DailyTech - Shipping Delays Enrage Some XO Buyers

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IT Shipping Delays Enrage Some XO Buyers
Shane McGlaun (Blog) - January 26, 2008 12:44 PM

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26 comment(s) - last by h0kiez.. on Jan 28 at 11:59 AM

Many who bought XO notebooks during the Give One Get One promotion still don't have their notebook

The One Laptop per Child (OLPC) organization was formed to provide low cost notebooks to developing nations. The OLPC has had more than its share of problems and competition from similar devices has proven fierce for the OLPC XO notebook.

The sterling image of the OLPC began to tarnish a bit early on when it first announced the price for its XO notebook would be $100. Price increases soon became increasingly common eventually pushing the price of the XO notebook to $188.

After the price increases, production delays plagued the OLPC and left many wondering if the notebooks would see the light of day. Despite price increases and delays the OLPC was able to begin taking orders, with Peru placing one of the largest orders for 260,000 of the XO notebooks. The OLPC also found that its XO notebook would face stiff competition for other similar notebook’s like the Intel Classmate.

During the holiday season the OLPC ran a Give One Get One promotion that allowed ordinary Americans and Canadians to buy one XO laptop for personal use and give one to a child in a developing nation for $400. According to MIT, about 80,000 customers placed orders during the promotion.

PC World reports that the production delays that DailyTech covered in the past have come back to haunt the OLPC and its holiday season promotion. OLPC spokesperson Jackie Lustig told PC World, “There have been delays in getting the laptops to those who generously donated to the program. And we are sorry.”

For many of the people who bought the OLPC notebooks during the promotion apologies don’t help much. Customers are complaining that they have to wait on hold to get tracking information on their shipments for up to two hours. Other buyers are reporting that the OLPC has partial or invalid shipping information and that when they update their shipping information the OLPC fulfillment system fails to complete the process resulting in further delays.

Lustig says that the OLPC opted to send the available XO notebooks to developing countries rather than fulfill orders in the U.S. and Canada. She also points out that the OLPC never made promises of a specific delivery timeframe for buyers. The OLPC has offered a special toll-free number for customers who ordered the XO notebooks and now prefer to get a full refund because of all the delays.

Many wonder if the delay in shipping 80,000 XO notebooks in two of the most developed nations in the world is this bad, how will developing nations fare in getting hundreds of thousands of XO notebooks. According to the OLPC shipping XO’s in bulk to developing nations is much easier than shipping 80,000 individual units out.

OLPC wouldn't comment on its ability to fill the large bulk orders placed by developing countries.

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Unrelated

By lukasbradley on 1/26/2008 1:10:31 PM , Rating: 3

While somewhat unrelated, I would have done this promotion if I had the opportunity for the laptop to be given to a US child, instead of elsewhere.

These types of promotions itch at me the same way going to China or Russia to adopt children does. I appreciate the desire to help. But why help so far away?

RE: Unrelated

By stubeck on 1/26/08, Rating: 0

RE: Unrelated

By mcnabney on 1/26/2008 4:19:30 PM , Rating: 4

I know you can't see American poverty from the suburbs, but it most certainly does exist.

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RE: Unrelated

By h0kiez on 1/28/2008 11:59:57 AM , Rating: 2

The vast majority of those in poverty in the US have earned their status. Whether it's related to addiction of some kind or just pure laziness, opportunity is there. A decent education is free and most anyone with a decent education can eat and get by.

The bottom line is that there will always be a certain amount of people in poverty due to their own behavior and poor choices. The idea of eliminating poverty altogether is completely silly and unrealistic. Yes, there are some that have just gotten a raw deal in life, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

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RE: Unrelated

By Omega215D on 1/27/2008 12:34:43 AM , Rating: 1

Come to New York City and you'll see many people far from a comfortable living. And I'm not just talking about Manhattan, there are other boroughs too such as the Bronx and Brooklyn where there are many people struggling to break poverty level of income. And that means trying to pay rent, pay for food, clothing on $90 - $200 a week.

Oh, that $10 vaccine is only that price because of health insurance. Believe me once the insurance is gone that vaccine just became more costly (I no longer am under health insurance from my family so I now pay $2000 a year for my own).

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RE: Unrelated

By Ringold on 1/27/2008 4:14:54 PM , Rating: 4

90-200 a week?

Come on. You do realize $90 is 10-12 hours work at the real-world minimum wage, at least here in Florida? Unemployment is a mere 5%, and as of the most recent Beige Book, a lot of the country is full of businesses reporting labor shortages. Whats their excuse?

I made approx $375 a week when I was working summers in a lousy pack & ship store. If I'd wanted in high school, I had a friend that could've got me on at a warehouse for signficantly more per hour, but I was lazy, and didn't need the cash anyway.

