Friday, June 22, 2012

Xo Service Project for One Laptop Per Child




We had to disassemble the computers, unbrick them, reassemble them and reflash the hard drives.
We fixed 55 XO computers for kids in Haiti!
The XO computers are designed to be rugged, inexpensive and durable.
Twelve screws to get inside the laptops for repair.  We only lost a couple.
A fixed XO laptop ready to be shipped to third world schools.  Without our help these computers would just have sat on a shelf unused.
We recently traveled to Nancie Sever's house, she helped us to help others in third world Country's to have computers. She also fed us a wonderful lunch!

Donate to OLPC

- Fib Four


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Background:
Do you have a XO computer in your closet not being used?  The story behind these computers that we fixed is that years ago many people took part in the one for one promotion.  If you bought a XOcomputer, one would be donated.  Well, a lot of people played around with their XO and then put them in the closet.  Two years ago when the earthquake struck Haiti, a plea went out for computer donations.  People sent then to a collection area in Texas but the problem was the computer either had dead batteries or had been "timed out" or "bricked" because they were old and hadn't been updated.  For two years these computers sat, never making it to Haiti.  Until Nancie Sever and the Fib Four fixed them!


Something that might seem like a toy to people used to the latest, greatest computer gadgets, don't always understand the impact this technology these computers can have in impoverished countries.  Some of the applications on the computers are things like games that teach kids to avoid land mines, learning to read, write, math and communication apps.


Consider this Rwanda student's project on an XO -  "I am doing a documentary project on how to avoid AIDS by collecting all the necessary information on the disease so that I can use it to teach my friends its dangers," explained Shyaka.


Computers are a powerful communication and educational tool that are not available to most impoverished areas. - Coach Ed

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