…you should too!

 http://olpcsf.org/CommunitySummit2010/

What: Family XO Meetup
When: Saturday, September 18th, 2010, 10 am to 1pm
Where: Gallaudet University [map, aerial photo], Student Academic Center,
**NOTE ROOM CHANGE: We are UPSTAIRS from the old meeting rooms in the basement on the first floor [floorplan], in computer lab SAC 1211, Washington, D.C. 20002

We’ll start the meeting with our master explainer, Kim Toufectis, reviewing the new “signed” build of the OLPC XO-1 operating system.  This major release brings the XO-1.5′s dual Sugar/Gnome boot to the XO-1.0. It is now possible to switch to a window-like desktop with a file system and have the ability to install open source software like Open Office. With this new replacement operating system, the XO-1 can both serve the needs of a young child and then switch to an interface suitable for adults. If you haven’t updated your XO-1 since the Give One Get One promotions, this will feel like a new machine. We’ll provide advice on how you can upgrade, and we also still offer our repair and upgrade service.

Following Kim, Becky Young, a teacher based in Fairfax, VA (pictured above), will talk about her summer project deploying OLPC XO-1 laptops in Honduras. She has been blogging her journey all along and also has wonderfully documented the project in photos.

Reprising some recent meetings and meet-ups, I’ll bring some new hardware such as an Acer Aspire One netbook with the Pixel Qi screen kit installed and the litl webbook, designed by some of the same interface designers, industrial designers and software developers that worked on the OLPC XO-1.