I'm not going to go and say poverty doesn't exist, but it's as much a cultural issue in America as it is a factual one. Poverty in America means a smaller TV, one car instead of two, and eating more meat than the wealthy (contrasted against the poor in most the world and almost all of time, who traditionally received very little meat). The average impoverished American also enjoys living quarters more spacious that the average European. Home ownership rates among the impoverished aren't bad, either. How's it a cultural problem? The destruction of the nuclear family (two parents in a household, the man-woman debate is for priests) goes a long, long way towards explaining part of it.

I've got an aunt who, with just a high school diploma under her belt, just took a job in Salt Lake City with a medical devices firm, 90k / year, and this is just after being fired from a similar one. Hard work, of which she's always produced, gets you a long way from a blue-collar background.

Again, there are people in poverty in America, no doubt. Lets just not make it sound like any part of America resembles, say, India. That said, sure are plenty of kids that could adopted. I don't understand the "I want a chinese baby" craze either. Help a teen mother avoid wrecking her life and her childs life and take it off her hands.

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RE: Unrelated

By Ringold on 1/27/2008 4:18:07 PM , Rating: 2

Oh, and that $10 mystery vaccine that you say is more costly? In America no doubt it is. In Africa, though, a lot of the medicine that can save lives is available for $1 or less. Probably a combination of pricing at marginal cost and charitable price breaks.

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RE: Unrelated

By JonnyDough on 1/27/2008 5:15:24 PM , Rating: 1

So you would have us giving help to those in need, and then become them? The world is based on capitalism. Capitalism requires poor and needy to exist. If we help others with their economy, then the United States is likely to move down on the ladder of wealth. We then become the impoverished nation.

Economic unbalances will exist regardless of what anyone does to educate others because people don't stop having excessive amounts of children. They never will because we can't even govern ourselves with a system dedicated to doing so, let alone think for objectively for ourselves as a whole earth.

Think about the U.S. economy right now; think about how we just had a BABY BOOM, the largest in 45 years; and now consider what will happen if we teach others around the globe what we know, and how to compete with us. Why on earth would we teach other nations how to be be like us?

The same principle dates back to ancient times with weapons and farming. The neighboring region isn't a threat until you teach them how to make weapons and grow an abundance of food. Suddenly, you're being taken over by force or by economy...because those you traded with now trade with them instead.

The OLPC is a horrible idea - and while it benefits the corporate jerks behind it and helps poor nations, it is just one more thing making our economy crumble. One might also blame monopolization of small business. Big stores push out little ones, and then replace low-wage job with automated machines (Wal-mart is a prime example). Sure, it's great buying cheap worthless chinese crap at low prices all at one store, but you don't get service, you don't get expert knowledge, and you don't have as many jobs.

These companies talk about how they bring us jobs, when in fact they remove many small businesses and all the money that would be divided up locally goes straight up the chain to the guys at the top. Sometimes its to the billionaires that own Wal-mart, sometimes it's foreign investors. If we Americans weren't so darn ignorant and so stinking tolerable of big business and government, we might not be headed towards the stinkhole.

But it is inevitable. All great nations that rise must fall. It's just a shame that America's strength only lasted 200+ years. There have been far greater nations and civilizations in the past than the U.S. and we've learned little from them. Those that died for this country in wars past would be writhing in their graves right now if they could see what we're letting happen.

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RE: Unrelated

By psychmike on 1/27/2008 11:58:18 PM , Rating: 2

Are you kidding me????? On the one hand you imply that capitalism should be allowed to function unfettered and then you complain about big-box retailers shipping jobs overseas. Your argument isn't even internally consistent. Capitalism isn't patriotic. It has as its only aim the production of profit for its owners.

There are many incidental benefits to capitalism including the promotion of innovation and local efficiency but there are also serious social consequences. Capitalism is an excellent means of promoting economic growth but says nothing about who we should be as people. It says nothing about the qualities that we value most as reflecting our humanity - our generosity, empathy, and compassion.

Try reading Adam Smith. He's the father of American capitalism and the one who suggested the mechanism of the invisible hand. He argued that civil society is required for capitalism to work and stated that the unrestricted accumulation of wealth is dangerous towards a civil society.

As for your belief that America has progressed all on her own, history has shown that there is ALWAYS a flow of information from wealth to poverty. Did you know that a few centuries ago, America did not recognize foreign patents on technology or medicine? American companies paid nothing to foreign patent holders for technology like canning. It was only when American patents started being 'stolen' by other countries that America started pushing for international patent protection.

