This is really cool to be able to connect to the internet by wireless from another persons mesh network, I don’t have wireless.
The typing on this key board is difficult since the keys are so small. They seem to be made for like ta five to eight year old or someone with really small hands. The good part about the small keys is you have to type much slower, which means hopefully less errors.
This OLPC will be great for taking to the coffee shop and t0 do just a bunch of reading. This keyboard makes it tough and the buttons near the mouse pad are really small and if your not careful you end up moving the cursor and then typing somewhere else after you hit the left click.
That’s enough for now time for a bunch more reading on how to use this new device. Longer posts with photos will go up in the next day or so.
UPDATE – Added photo of both my laptops on the larger one, since I have not yet read enough to be able to do it from the OLPC.
So, did you write and publish this blog post from the laptop itself? Via the mesh network, you still can’t connect to locked (password protected) networks, can you?
It certainly looks slick and playful at the same time. I don’t think I would like to use it everyday. Same goes for the Eee PC.
@Martin I did write and publish this article from the OLPC. I used the mesh network from somewhere in the neighborhood, since I do not have wifi. I believe from what I have read so far that you can login into password protected networks as long as you have the password.
The only part I did not do on the OLPC was resize the photo and then put it on my server, along with then updating the post with the photo and the update message about the photo at the bottom of post.
@Russell it is a really cool thing. I have also seen the Eee PC and touch it when I went to a DC Blogger meet up that also had an OLPC meet up at RFD back in October. The Eee PC has a little bit bigger keyboard that I think would make it more useful.
I think this is going to be really nice and useful for going to the coffee shop and reading blogs, feeds, checking e-mail, maybe even Twittering for those of us without iPhones. I don’t see it as that easy to write blog posts on, since the typing is a lot slower for me at least right now.
This whole reply was done on the OLPC.
Congrats on getting it, John. You’ll have to bring it to the next standard translation; I know it wouldn’t make a lot of sense to type much on it, but it would be hip to have one of the pages originate from an OLPC 🙂
Cool! My kid is getting one for christmas, and I can’t wait to play with it! I’d love to hear more about the software it comes with and how easy it is to use (other than the size issues).
At St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub writting this comment on the OLPC.
@Matt I will bring it to the next “standard translation” meet up. It will be cool to make anaccessibility page using it.
@Kevin I will be playing with the software and other games Saturday evening and then Sunday trying to post about it on the blog. Hope it willbe in time for you and also useful for you.
John, that’s so exciting that you got your XO. I look forward to hearing your thoughts as time progresses.
I’d love to know how you connected through a mesh network. I’ve tried it a few times myself to no success.
Better yet, can you share your trick with the OLPC News XO Laptop Wireless Forum: http://olpcnews.com/forum/index.php?board=18.0
@Justin I will keep you informed of what is going on with my learning on the OLPC.
@Wayan I have not yet connected to the internet using the mesh network. I have gotten on to the interrnet using wifi at a few different coffee shop. I just posted a blogpsot that I explained what I have done to get to the internet. The blog post is at http://www.jfciii.com/blog/2007/12/25/more-helpful-information-for-the-olpc/