[aprssig] OLPC $199 laptop again

[Robert Bruninga]

$199 Linux Laptop, OLPC again this year.

This is the one designed for low power and out-door full sun
viewable screen(high-res color), which is ideal in my mind for
amateur radio emergency use. (limited to linux apps...)

http://www.laptop.org/en/laptop/index.shtml

Its sound card goes down to DC so that it can be used as a
voltmeter for classroom lab experiments and it includes a
built-in web-cam, wireless 80211, and applications for o'scope,
pictures, even acoustic ranging.

I have heard that you can get APRS XASTIR to run on it.  An even
simpler application is Jack Zielke's APRSXO.  This tiny
application gives the XO more-or less full APRS connectivity
when you are in wireless range because it reports your position
to the APRS-IS and gives full two-way messaging capability.  You
can view the APRS map using any of the popular APRS-IS portals
(FINDU, APRS-FI, OPENAPRS, etc).

See: http://zielkeassociates.com/~jack/aprs-xo/

If you use it for nothing else it makes a great wireless browser
and email-reader.

Oh, and I was VERY disappointed last year when I learned that
the "November deal" was only a one-time deal, therefore blocking
more hams from getting them as a long term project.  But this
year they are offering it again and I see this sentence on the
web page:

"This year's Give One/Get One campaign will begin in November
and will become an on-going program."  Now maybe "ongoing" means
you can buy them at any time, not just during the holiday
season?

Anyway, to get one, you pay $399 for 2 of them and one goes to a
kid in the 3rd world and one comes to you.  But $199 of what you
pay is tax deductible.

Anyway, just thought I'd pass it along.  Of course, it is LINUX
and unless the Linux authors produce good ham applications for
us, then its gonna only be a nice wireless web browser to most
of us.

Here was my original web page from which Jack wrote his
application:
www.aprs.org/APRS-OLPC.html

And this is all part of the overall Universal Ham Radio
Messaging System that encourages applications for all wireless
devices (cell phones, PDA's and laptops) to have a APRS
messaging application so that hams can communicate any-time,
any-where, using any-device:
www.aprs.org/aprs-messaging.html

Bob, WB4APR