You think that people in the developing world are poor simply because they have too many children?? Why do people starve in countries that are net food exporters? Because corrupt foreign governments are propped up by our corporations and land is appropriated to grow our produce. There is a tremendous amount of collusion that occurs between global corporations and corrupt governments that supports our way of life.

There's the tendency to believe that we have a good life because we are somehow more intelligent or deserving and that others suffer because they are stupid or lazy, but this simply isn't so. I think it's great that you care so much about your country but I wish for you a sense of humility and courage about your strengths and a sense of empathy and generosity for others.

Michael

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RE: Unrelated

By Ringold on 1/28/2008 1:47:58 AM , Rating: 2

quote:
Because corrupt foreign governments are propped up by our corporations and land is appropriated to grow our produce.

Hmm. I think you're a tad bit too harsh on capitalism. I loved the Adam Smith reference; I think it was before he wrote Wealth, but he did suggest we need a moral compass.

But then to blame poverty somehow on capitalism is little off. Mugabe is not held up by multinational firms. Kimmy boy in North Korea isn't either. They're held up by a cowed populace and the odd tendency for serious political opponents to abruptly die. Capitalism can neither fix dictatorship nor be held responsible for it. Russia, heh, that's a little different. On the one hand, god bless crony capitalism seems to be their motto, on the other, at least they still manage to somehow be growing at a rapid pace.

Capitalism is, however, directly responsible for edging hundreds of millions of people throughout Asia and the Indian sub-continent towards a prosperous global middle class -- and in doing so, has provided the West with an opportunity to move up the value ladder while selling us cheap goods and recycling their money back in to our own economy. The same process is beginning to occur now in Africa, with China being the most visible investor; Europe appears to keep tripping over its morals, and America is distracted and widely just disliked.

The rest of your post was good though. Economics (or efficiency) is a tool, not a final goal. Capitalism without societal goals is useless, like a Ferarri without a driver. Sometimes societal goals arent the most efficient outcome, but are desireable anyway. I always enjoy your posts.

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RE: Unrelated

By Seer on 1/28/2008 4:00:53 AM , Rating: 2

quote:
The rest of your post was good though. Economics (or efficiency) is a tool, not a final goal. Capitalism without societal goals is useless, like a Ferarri without a driver.

That was a good post, but a pretty horrible analogy imho.

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scam

By headbox on 1/26/2008 1:08:13 PM , Rating: 2

It sounds more like a ponzi scam than a business.

RE: scam

By 306maxi on 1/26/2008 1:31:47 PM , Rating: 2

WTF's a ponzi scam?

I'm sure it makes economical sense to spend all of those millions of dollars to then screw a compartively small amount of people out of a fairly small amount of money.

Yeah right......

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RE: scam

By Trippytiger on 1/26/2008 3:36:15 PM , Rating: 4

Wikipedia is your friend: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponzi_scheme

Of course, the XO Laptop debacle looks nothing like a Ponzi scheme. If anything, it's a little like a 419 scam, but the reality is that it's just a series of screwups coupled with poor communication.

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RE: scam

By 306maxi on 1/27/2008 3:20:19 PM , Rating: 2

Ok thanks. I agree it looks nothing like a ponzi scam.

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Motivations for Complaints.

By StormEffect on 1/27/2008 5:52:51 AM , Rating: 2

I am disheartened to see that the primary motivations behind participating in the OLPC program was nothing more than incentive. Here I thought people believed in the whole altruism thing.

Why are people complaining that they are not getting their OLPC PC when it has been stated that the first available units are sent to the locations where they are ACTUALLY NEEDED? NOBODY who ordered one of these laptops in any first world country has actual need of it. Anyone who used the Internet to order the computer already owns a system orders of magnitude more powerful. So why the incessant complaints and accusations of fraud and schemes?

It really should not matter when their personal unit arrives so long as it eventually does (I'd say within 6 months). The point is to get a unit out to the countries where they might help make a difference.

But who am I to say that if people really wanted a personal laptop they should've just purchased a cheap Dell or HP?

No no. Much better to whine and complain about the computer that hasn't reached their house yet, less powerful than an iPhone, but worth contacting media over in hopes of cornering the organization responsible for such unforgivable transgression.

People amaze me sometimes, not only with their sheer stupidity, but also with their insurmountably selfish attitudes.

RE: Motivations for Complaints.

By threephase on 1/27/2008 6:25:48 AM , Rating: 2

quote:
People amaze me sometimes, not only with their sheer stupidity, but also with their insurmountably selfish attitudes.

What amazes me is people like the quoted poster who feel a need to throw a holier-than-thou rant in the faces of those who simply would like to know why they didn't get what they were promised.

