Thursday, January 31, 2008
you'd think there'd have been an accountant or a production manager on staff there. it's a simple counting problem. something they want the kids to learn, maybe ?
From: service@laptopgiving.org
Sent: 2008.01.31 01:48:35 Eastern Standard Time
Subj: Update On Your XO Laptop
Dear C,
Please accept my apologies for the delay in receiving your XO laptop. Give One Get One was such a phenomenal success that we over-taxed our order processing and payment systems. