The Linux Laptop designed by Negroponte at MIT may be the most important piece of technology designed by Western civilization in the 21st century. Capable of doing mesh networking and running Linux, it will provide a new baseline of portable computing never seen before. Besides usage in education, it also promises a level of computer power and connectivity unseen in the rest of the developing world. It will be perfect for public safety and emergency use alone.
It is one of the tools needed now down in the dual hurricane strike zone in the US SOUTH.
It can work as an multimedia access point, etc. It may end up creating a new market for powerful lowend power computing. Companies at first wont sell this in the US, but I see these selling in Walmart within 2 quarters.
Some of you are worried about a new generation of script kiddies. I see a generation will be be raised on the contents and access of Google and Wikipedia. Students in the US will need this just to keep up with the rest of the world.
This product may single handedly turn the computing market upside down and make some giants out of molehills and kill or seriously maim Microsoft in the world market.
Let the maiming begin. Go Negroponte go.
Adam sans the handcrank on my laptop.
-----Original Message-----
From: Sid Boyce
At 07:48 AM 30/09/2005, Sid Boyce wrote:
B. Stia wrote:
Hello SuSE folk, Since this is an international list I thought many of you would not see this. I thought it is important for you to know. It was a newspaper article in the St. Petersburg Fl. Times. MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) has developed a very innovative and rugged $100 dollar laptop for children which is to be mass produced and runs Linux. Within a year 5 to 15 million will be produced for children in Brazil, China, Egypt, Thailand, and South Africa. Within a few years 100 to 150 million will be made and distributed to children all over the world. The State of Massachusettts will purchase 500,000 next year to distribute to their school children. To see the entire article visit the folowing URL. http://www.sptimes.com/2005/09/29/Worldandnation/Goal__100_laptop_for_.shtml
IMAGINE !!!! 100 million kids learning to use Linux !! Bob S.
A chilling thought, thousands of 7 year olds doing kernel development and writing Linux apps. Jon "Mad-dog" Hall some years ago told us at the London conference of such a kid who walked up to him at Atlanta and said "Mr. Hall, you may not remember me, but I sent you the Linux kernel patch that ..............". It gives King Billy a few more sheep to count at nights on top of the toasting Massachuchetts handed out and the thought that there are several more states and governments no doubt have their strategy defined for them and Mother MS knows best isn't working. Looking forward to the Linux World Conference and Exhibition at Olympia next week Wed/Thurs, shall be there on Wed to savour the delights and perhaps pick up a copy of SuSE 10.0. Regards Sid. /cut
scuse me, but the best programming I ever did was back when I was just out of teens, I was playing in assembler then, and that was at the beginning of the home computer age. I reackon I would have been even better if I had started earlier as i would not have any preconceived ideas on what and how something must be done!
scsijon
I can appreciate that, the older I've got, the less programming I've done, seems like a bygone age when the only way to decide whether a mainframe problem was hardware or software was to trawl through dumps and fixing hardware problems involved cycling through assembler instructions, checking registers and getting down to a failing logic gate. I wish I had that sort of knowledge of the much simpler PC architecture and instruction set. My C programming skills have all gone to pot as well. Regards Sid. -- Sid Boyce ... Hamradio License G3VBV, licensed Private Pilot Retired IBM/Amdahl Mainframes and Sun/Fujitsu Servers Tech Support Specialist Microsoft Windows Free Zone - Linux used for all Computing Tasks -- Check the headers for your unsubscription address For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the archives at http://lists.suse.com Please read the FAQs: suse-linux-e-faq@suse.com
On 02/10/05, Adam Vazquez Kb2jpd Internet Mobile w/ Treo
The Linux Laptop designed by Negroponte at MIT may be the most important piece of technology designed by Western civilization in the 21st century. Capable of doing mesh networking and running Linux, it will provide a new baseline of portable computing never seen before. Besides usage in education, it also promises a level of computer power and connectivity unseen in the rest of the developing world. It will be perfect for public safety and emergency use alone.
It is one of the tools needed now down in the dual hurricane strike zone in the US SOUTH.
It can work as an multimedia access point, etc. It may end up creating a new market for powerful lowend power computing. Companies at first wont sell this in the US, but I see these selling in Walmart within 2 quarters.
Some of you are worried about a new generation of script kiddies. I see a generation will be be raised on the contents and access of Google and Wikipedia. Students in the US will need this just to keep up with the rest of the world.
This product may single handedly turn the computing market upside down and make some giants out of molehills and kill or seriously maim Microsoft in the world market.
Let the maiming begin. Go Negroponte go.
Adam sans the handcrank on my laptop.