It's nowhere near as simple and altruistic as the previous poster claimed. It wasn't that laptops went to where they were 'needed', it was that thousands of G1G1 orders (many from the first days of the offering) were simply lost, and many more turned out to be un-shippable. This was all due to bad decisions and lack of contractor oversight by OLPC. Now it's looking like they didn't even have enough stock to fill all the orders in the first place - so people who ordered first are now having to wait till March at best, while those who ordered much later already have theirs.

Please do us all a favor next time and don't leap to someone's defense before you have all the facts.

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RE: Motivations for Complaints.

By Ringold on 1/27/2008 4:25:28 PM , Rating: 2

There are interesting studies out there which strongly suggest that charitable work and donations are simply the ultimate form of conspicuous consumption; giving away resources in return for nothing. Therefore, engaging in charitable work or making charitable donations is the ultimate method evolution has endowed humans with in order to show sexual fitness; if someone can afford to throw resources away, he must really have some resource-gathering abilities!

In other words, charity is a built-in mechanism to try to spread ones seed. Nothing exists through evolution that doesn't aid in this ultimate endeavor anyway; altruism, therefore, wouldn't exist if it wasn't in fact in some way selfish.

So, yeah. When the "holier-than-thou" types come out, I just laugh, and figure they're they're on the tiny side. ;)

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RE: Motivations for Complaints.

By mindless1 on 1/27/2008 8:45:30 AM , Rating: 2

But of course, it's really, really selfish to sponsor a laptop for a child who's a complete stranger, opposed to, umm, not doing it?

Get a grip, if they wanted to pay for one laptop for a child and sent money for two, they have a reasonable expectation to receive the 2nd laptop themselves in a timely manner. If OLPC can't do that, OLPC should not have extended the offer and taken the money.

I think the OLPC project is good in concept (nevermind whether these kids really need a laptop as much as other things they lack) but ultimately might be stretched a bit thin and making excuses. It is not that hard to ship individual laptops so their statement "shipping XO’s in bulk to developing nations is much easier than shipping 80,000 individual units out" seems to be bogus. Shipping 80K of them is no small task but not something that should take weeks either.

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Delay

By Michael Hoffman on 1/26/2008 1:49:45 PM , Rating: 2

It does seem like a lot of people had to endure delays before finally receiving a laptop. For example, John Chow ( http://www.johnchow.com/finally-got-my-xo-laptop/ )placed an order in November, but is only just now getting his XO.

Even with the delays, I hope people will continue to support similar programs that try to get technology into the kids hands.

RE: Delay

By Ringold on 1/27/2008 4:35:01 PM , Rating: 3

I'd encourage people to possibly try to find a decent microfinance outfit for their charitable money. They'll ultimately get it back, and the benefits to that are proven, signficant and observable; this laptop thing is a bit more.. nebulous, for the moment.

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Crybabies

By madoka on 1/27/2008 6:19:45 PM , Rating: 2

Wah! Wah! I didn't get my new toy before some poor kid in a third world country. Gimme a refund! I am ENRAGED!

RE: Crybabies

By drq on 1/28/2008 9:23:03 AM , Rating: 2

I'm really wondering if you had placed an order for something else, and the shipment had this kind of delay.

"WTF, what happened to customer rights, shipping policies....".

It's a very nice gesture from those people who payed for two devices, but the fact that some poor child receives one is no excuse for shipping delays to be so big.

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i chuckled...

By dome1234 on 1/26/2008 2:05:10 PM , Rating: 3

for a sec i thought a bunch of disgruntled alcoholics is news worthy... lol... then... oooh! lol

It's a donation, not a getnation

By trexpesto on 1/26/2008 11:46:24 PM , Rating: 2

Sure they're late, sure they screwed up a few things, mostly the popularity of the Give One Get One program. So fire them, they are Volunteers. The machines SHOULD first go to the developing nations kids - as they were intended and designed to. It's not called Get One Give One!

This is a dedicated education appliance for children, not a Dell. Many people failed to grasp this, or even read the details and specs on the site. Donor emptor.

I haven't got mine yet, but have used the emulator and learned some Python including the very wonderful Pygame, it's the funnest API I played around with in years.

Basically, in this instance it IS the thought that counts, which is such a relief from regular crass consumerism. Happy New Year everyone!

I did the G1G1

By Schmide on 1/27/2008 4:39:00 AM , Rating: 2

and am partially disappointed. It's not that the kids in developing countries don't deserve them, It's more the people that donated are those who believe in the project enough to spend more than double the cost to get a piece of hardware and test it for the rest of the world. I for one have programming ability and was planning to write at least one application while I had time. The more I wait for it the greater the chance that something else will grab my attention. I haven't given up yet, but if they come in March and the weather is nice, I'm going to ride my bike.