Software

Overview

The XO Laptop will bring technology to children, providing them with free access to information and knowledge. The success of the project in the face of overwhelming global diversity will only be possible by embracing openness and by providing the laptop's users and developers a profound level of freedom.

Thus, the software and the tools used reflect a child's growth and provide a gateway to other technology.

Benefits

Learning is our primary goal. We do not focus on computer literacy, as that is a by-product of the fluency children will gain through use of the laptop for learning. Epistemologists from John Dewey to Paulo Freire to Seymour Papert agree that you learn through doing. This suggests that if you want more learning, you need more doing. Thus, the emphasis on software tools lies with exploration, rather than instruction.

The laptop can be used as an agency for engaging children in constructing knowledge which is based upon their personal interests. Furthermore, it provides the tool for kids to share and critique these constructions. We believe that this will invariably lead them to become both learners and teachers.

As a matter of practicality and given the necessity to enhance performance and reliability while containing costs, the XO is not burdened by the bloat of excess code, which is responsible for much of the clumsiness, unreliability, and expense of many modern laptops.