I can't help but wonder when Microsoft will send out the counterstrike. They will! They'll no doubt (probably already in negotiation) team up with a hardware manufacturer (they already produce the X Box don't forget and other hardware) and offer a laptop installed with the latest Windows which will probably be cut down. It will happen... -- ============================================== I am only human, please forgive me if I make a mistake it is not deliberate. ============================================== Take care. Kevan Farmer 34 Hill Street Cheslyn Hay Staffordshire WS6 7HR
On October 2, 2005 6:05 am, Kevanf1 wrote:
I can't help but wonder when Microsoft will send out the counterstrike. They will! They'll no doubt (probably already in negotiation) team up with a hardware manufacturer (they already produce the X Box don't forget and other hardware) and offer a laptop installed with the latest Windows which will probably be cut down. It will happen...
They've already teamed up with AMD for one machine. http://www.amdboard.com/pic.html I've been watching the development of these low cost systems. simputer http://www.simputer.org/ http://www.ncoretech.com/simputer/index.html mobilus http://www.ncoretech.com/ http://www.ncoretech.com/mobilis/pdf/mobilisbrochure.pdf I wish they were available here. I've been wanting a hand crank laptop since I saw the wind up radio, wondering when or if they'd produce a wind up power supply for other devices.. -- Collector of vintage computers http://www.ncf.ca/~ba600
Mike, On Sunday 02 October 2005 06:45, Mike wrote:
...
I wish they were available here. I've been wanting a hand crank laptop since I saw the wind up radio, wondering when or if they'd produce a wind up power supply for other devices..
Old meets new, eh? I've heard that the Eton Grundig FR200 can charge a cell phone, but I can't see mention of that capability on their Web site catalog. Even if it's true, it's pretty clear it could not power a laptop. They say 180 rotations of the crank over 90 seconds charges the internal lithium-ion battery enough for 40 to 60 minutes of operation. You'd probably have to operate the dynamo constantly to power a device like a laptop. Randall Schulz
On 02/10/05, Randall R Schulz
Mike,
On Sunday 02 October 2005 06:45, Mike wrote:
...
I wish they were available here. I've been wanting a hand crank laptop since I saw the wind up radio, wondering when or if they'd produce a wind up power supply for other devices..
Old meets new, eh?
I've heard that the Eton Grundig FR200 can charge a cell phone, but I can't see mention of that capability on their Web site catalog. Even if it's true, it's pretty clear it could not power a laptop. They say 180 rotations of the crank over 90 seconds charges the internal lithium-ion battery enough for 40 to 60 minutes of operation. You'd probably have to operate the dynamo constantly to power a device like a laptop.
Randall Schulz
Apparently one turn of the crank gives 10 minutes of usage. This 'clockwork' laptop was on the news a few days ago. No mention was given of the operating system though.... I was hoping Linux... -- ============================================== I am only human, please forgive me if I make a mistake it is not deliberate. ============================================== Take care. Kevan Farmer 34 Hill Street Cheslyn Hay Staffordshire WS6 7HR
On Sunday 02 October 2005 09:30 am, Kevanf1 wrote:
Apparently one turn of the crank gives 10 minutes of usage. This 'clockwork' laptop was on the news a few days ago. No mention was given of the operating system though.... I was hoping Linux...
--
Check http://www.media.mit.edu/ As far as I know, it WILL NOT run Windows but a "skinny version" of Linux. Negroponte said: "Software has gotten too fat and unreliable, so we started with Linux,". -- Best wishes, Alberto +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ Alberto Santana, Ph.D. Department of Chemistry University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez P.O. Box 9019 Phone: (787) 832-4040 x3760 Mayaguez PR 00681-9019 http://www.uprm.edu/~asantana +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ Powered by SuSE Linux Professional 9.2 (http://www.suse.com)
On October 2, 2005 10:23 am, Randall R Schulz wrote:
Mike,
On Sunday 02 October 2005 06:45, Mike wrote:
...
I wish they were available here. I've been wanting a hand crank laptop since I saw the wind up radio, wondering when or if they'd produce a wind up power supply for other devices..
Old meets new, eh?
I've heard that the Eton Grundig FR200 can charge a cell phone, but I can't see mention of that capability on their Web site catalog. Even if it's true, it's pretty clear it could not power a laptop. They say 180 rotations of the crank over 90 seconds charges the internal lithium-ion battery enough for 40 to 60 minutes of operation. You'd probably have to operate the dynamo constantly to power a device like a laptop.
