2007 will be the coming of One Laptop Per Child in the mainstream news networks.

I’d like to follow on this blog the coming interesting features of this new platform, because it could be the birth of a revolution.
Just imagine how access to Information Technology could change part of this world. Some people would argue that it would be more important to bring water, food, medecine… but today all we can bring is this new computer, to a very special population: children…

I predict it would be a hit, even children from occidental countries would dream about getting one of these wonderful new tech-candies. Let’s show some interesting features included in the package.

Interesting features

You can get more information about OLPC computer on The OLPC Wiki

Sugar UI

How to change people mind about computing? Just creating a new UI.

At the beginning, it’s just a piece of plastic, then it’s a metaphor on the world. Sugar is centered around people and activity, really social oriented. This is not an office, with a ‘desk’ and some ‘files’ to archive, this is about

“View Source Code” key

Which is the most boring key on all your 80’s keyboard? CAPS LOCK? Verr. Num.?

Special bonus for all geeky children in the world – it would probably not be more than 5% of final destination – there is a “View source code” key on the OLPC keyboard. This special key would allow children to read the code of the application they’re using, and probably modify it if they need too.

The stuff disturbing me here is that we won’t be able to know which improvements will be created on these platform by some of the most creatives mind, unless there’s a control on the computer code, or unless the children are smart enough to join or create some open-source communities, but that’s already a lot of steps to climb.