OLPC Little Green Machines!

Michael ... Any chance of providing a photo story about the use / challenges involved in using the XO Laptops in Sandy Lake First Nation?

I still remember ordering two laptops for my two grandkids back in the fall of 2007 under the buy-two-give-one program for people interested in these machines. I wanted to give them to my grandkids for Christmas that year. Brian Walmark ordered one for his daughter as well under that program.

Then in November 2007, Tim Thompson (FNTI President) connect us with James D. Brown of Browns Fine Food Services arranged to donate $35,000 towards the purchase of 100 XO Laptops on the condition that KO-KNET acting as INAC's Ontario Regional Management Organization purchase a matching 100 XO Laptops for distribution in a remote First Nation school.

After receiving the laptops in Sioux Lookout in February 2008, the KO-KNET developed a deployment strategy for these laptops. The plan required an appropriate First Nation school that met the requirements of James Brown's donation and had a local support system for supporting the use of these machines for both students and staff. Working with Jesse Fiddler and Angie Morris who were living in Muskrat Dam at the time, KO-KNET sent 35 XO Laptops to the school so every student could have their own laptop to work with. Jesse and Angie agreed to work with the students and the staff to use these computers. Jesse's mother, Margaret Fiddler, learned from Jesse about these laptops and presented a proposal to KO-KNET to deploy the remaining XO laptops in Sandy Lake.

Thus began the story of the distribution of XO Laptops in the remote First Nations of Northwestern Ontario.

Brian