Comments on: How the 2nd gen XO could succeed as a boost for e-books in developing countries http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/22/how-the-2nd-gen-xo-could-succeed-as-a-boost-for-e-books-in-developing-countries/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:45:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/22/how-the-2nd-gen-xo-could-succeed-as-a-boost-for-e-books-in-developing-countries/#comment-809411 David Rothman Fri, 23 May 2008 17:49:09 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/22/how-the-2nd-gen-xo-could-succeed-as-a-boost-for-e-books-in-developing-countries/#comment-809411 Hi, Pond. Many thanks for your thoughtful analysis. I myself have reservations about the keyboard, but, oh, what an interesting e-book reader the XO-2 could be. And if that means a USB add-on keyboard, so be it. There are other concerns about the keyboard which I'll address in another post. But all in all, I see a place for the XO-2. It's already winning favorable comments from people in the book trade. Perhaps in the end schools will use dirt-cheap, networked PCs for creation-heavy work and turn the kids loose with the XO-2 to read at home. Not the ideal solution in many areas with problematic or no electricity. But it could happen. Yet another possibility would be to give governments the choice of XO-1s or -2s or mixes thereof. Thanks again, Pond. Keep commenting! This-here XO debate needs all kinds of perspectives, as opposed to unmitigated cheer-leading. David Hi, Pond. Many thanks for your thoughtful analysis. I myself have reservations about the keyboard, but, oh, what an interesting e-book reader the XO-2 could be. And if that means a USB add-on keyboard, so be it. There are other concerns about the keyboard which I’ll address in another post. But all in all, I see a place for the XO-2. It’s already winning favorable comments from people in the book trade.

Perhaps in the end schools will use dirt-cheap, networked PCs for creation-heavy work and turn the kids loose with the XO-2 to read at home. Not the ideal solution in many areas with problematic or no electricity. But it could happen. Yet another possibility would be to give governments the choice of XO-1s or -2s or mixes thereof.

Thanks again, Pond. Keep commenting! This-here XO debate needs all kinds of perspectives, as opposed to unmitigated cheer-leading.

David

]]> By: pond http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/22/how-the-2nd-gen-xo-could-succeed-as-a-boost-for-e-books-in-developing-countries/#comment-809390 pond Fri, 23 May 2008 17:19:15 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/22/how-the-2nd-gen-xo-could-succeed-as-a-boost-for-e-books-in-developing-countries/#comment-809390 We must always remember that anything from the mouth of Mr Negroponte is tantamount to a pronouncement from Pointy-Haired Boss or CEO in the comic strip 'Dilbert' -- a mashup of buzzwords based on wishes, and no engineering understanding whatsoever. 1 watt, for example. I wonder if 2 eInk screens could come in for under 1 watt. How much wireless mesh power can be pushed out there for 1/4, or 1/10 of a watt? They wish for 1 watt total, that's both screens, wireless, cpu, gpu, RAM, --- the works. As for the keyboard, we must look also to the size anticipated. Let's say it is A5 size, or 6x9 inches, around there -- the press release says it will be 'half' the size of the current XO but that may take into account the third dimension. It does seem very likely that if they aim at halving the power, the two screens will be only half the size of the current screen. This fits in with the price goal as well, as 2 A5 screens are likely to be a good deal cheaper than a single A4 screen. Okay, who wants to type on a screen that is so small? A software-based keyboard can have small and large keys, as well as come in any language localization, on the same hardware chassis. It seems likely an outboard USB keyboard will be a nice accessory. As for the ebook readers, David, remember that the XO2 will be based on Microsoft Windows, either XP or a small-module flavor of Windows7. That should give us all the commercial ereaders available for the device. And yet, I cannot help adding that this thing will never see the light of day. I think they could do a good job on something like this, today: just take the guts of a PalmV and hook it up to a Pixel Qi screen. Everything to come from OLPC depends on 2 things: 1. Getting a CEO who can lead a team and produce. 2. Getting Mr Negroponte 'retired' into international pitchman, chief cheerleader for the project, a role he is well suited to play, and get him away from all hardware and software development. We must always remember that anything from the mouth of Mr Negroponte is tantamount to a pronouncement from Pointy-Haired Boss or CEO in the comic strip ‘Dilbert’ — a mashup of buzzwords based on wishes, and no engineering understanding whatsoever.

1 watt, for example. I wonder if 2 eInk screens could come in for under 1 watt. How much wireless mesh power can be pushed out there for 1/4, or 1/10 of a watt? They wish for 1 watt total, that’s both screens, wireless, cpu, gpu, RAM, — the works.

As for the keyboard, we must look also to the size anticipated. Let’s say it is A5 size, or 6×9 inches, around there — the press release says it will be ‘half’ the size of the current XO but that may take into account the third dimension. It does seem very likely that if they aim at halving the power, the two screens will be only half the size of the current screen. This fits in with the price goal as well, as 2 A5 screens are likely to be a good deal cheaper than a single A4 screen.

Okay, who wants to type on a screen that is so small? A software-based keyboard can have small and large keys, as well as come in any language localization, on the same hardware chassis.

It seems likely an outboard USB keyboard will be a nice accessory.

As for the ebook readers, David, remember that the XO2 will be based on Microsoft Windows, either XP or a small-module flavor of Windows7. That should give us all the commercial ereaders available for the device.

And yet, I cannot help adding that this thing will never see the light of day. I think they could do a good job on something like this, today: just take the guts of a PalmV and hook it up to a Pixel Qi screen.

Everything to come from OLPC depends on 2 things:

1. Getting a CEO who can lead a team and produce.
2. Getting Mr Negroponte ‘retired’ into international pitchman, chief cheerleader for the project, a role he is well suited to play, and get him away from all hardware and software development.

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