I was thinking of something like the gumstik http://www.gumstix.org/tikiwiki/tiki-index.php?page=gumstix which draws <250 mA at 400MHz without Bluetooth. Bring back some LED status lights to let you know what's going on. Turn off the screen during a download and keep cranking until the light changes. My original thought was to hook up pedals, or a tredle, but a hand dynamo might do the trick. -- Collector of vintage computers http://www.ncf.ca/~ba600 Machines to trade http://www.ncf.ca/~ba600/trade.html Open Source Weekend http://www.osw.ca
Mike, On Sunday 02 October 2005 11:43, Mike wrote:
...
I was thinking of something like the gumstik
http://www.gumstix.org/tikiwiki/tiki-index.php?page=gumstix
which draws <250 mA at 400MHz without Bluetooth.
Bring back some LED status lights to let you know what's going on. Turn off the screen during a download and keep cranking until the light changes. My original thought was to hook up pedals, or a tredle, but a hand dynamo might do the trick.
I don't think it could be considered practical if continuous mechanical input is required. Also if the generator was far bigger than the device it powered, it would probably not be generally accepted. Another aspect of a practical device of this sort would be immunity from power loss, since it could be expected to occur regularly. I think realistically hydrocarbon or alcohol fuel cells or even tiny reciprocating or turbine heat engines may prove to be a practical solution to portable computing power supplies: http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/04/11/freedman1104.asp http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6559 http://radio.weblogs.com/0105910/2004/10/19.html Randall Schulz
On 02/10/05, Randall R Schulz
Mike,
On Sunday 02 October 2005 11:43, Mike wrote:
...
I was thinking of something like the gumstik
http://www.gumstix.org/tikiwiki/tiki-index.php?page=gumstix
which draws <250 mA at 400MHz without Bluetooth.
Bring back some LED status lights to let you know what's going on. Turn off the screen during a download and keep cranking until the light changes. My original thought was to hook up pedals, or a tredle, but a hand dynamo might do the trick.
I don't think it could be considered practical if continuous mechanical input is required. Also if the generator was far bigger than the device it powered, it would probably not be generally accepted.
Another aspect of a practical device of this sort would be immunity from power loss, since it could be expected to occur regularly.
I think realistically hydrocarbon or alcohol fuel cells or even tiny reciprocating or turbine heat engines may prove to be a practical solution to portable computing power supplies:
http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/04/11/freedman1104.asp http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6559 http://radio.weblogs.com/0105910/2004/10/19.html
Randall Schulz
The one I have seen demonstrated on a tv news report was excellent. It was slim, not a bit bulky and the charging handle/crank was akin to a fishing reel handle. If you know about the ABU series of multiplier reel than think that. They looked cool :-) and very desirable. I am starting to think that there are a number of these projects being worked on now though. -- ============================================== I am only human, please forgive me if I make a mistake it is not deliberate. ============================================== Take care. Kevan Farmer 34 Hill Street Cheslyn Hay Staffordshire WS6 7HR
On Sun, 2005-10-02 at 21:30 +0100, Kevanf1
The one I have seen demonstrated on a tv news report was excellent. It was slim, not a bit bulky and the charging handle/crank was akin to a fishing reel handle. If you know about the ABU series of multiplier reel than think that. They looked cool :-) and very desirable. I am starting to think that there are a number of these projects being worked on now though. --
There was a radio minister who had a tape player which worked by hand crank so people out in the boondocks of whatever continent could play his sermons. Apparently they were a hit with missionarys because they did not need to carry the extra weight of batteries into the bush. There is another solution in solar cell chargers which are sold for use on boats and RV's to keep their batteries charged. Boats needing the double sized ones. Much more voltage than a computer needed but nicely compact about the size of a keyboard. CWSIV
On 03/10/05, Carl William Spitzer IV
On Sun, 2005-10-02 at 21:30 +0100, Kevanf1
The one I have seen demonstrated on a tv news report was excellent. It was slim, not a bit bulky and the charging handle/crank was akin to a fishing reel handle. If you know about the ABU series of multiplier reel than think that. They looked cool :-) and very desirable. I am starting to think that there are a number of these projects being worked on now though. --
There was a radio minister who had a tape player which worked by hand crank so people out in the boondocks of whatever continent could play his sermons. Apparently they were a hit with missionarys because they did not need to carry the extra weight of batteries into the bush.
There is another solution in solar cell chargers which are sold for use on boats and RV's to keep their batteries charged. Boats needing the double sized ones. Much more voltage than a computer needed but nicely compact about the size of a keyboard.
