Comments for OLPC in NYC http://olpcnyc.wordpress.com a project of Teaching Matters, KAPPA IV and the NYC DOE Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:25:14 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Schools interested in XO by Jerry R. http://olpcnyc.wordpress.com/2008/02/05/schools-interested-in-xo/#comment-225 Jerry R. Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:25:14 +0000 http://olpcnyc.wordpress.com/?p=28#comment-225 Also, on #1 concerning carts: This is a good point. Traditional carts designed for laptops are not suitable and waste a huge amount of space. While it would be nice to think solar re-charging or charge-at-home would solve the problem, classrooms should still have the ability to safely store and re-charge them. There is a cart that is already available for netbooks that can be adapted for the XO. It looks like it has been configured keeping in mind elementary and middle school students, with a lower height and more manageable size. It also allows students to access the cart from two sides so it is easier to get the devices out (and put them back in). After the initial set-up, all the wires are hidden. The vendor that created it works with the New York Schools and its products are also offered by many of the major computer sellers. Their web site even shows XOs in a recent application. You can see it here: http://www.pc-security.com/products_solutions/carts_cabinets_cases/DS-NSC-32-MINI.htm The bicycle chain mentioned in one of the other posts is certainly a way to secure them, but vandalism and general mischief is as much a concern in classrooms as casual theft. I would think teachers would want to close them up and keep them out of site, which means a good locking cart or cabinet would be important. One that is compact and easy to move there it is used would be good. Also, on #1 concerning carts: This is a good point. Traditional carts designed for laptops are not suitable and waste a huge amount of space. While it would be nice to think solar re-charging or charge-at-home would solve the problem, classrooms should still have the ability to safely store and re-charge them.

There is a cart that is already available for netbooks that can be adapted for the XO. It looks like it has been configured keeping in mind elementary and middle school students, with a lower height and more manageable size. It also allows students to access the cart from two sides so it is easier to get the devices out (and put them back in). After the initial set-up, all the wires are hidden.

The vendor that created it works with the New York Schools and its products are also offered by many of the major computer sellers. Their web site even shows XOs in a recent application.

You can see it here: http://www.pc-security.com/products_solutions/carts_cabinets_cases/DS-NSC-32-MINI.htm

The bicycle chain mentioned in one of the other posts is certainly a way to secure them, but vandalism and general mischief is as much a concern in classrooms as casual theft. I would think teachers would want to close them up and keep them out of site, which means a good locking cart or cabinet would be important. One that is compact and easy to move there it is used would be good.

]]> Comment on Installing Flash on the OLPC by a2b1c3 http://olpcnyc.wordpress.com/2007/12/22/installing-flash-on-the-olpc/#comment-221 a2b1c3 Fri, 05 Dec 2008 19:49:02 +0000 http://olpcnyc.wordpress.com/2007/12/22/installing-flash-on-the-olpc/#comment-221 If you have official firefox for sugar go to /home/olpc/Activitys/Firefox*/plugins/ do wget http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/install_flash_player_10_linux.tar.gz then gunzip install*.tar.gz then tar -xf install*.tar /home/olpc/Activitys/Fire*/plugins/libflashplayer.so or something like that you need to get libflashplayer.so into your plugin foulder for your brower look at google If you have official firefox for sugar go to /home/olpc/Activitys/Firefox*/plugins/
do wget http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/install_flash_player_10_linux.tar.gz
then gunzip install*.tar.gz
then tar -xf install*.tar /home/olpc/Activitys/Fire*/plugins/libflashplayer.so

or something like that you need to get libflashplayer.so into your plugin foulder for your brower look at google

]]> Comment on Ubuntu on the XO – an answer to XP? by BuzzMoo.com » Blog Archive » GentXO http://olpcnyc.wordpress.com/2008/07/03/ubuntu-on-the-xo-an-answer-to-xp/#comment-206 BuzzMoo.com » Blog Archive » GentXO Wed, 03 Sep 2008 04:04:43 +0000 http://olpcnyc.wordpress.com/?p=78#comment-206 [...] goes to show the potential flexibility inherent in the platform. The OLPC NYC program, who are looking at Ubuntu as an option for kids who “outgrow” their original OSs, obviously feel the same [...] [...] goes to show the potential flexibility inherent in the platform. The OLPC NYC program, who are looking at Ubuntu as an option for kids who “outgrow” their original OSs, obviously feel the same [...]

]]> Comment on Ubuntu on the XO – an answer to XP? by eodonnell http://olpcnyc.wordpress.com/2008/07/03/ubuntu-on-the-xo-an-answer-to-xp/#comment-198 eodonnell Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:42:24 +0000 http://olpcnyc.wordpress.com/?p=78#comment-198 Nice - thanks Jay...I will look into that. Google Apps is really great, but not there yet for NYC schools because you have to rely on a stable internet connection for it to work....and if you get a few classrooms online all at once, then the internet is anything but stable. I'm holding out for Google Gears for classroom use....can't wait. Nice – thanks Jay…I will look into that. Google Apps is really great, but not there yet for NYC schools because you have to rely on a stable internet connection for it to work….and if you get a few classrooms online all at once, then the internet is anything but stable. I’m holding out for Google Gears for classroom use….can’t wait.

