Elonex ONE ... £99 Laptop ... launch on 28th Feb | The Coffeehouse

http://www.elonexone.co.uk/

The thing is at this price it's unlikely to be running Windows. Infact anything to do with Microsoft is unlikely to be anywhere in sight.

This must be a worrying trend for Microsoft as affectly laptops are becoming so cheap the man in the street can afford to use them like commodity items, have more than one performing specific roles ... you can even have spares! Any not a Microsoft product in sight.

So what do you think? Worrying trend or passing fad?

W3bbo

Sabot wrote:

So what do you think? Worrying trend or passing fad?

How can increased consumer choice and a rise in Windows alternatives be seen as a "worrying trend"?

Well, for MS sure, but for the rest of us that's a good thing.

Ray6

Sabot wrote:

So what do you think? Worrying trend or passing fad?

Hopefully, a trend that will continue. Competition is good for everyone; even Microsoft (although they may not realise it.)

Dr Herbie

I think this is a fantastic development. The idea that each and every schoolchild will have access to some form of technology is great. Now we just need the government to buy one for each child and provide free WiFi internet access as well ...

My son just turned 4, so he's probably a little young, but as soon as I think he's old enough, I'm going to get him one (if the government don't).

Herbie

blowdart

Dr Herbie wrote:

I think this is a fantastic development. The idea that each and every schoolchild will have access to some form of technology is great. Now we just need the government to buy one for each child and provide free WiFi internet access as well ...

I'd rather the government put some money into investing in basic education and culling the teaching profession of lame ducks and unions stuck in the 50s and having children being able to read, write and add when leaving primary school than yet another initiative that will do nothing for basic education.

But that's just me.

vesuvius

For Microsoft this is 'the thin end of the wedge'. Unless they have a cut down version of Windows, free OS's like Linux that are quite mature now, will gain in popularity because they are more accessible.

This is fantastic for people with lower budgets, computers were never that prevalent in my youth, because they cost so much. So, irrespective of country, you can get an OS that works (free linux), word processing (open office etc) which increases people awareness and skills with respect to computing. I certainly think that open source linked to cheap computing will be the 'bettabuy' cornflakes from Morrisons or Tesco 'value' baked beans (2 supermarkets in the UK) for computing, but as is always the case, some of those products are in reality quite fine.

Dr Herbie

blowdart wrote:

Dr Herbie wrote: I think this is a fantastic development. The idea that each and every schoolchild will have access to some form of technology is great. Now we just need the government to buy one for each child and provide free WiFi internet access as well ...

I'd rather the government put some money into investing in basic education and culling the teaching profession of lame ducks and unions stuck in the 50s and having children being able to read, write and add when leaving primary school than yet another initiative that will do nothing for basic education.

But that's just me.

I happen to think that using a small laptop like this will encourage reading and writing, possibly arithmetic too. However, I would be worried about a possible generation growing up reliant on spell checkers ... their spelling would be as bad as mine.

I agree with you about the institutionalised nature of the school system.

Herbie

W3bbo

Dr Herbie wrote:

I think this is a fantastic development. The idea that each and every schoolchild will have access to some form of technology is great. Now we just need the government to buy one for each child and provide free WiFi internet access as well ...

My son just turned 4, so he's probably a little young, but as soon as I think he's old enough, I'm going to get him one (if the government don't).

Except it's fugly Smiley

Get an OLPC X0, looks better, more hardwearing, and you'd be supporting a worthy cause than a reseller of generic Chinese hardware.

Bas

vesuvius wrote:

For Microsoft this is 'the thin end of the wedge'. Unless they have a cut down version of Windows, free OS's like Linux that are quite mature now, will gain in popularity because they are more accessible.

I wonder if Microsoft has something like this in the pipeline, what with the whole MinWin thing from a while ago.

Dr Herbie

W3bbo wrote:

Dr Herbie wrote: I think this is a fantastic development. The idea that each and every schoolchild will have access to some form of technology is great. Now we just need the government to buy one for each child and provide free WiFi internet access as well ...

My son just turned 4, so he's probably a little young, but as soon as I think he's old enough, I'm going to get him one (if the government don't).

Except it's fugly

Get an OLPC X0, looks better, more hardwearing, and you'd be supporting a worthy cause than a reseller of generic Chinese hardware.

How much are OLPC, and are they available in the UK yet? I lost track of OLPC once it turned out they couldn't hit the $100 price after all.

Herbie

W3bbo

Dr Herbie wrote:

How much are OLPC, and are they available in the UK yet? I lost track of OLPC once it turned out they couldn't hit the $100 price after all.

$150 is still cheaper than £99.

....but give it a few months.

PaoloM

W3bbo wrote:

Dr Herbie wrote: How much are OLPC, and are they available in the UK yet? I lost track of OLPC once it turned out they couldn't hit the $100 price after all.

$150 is still cheaper than £99.

....but give it a few months.

I had the opportunity to play with one of those.

Very cute hardware, a bit *too* rugged (antennas and screen are quite hard to open), but the software is not exactly incredible (I am being quite nice, here Smiley

)

Besides the fact that it crashed twice (one launching the browser, one in the retarded oscilloscope program) hard, requiring a restart, it's really slow and it looks like written by the stereotypical linux geek with no concern for the user or even for the kids to which this device is intended. I was quite disappointed Sad

Lloyd_Humph

Well, I to be honest: 7" screen, keys that look.. uncomfortable, to say the least - I'd rather write (wtf is up with me today Expressionless

)

If I were happy with a 7" screen, I'd have bought an EEE already. I'm interested in the HP machine as it has a 9" (yeah, 8.9, whatever) and a 95% full keyboard.... see what I'm getting at?

I don't want to use a computer unless I'm comfortable Smiley

GoddersUK

I didn't know Elonex were still in business.

Although I think about them whenever I do a natural log (lnx) Tongue Out