CWSIV
That's right :-) I bought one of those when I was over in Australia in 2000/2001. I hadn't seen any over here in the UK at the itme so picked one up from Dick Smith Electronics store from the shopping mall in Adelaide. Good price, shame I haven't got around to using it :-(((( My car just won't accept it (it's meant as a solar battery charger) as all power is cut from the lighter socket when the keys are taken out. I keep meaning to run some cable direct from the battery but haven't got around to it...too busy playing with Linux on my PC's :-) -- ============================================== I am only human, please forgive me if I make a mistake it is not deliberate. ============================================== Take care. Kevan Farmer 34 Hill Street Cheslyn Hay Staffordshire WS6 7HR
On Sun, 2005-10-02 at 20:44 -0400, boricua wrote:
On Sun, 2 Oct 2005 07:23:13 -0700 Randall R Schulz
wrote: Mike,
On Sunday 02 October 2005 06:45, Mike wrote:
...
I wish they were available here.
can i buy one if i live in the usa?
Yes i found the solar charger in an RV aftermarket parts dealer. there are two sizes the large is for boats. Not sure how fast they are I think its to keep things alive when sitting. -- ___ _ _ _ ____ _ _ _ | | | | [__ | | | |___ |_|_| ___] | \/
On 10/5/05 10:12 AM, "Carl William Spitzer IV"
On Sun, 2005-10-02 at 20:44 -0400, boricua wrote:
On Sun, 2 Oct 2005 07:23:13 -0700 Randall R Schulz
wrote: Mike,
On Sunday 02 October 2005 06:45, Mike wrote:
...
I wish they were available here.
can i buy one if i live in the usa?
Yes i found the solar charger in an RV aftermarket parts dealer. there are two sizes the large is for boats. Not sure how fast they are I think its to keep things alive when sitting.
Maybe- http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Category.taf?CategoryID=563&pricetype= -- Thanks, George Failure is not an option with Microsoft; it's bundled with the software!
At 12:23 AM 3/10/2005, Randall R Schulz wrote:
Mike,
On Sunday 02 October 2005 06:45, Mike wrote:
...
I wish they were available here. I've been wanting a hand crank laptop since I saw the wind up radio, wondering when or if they'd produce a wind up power supply for other devices..
Old meets new, eh?
I've heard that the Eton Grundig FR200 can charge a cell phone, but I can't see mention of that capability on their Web site catalog. Even if it's true, it's pretty clear it could not power a laptop. They say 180 rotations of the crank over 90 seconds charges the internal lithium-ion battery enough for 40 to 60 minutes of operation. You'd probably have to operate the dynamo constantly to power a device like a laptop.
It has been done for an old monoscreen toshiba (two or three years ago) was on the Australian Inventors program for use in P.N.G. as most of P.N.G. has no power and the teachers / Health workers needed something to hold their basic records (dos system from memory)
On 02-Oct-05 Randall R Schulz wrote:
Mike,
On Sunday 02 October 2005 06:45, Mike wrote:
...
I wish they were available here. I've been wanting a hand crank laptop since I saw the wind up radio, wondering when or if they'd produce a wind up power supply for other devices..
Old meets new, eh?
I've heard that the Eton Grundig FR200 can charge a cell phone, but I can't see mention of that capability on their Web site catalog. Even if it's true, it's pretty clear it could not power a laptop. They say 180 rotations of the crank over 90 seconds charges the internal lithium-ion battery enough for 40 to 60 minutes of operation. You'd probably have to operate the dynamo constantly to power a device like a laptop.
I think one would need to look at the real power specs for these
things, to see what's really implied. It has been difficult to guess
at these from the press reports.
An example which may help folk to get a feel. Recently I've been
experimenting with my own mobile power supply for an ancient laptop
(Daewoo CPC-7400S) whose internal battery is totally dead.
On the laptop battery it states that it delivers 11 volts, so I had
the idea of buying a 12-volt battery for small motorcycles (YT4L).
The m/c battery weighs about 1.6Kg (3.5lb), and it's compact (about
4in x 2.5in x 4in), so it's easily portable. Rig up a lead with the
right size of insert plug at one end, and you've got a power supply!
The battery has a nominal capacity of 4Ah. With a few tests I've
found that I can run this laptop (which by modern standards is a
very low-power machine) for upwards of 4 hours. One test, in console
mode, involved doing a "du -s /" every five minutes, to exercise
the hard drive reasonably. This one lasted nearly 5 hours before
the battery became insufficient (seems to happen when the battery
voltage drope to about 10v). Running X at the same time cuts the
time by 10-20 per cent. The OS is a straightforward Debian, with
fvwm as X-window manager.
