Agentless Backup is Not a Myth
Wireless
When the XO boots, it cycles through all unsecured access points in range until it finds one it can connect to. To choose one manually, click on the Neighborhood icon then click the desired access point. If the AP is secured, it will prompt for a password. To stop communication with an access point, hover the mouse over the AP's icon and click Disconnect.
XO's neighborhood view
Click to enlarge
The XO couldn't initially see my Actiontec GT704-WG DSL router. Switching the ESSID from 9 to 5 allowed the XO find it and connect. There were reports on the OLPC Wiki about similar connectivity issues with other routers.
The Journal
The Journal is the XO's combined file manager and activity log. It shows a timed-based view of activities performed, as well as saved files.
The XO's main journal view
Along the bottom of the screen are icons showing the Journal view, along with an inserted USB drive and SD card. To show a device's contents, click on the device. To copy a file, click and drag it onto the target device's icon. To remove a device, hover the mouse over it and select Unmount.
To open a file, click the gray button on the far right. The Journal will open it in the default activity for that file type.
To perform other file actions, click on the entry's title.
The XO: Start working from the journal
Click to enlarge
The top icons, left to right are: Go Back to Journal, Erase, Copy to Clipboard or other device, and Resume (open). To open a file in a non-default activity, hover the mouse over the Resume icon to list other applications that can open the file and click on one.
Clicking the star marks an item as a Favorite. Typing in the text box renames a file. Below the filename is a preview section. The preview is blank initially and will be generated the first time the item is opened from the Journal. Finally, there are text fields for Description and Tags.
The observant reader will notice that there are no folders in the Journal. The OLPC foundation has a disdain for file system hierarchies, preferring a time- and activity based metaphor. If the Journal opens a USB or SD card that has folders, it will show a listing of all files on the device as one flat list.
The problem with this approach is that the underlying computer is very much based on a hierarchical file system. Since the children are encouraged by the system to view source code and to create their own programs, they'll have to learn how the file system works anyway. The OLPC folk argue that children don't think like adults, but the concept of putting stuff in a container to keep it organized is as useful to a developing-world child as it is to a first-world adult.
The idea of an activity-based Journal has merits, but combining it with file storage is very confusing. If the user saves a document ten times, there will be ten separate entries (and copies) in the Journal. Consider how hard it would be to find a file in a journal with dozens of pictures, MP3s, text files, etc mixed in with a list of every program executed. The Journal does allow filtering by activity/object type and access time, but this is unreliable. For example, filtering for audio or video failed to show any MP3, Ogg or AVI files.
The built-in activities don't allow files to be opened from within a program. Instead, the Journal must be used to open files one at a time. To listen to music, click on a song file in the Journal and it will launch a player. When it is finished, close the app, then switch back to the Journal and repeat for the next song. No playlists or photo albums here, folks.
Next page: Browsing
COMMENTS
Eee PC FTW.
Maybe what they should do is ruggedize/childproof a low end EEE PC instead, or just rework the installed software. As much as I dislike the fact the EEE PC base 'nix is Xandros, it does work quite well.
It sounds like the bundled software on this OLPC is far from ideal.
Read the "Case Study" of Arahuay Before Opinionating
As posted by "Jansen":
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_Peru/Arahuay
I find it impressive in detailing the XO's impact, but it also highlights the importance of structural preparation and support within the country receiving the XO's. There has to be some kind of educational infrastructure and context in which to integrate the XO. These machines cannot just be "thrown" at the students in hopes something magical will happen - it does take supporting effort, and it seems Peru is making that effort, as well as providing valuable feedback to OLPC to improve the XO, which it seems to have taken seriously.
My wife teaches first grade at a North Carolina inner-city school, and had her eyes opened a bit as to what "underprivleged" means in a non-American context. She has kids on welfare with no parental interest (or often even presence) who would be considered "wealthy" by the Peruvian kids who have received XO's with a great deal of gratitude and keen interest.
I doubt a number of her students would be nearly as appreciative or motivated by an XO because they have been spoiled by ready access to technology for purely entertainment purposes even if they don't have decent housing/clothing/medical care/etc by (US "standards"). It is all a matter of context.
We have ordered an XO with the "Give One, Get One" program to see if it could be of use in her context. I can provide the Linux support, and she uses Mint Linux at home on an almost constant basis (strictly as a "Gnome end-user" ;-), so it should be "interesting".
Think outside the box, but focus on the objective here of bringing the enabling technology to those who have not had any such exposure before. The Arahuay example is very instructive in how much can be accomplished when done right. It remains to be seen how sustainable the effort is, and how well it can be replicated in other locales. It needs CONSTRUCTIVE criticism to succeed, and not just nay-saying based on pre-conceived notions.
ROC
@Andre
I maintain the effort is *useless* without proper support -- training, maintenance, reposition, content creation in Portuguese -- do you trust our government to do it? Without it how is it going to reduce the digital divide?
It is just yet another waste of money from a government that likes to be seen doing things.
xjy got it right -- solving illiteracy is way more important. Ability to learn and use knowledge is a far more effective tool for citizenship than a shiny nifty probably-unsupported toy.
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