[amsat-bb] Re: FYI -- One Laptop per Child (OLPC) Opportunity

[Alan]

http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Hardware_specification#Integrated_peripherals

Here is the hardware spec for the XO laptop.  


-----Original Message-----
From: amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org] On
Behalf Of Bob Bruninga 
Sent: November 11, 2007 5:55 PM
To: K3IO at verizon.net; AMSAT BB
Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: FYI -- One Laptop per Child (OLPC) Opportunity

As Tom points out, these $100 laptops-per-child mass produced for every kid
on the planet should be the ham-radio target machine for just about
everything we do.

I can think of no better investment in ham radio, than making sure our stuff
can run on these machines.  And thereby get kids involved in HAM radio.  As
they come, they have 802.11g wireless for a self-building network from
nothing.  Out of the box, they will network, and the ads say, the 802.11 is
more powerful than conventional wireless lans.  Ham radio can bring some RF
expertise to these networks.

Because the laptop is supposed to be able to form this peer-to-peer social
network throughtout a villiage as is.  We can add some longer links...

My first thought is a USB PSK-31 device that links that laptop, not just to
he next hut in the villiage, but can use 5W radios on PSK-31 to reach the
world.  I think the target power for the whole laptop is around 1 watt.  So
it can be recharged on solar power.

This thing just jumps out at me as a fundamental building block for ad-hoc
emergnecy comms and funn coms and just about everything else we do with ham
radio.  Then we overlay on top of that, all the neat things we do in ham
radio.  As tom points, out, AMSATS etc.  (And of course APRS) Winlink and
all our other EMCOMM toys...

Of course until they get to the millions of quantities, they are now costing
$200 each, and you have to buy two for a total of $400 to get yours (the
other one goes to a kid)...

But its a great way to get one... and start developing code...  Actually get
two (4), so you can play both ends...

WB4APR, Bob
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