[A12n-Collab] OLPC, Classmate PC, & support of African langauges

["Don Osborn" <dzo@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

We've had some discussion on OLPC with reference to keyboard layouts for its XO laptop. I'm trying to determine if the alternative, Classmate PC, is making any accommodation for African languages in terms of fonts, keyboard/input, or content (like the OLPC XO, it is being tested in Nigeria). Any information would be appreciated.

 

There is video comparing the two at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7119160.stm , though it doesn't really tell you much.

 

OLPC's site is http://laptop.org

ClassMate PC's site is http://www.classmatepc.com/ *

(there is a mention of "localization" on one page of their site, but no details: www.classmatepc.com/who-is-joinning-this-effort.html )

 

Although our focus is not so much on the hardware as on language support provided by the laptops being distributed, the following items re OLPC and Intel may be of interest. Intel was part of the OLPC project; it continues as part of the ClassMate project.

 

One laptop project loses partner

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7171201.stm

 

OLPC slaps back at Intel [opinion]

http://gizmodo.com/340665/olpc-slaps-back-at-intel-you-have-no-heart-and-dont-care-about-the-children

 

* (The "contact us" forms on their site keeps returning error messages for me on Firefox and MSIE. Does anyone have contact emails for that project? If so, please em-ail me offilne. TIA.)

 

Don Osborn

Bisharat.net

PanAfriL10n.org