Technology

There’s a business strategy that states, “If you can grasp the youth of today, you will have cornered the market of tomorrow.” This was the gamble that Steve Jobs took back in the 1980’s with the introduction of Apple computers to the public school system. Computer time was offered as part of the daily curriculum from grade schools through high schools. The graphical interface was appealing, and computers weren’t something viewed with temerity, but excitement. Mr. Job’s was right: the children weren’t afraid and wanted a computer of their very own.

But does that gamble necessarily pay off when it comes to technology? Advances in electronics and program capabilities occur so rapidly that what is bought today as leading edge is obsolete in a matter of years. The risk of inculcating a generation of children to see a return in ten to fifteen years is anything but safe. The Apple generation of children that joined the work-force found that PCs ruled the business world, albeit in the guise of a GUI interface.

Microsoft is willing to take that chance as they team up with the One Laptop Per Child project. Originally devised as a way to get cheap, affordable, useful technology into the hands of children in third-world countries, One Laptop Per Child was developed with open-source software. However, it has recently partnered with Microsoft to run its hardware with Windows XP and other proprietary software packages. While this has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many open-source proponents, OLPC founder Nicholas Negroponte continues to hold the line that the goal is to bring education, not just open source, to children.

If Apple’s strategy didn’t work back in the 80’s, why would Microsoft pursue a twenty year-old technique? It’s called hedging your bets. If the OLPC project succeeds, Microsoft has successfully introduced its products to an entire generation of emerging markets. If the project fails, Microsoft still makes significant inroads into international markets and garners good public relations for making an effort.

Initial reviews of the OLPC are quite favorable. A sturdy yet fun design, economic use of resources to maximize limited energy sources, and built-in features designed to facilitate collaboration make the OLPC machine pure genius. With the Microsoft software, the price per unit has seen a minimal increase to $198. Children who once would never have had the opportunity to become familiar with computers are now able to actually use one of their very own.

The real question is: What are the children learning? With open-source software, the OLPC units are able to run various applications, collaborate without internet connections, and allow end users to view and modify the code that runs their programs. With the installation of Windows XP and other Microsoft proprietary software, OLPC users will also familiarize themselves with more “business world” applications. It seems that the opportunity to learn reading, writing, and arithmetic aren’t the only things to be gained, but also how to become a business-ready employee and consumer. It remains to be seen which will be more beneficial, and for whom, in the long run.

By Alicen Hogan