| Checking out the OLPC's "Sugar" desktop |
Apr. 13, 2007
 As the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) project works toward a release this year of its low-cost laptop aimed at children in developing nations, work has continued on the device's Linux-based operating system and on Sugar, the innovative user interface for the radical new laptop design.
The OLPC's Sugar interface, which runs on top of a lightweight version of Fedora Linux, was carefully designed for use by children. The Sugar project represents a good example of building new interfaces on a Linux core. Some insight into its human interface design goals are available on the OLPC's wiki, here.
Jim Rapoza, of our sister publication, eWEEK, has put together a 10-image slide show, offering glimpse of the OLPC Sugar interface. The thumbnail image at the top of this article appears to be Sugar's main desktop. You can view the entire slide show here.
If you'd like to see Sugar in action, you'll be glad to know that you can install the OLPC's interesting new user interface on a range of PC desktops, including Fedora, Gentoo, Mac OS X, Mandriva, SUSE, Ubuntu, and Windows. Details on how to do that are available on the OLPC's wiki, here. A live CD version of Sugar is available for download from Red Hat's website, here (direct link to 291MB ISO image file); it runs on a typical x86 PC. Check it out -- it's, err..., weird!
About the OLPC
The OLPC aims to distribute -- free of charge -- millions of low-cost, self-powered, low-cost Linux laptops to needy children around the world, with governments making the purchases. The original cost target for the OLPC laptops was $100, but that number has drifted upward slightly, over the past year or so, to about $150.
The idea behind the OLPC laptop is to provide children with the opportunity to learn about learning itself -- to explore, experiment and express themselves, according to the OLPC. The laptops will be distributed in schools.
More about the OLPC Project
For lots of background on the OLPC's Linux-based low-cost laptop project -- including features, specs, and a timeline of announcements -- be sure to peruse our comprehensive OLPC special report:
(Click here for further information)
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