meters on a stone floor.
5. The software side is more difficult. The choice of Linux is the obvious, but whatever you do, do not make the mistake of making a dedicated system with a small number of functions. It is important that this is a general computer, allowing anyone to develop software, to invent applications and programming. We know that when children progress, they practice an ideal activity for "thinking about thinking." Similarly, when they correct their programs, they learn to learn. Here is the key.
6. Also, notice the most important and probably the easiest to overlook one of the view that I take the liberty to share with you is that of an industrial design firm. Make an affordable tablet not a tablet at a discount. Make sure it is attractive, that everyone wanted to have fun and love to have. Get inspiration from Apple on the matter, and also, why not OLPC. Paint it the best team of designers who are in India.
India is so huge that you have every chance to satisfy you in your market. But do not stop there because the world needs your leadership and your achievement! Your tablet is not an "answer" to the computer from OLPC XO or "competitor". It belongs to a family dedicated to peace and prosperity through the transformation through education. In conclusion, I reiterate my invitation to offer free and full access to all our technology. I urge you to send a team at MIT and OLPC at the time that suits you, so allow us to share our findings with you.
Nicholas Negroponte
Founder and President
One Laptop per Child Foundation
Cambridge, Massachusetts
USA
[N Traductio with "OLPC France" to " Welcome: $ 35 tablet for education "]
This open letter from Nicholas Negroponte she prefigures a connection between the proposed shelf announced by the Government of India and the OLPC? Time will tell. But one can not help in any case read the letter on "specifications" of what should be a tablet-like "XO-3":
- A tool for 6-12 years
- A tool for learning to learn,
- A tool to produce content not just to consume,
- A tool with a rugged, sunlight readable display and low power consumption,
- A tool based on a free and open
- A tool with a beautiful and sleek design.
No doubt the OLPC foundation is ambitious!
