Forewarning: This is not a “save a hundred dollars and only spend a couple of bucks” kind of deal. This is a “Spend some money but do good and get something cool” kind of deal.
By now you’ve probably heard about the One Laptop per Child Foundation, where your purchase of a specialty (low-power, rugged, child-geared) laptop also gets a second laptop donated to a child in a third-world country.
It’s a wonderful mission, and this year they’re selling them through Amazon. This isn’t the right thing for everyone—the XO laptops are severely limited in capability, compared to a conventional laptop—but the program is an admirable one and the laptops are getting great reviews for durability and basic functionality.
Worth checking out, if you haven’t already.
Wow — that is some program! Brilliant! Wish I could afford it…
My older two boys each have one of these laptops (they were a gift from a generous and socially-conscious family member), and they ROCK. They are durable and easy for kids to use (in fact, the keyboards are a little tricky for an adult, because it’s scaled down for kids), and both boys have spent AGES playing games, going online (the computer automatically searches for available wireless connections in the area), and making little video recordings of themselves. The computers are SO NEAT, and it’s such a neat cause.
These are cool. I got one for my son last year, and I think he was so excited just to know that the other one was being used by a child that would never have the opportunity for this if it weren’t for this program. 🙂
Lori
I wish I could afford to buy one for Toys for Tots. Maybe next year. What a great idea!