So it seems that weak machine draws about 0.8-1.0 amps at 12 volts,
so 10-12 watts, in a simulation of normal use.
That being the case, it would be interesting to know what wattage
or capacity can be delivered by these human-powered mechanical
devices. A typical bicycle dynamo, for instance, delivers 0.5A
at 6V or 12V (depending on model), i.e. 3W or 6W. When you've
tested your bike-lamp circuit by turning the pedals by hand,
you'll have a feel for the effort required.
Any recent laptop would presumably have greater power requirements.
In any case, to run a computer the power delivered would have to
be kept pretty steady.
Comments welcome!
Best wishes to all,
Ted.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
E-Mail: (Ted Harding)
On 10/2/05, Mike
I've been watching the development of these low cost systems.
simputer http://www.simputer.org/ http://www.ncoretech.com/simputer/index.html
mobilus http://www.ncoretech.com/ http://www.ncoretech.com/mobilis/pdf/mobilisbrochure.pdf
Hey, these guys are Indians! :) [I'm proud.] Hmmm, looks like I may buy one, some time later. SS.
On 10/02/2005 04:05 AM, Kevanf1 wrote:
On 02/10/05, Adam Vazquez Kb2jpd Internet Mobile w/ Treo
wrote: The Linux Laptop designed by Negroponte at MIT may be the most important piece of technology <snip> Adam sans the handcrank on my laptop.
I can't help but wonder when Microsoft will send out the counterstrike. They will! <snip> But will the crank work? :)
On Sunday 02 October 2005 22:04, Darryl Gregorash wrote:
On 10/02/2005 04:05 AM, Kevanf1 wrote: [...]
I can't help but wonder when Microsoft will send out the counterstrike. They will! <snip>
But will the crank work? :)
Sure! Mostly... But you'll need to register it, giving every bit of personal data that ever applied to you... or to anybody who looks like you. Then the crank will be unlocked. Two weeks later, you'll need to register again, and the crank will then only work in the opposite direction. Kevin
Adam Vazquez Kb2jpd Internet Mobile w/ Treo wrote:
The Linux Laptop designed by Negroponte at MIT may be the most important piece of technology designed by Western civilization in the 21st century. Capable of doing mesh networking and running Linux, it will provide a new baseline of portable computing never seen before. Besides usage in education, it also promises a level of computer power and connectivity unseen in the rest of the developing world. It will be perfect for public safety and emergency use alone.
It is one of the tools needed now down in the dual hurricane strike zone in the US SOUTH.
It can work as an multimedia access point, etc. It may end up creating a new market for powerful lowend power computing. Companies at first wont sell this in the US, but I see these selling in Walmart within 2 quarters.
Some of you are worried about a new generation of script kiddies. I see a generation will be be raised on the contents and access of Google and Wikipedia. Students in the US will need this just to keep up with the rest of the world.
This product may single handedly turn the computing market upside down and make some giants out of molehills and kill or seriously maim Microsoft in the world market.
Let the maiming begin. Go Negroponte go.
Adam sans the handcrank on my laptop.
When like Microsoft you have been so dominant for so long, you at first think you are invincible and the font of all wisdom, then you know so. When listening to the meeting where Massachusetts liad down their decision requiring Open Document Format for all state documents from 2007, you hear Microsoft and their cohorts with only one note to their samba, beseach - We "The Company", font of all innovation and all that is pure and healthy, refuse to co-operate with anyone else in framing formats on the grounds that it limits our ability to screw most of the planet, after all, that is what freedom is really about in a democracy and Open Document Format will damage our profits, the American economy, increase costs, lose jobs, disenfranchise the citizens of the Commwealth and encourage beastiality that will kill millions and eat their babies. MS knows better than you, so don't do this. Ballmer's hit list is increasing every day, Linux, Google - threats to f'ing kill and Massachucetts published so far, I'd not be surprised if there isn't a poster in his office saying "Obliterate what we can't dominate". Regards Sid. -- Sid Boyce ... Hamradio License G3VBV, licensed Private Pilot Retired IBM/Amdahl Mainframes and Sun/Fujitsu Servers Tech Support Specialist Microsoft Windows Free Zone - Linux used for all Computing Tasks
participants (14)
-
Adam Vazquez Kb2jpd Internet Mobile w/ Treo
-
Alberto Santana
-
boricua
-
Carl William Spitzer IV
-
Darryl Gregorash
-
elefino
-
Kevanf1
-
Mike
-
Randall R Schulz
-
scsijon
-
Shriramana Sharma
-
Sid Boyce
-
suse_gasjr4wd@mac.com
-
Ted.Harding@nessie.mcc.ac.uk