]]> Comment on Ubuntu on the XO – an answer to XP? by Jay http://olpcnyc.wordpress.com/2008/07/03/ubuntu-on-the-xo-an-answer-to-xp/#comment-197 Jay Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:38:35 +0000 http://olpcnyc.wordpress.com/?p=78#comment-197 Hi, Here is a great site for you: http://www.pendrivelinux.com/ I've run puppy linux off of a flash drive, and it was great. Also, considering the lack of power on the olpc, try one of the light and small distros like puppy or dam small linux. finally, I honestly think Google Docs will do what you need. Abiword et al is great, but why have two applications open when you can just run firefox, save your document with google and access it anywhere. Plus, you can download it to word, open office, pdf etc. just some thoughts. -j Hi,
Here is a great site for you:
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/

I’ve run puppy linux off of a flash drive, and it was great.

Also, considering the lack of power on the olpc, try one of the light and small distros like puppy or dam small linux.

finally, I honestly think Google Docs will do what you need. Abiword et al is great, but why have two applications open when you can just run firefox, save your document with google and access it anywhere. Plus, you can download it to word, open office, pdf etc.

just some thoughts.
-j

]]> Comment on Ubuntu on the XO – an answer to XP? by Evan ODonnell http://olpcnyc.wordpress.com/2008/07/03/ubuntu-on-the-xo-an-answer-to-xp/#comment-195 Evan ODonnell Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:52:19 +0000 http://olpcnyc.wordpress.com/?p=78#comment-195 Just installed abiword through the package manager. It loads very quickly - much faster than open-office. As far as I can tell it is a full-featured word processor and is easier to use than OpenOffice's....runs well on Ubuntu w/ XOffice on the OLPC. Just installed abiword through the package manager. It loads very quickly – much faster than open-office. As far as I can tell it is a full-featured word processor and is easier to use than OpenOffice’s….runs well on Ubuntu w/ XOffice on the OLPC.

]]> Comment on Ubuntu on the XO – an answer to XP? by Simon http://olpcnyc.wordpress.com/2008/07/03/ubuntu-on-the-xo-an-answer-to-xp/#comment-194 Simon Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:14:46 +0000 http://olpcnyc.wordpress.com/?p=78#comment-194 From the experience in my school on OSS, convincing the general population that OpenOffice is as good as MS Office is the key. They don't care about Windows at all. What they care about is Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The EeePC has been a big mover on getting corporate type people trying OpenOffice. Once OpenOffice is ubiquitous, the OS becomes irrelevant and so any device is a good device. Personally Ubuntu is the best OS (other than MacOS) that I have come across and I would happily use it as my daily OS. Simon@thefreemac. From the experience in my school on OSS, convincing the general population that OpenOffice is as good as MS Office is the key. They don’t care about Windows at all. What they care about is Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

The EeePC has been a big mover on getting corporate type people trying OpenOffice. Once OpenOffice is ubiquitous, the OS becomes irrelevant and so any device is a good device.

Personally Ubuntu is the best OS (other than MacOS) that I have come across and I would happily use it as my daily OS.

Simon@thefreemac.

]]> Comment on Our Bloggers by Dale http://olpcnyc.wordpress.com/our-bloggers/#comment-193 Dale Sat, 05 Jul 2008 13:32:13 +0000 http://olpcnyc.wordpress.com/?page_id=27#comment-193 I am curious if there are any OLPC support groups in Houston I am curious if there are any OLPC support groups in Houston

]]> Comment on Ubuntu on the XO – an answer to XP? by eodonnell http://olpcnyc.wordpress.com/2008/07/03/ubuntu-on-the-xo-an-answer-to-xp/#comment-189 eodonnell Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:16:18 +0000 http://olpcnyc.wordpress.com/?p=78#comment-189 It is a lot - it certainly isn't fast, but it also isn't too slow to make you not want to use it. The nice thing about open office, is once you launch one application the rest of them open quickly. Any suggestions on a configuration that you think might be more ideal are certainly welcome. My only requirements are a desktop environment that boots up immediately, firefox (2 or 3) and a wordprocessor (I was thinking abiword might be a good alternative?). It is a lot – it certainly isn’t fast, but it also isn’t too slow to make you not want to use it. The nice thing about open office, is once you launch one application the rest of them open quickly.

Any suggestions on a configuration that you think might be more ideal are certainly welcome. My only requirements are a desktop environment that boots up immediately, firefox (2 or 3) and a wordprocessor (I was thinking abiword might be a good alternative?).

]]> Comment on Ubuntu on the XO – an answer to XP? by Tom Hoffman http://olpcnyc.wordpress.com/2008/07/03/ubuntu-on-the-xo-an-answer-to-xp/#comment-188 Tom Hoffman Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:32:52 +0000 http://olpcnyc.wordpress.com/?p=78#comment-188 OK... but running all that stuff (not to mention XP) is probably a bad idea anyhow because of the CPU and memory restrictions of the XO. The question becomes what is the sweet spot? XFCE? OK… but running all that stuff (not to mention XP) is probably a bad idea anyhow because of the CPU and memory restrictions of the XO. The question becomes what is the sweet spot? XFCE?

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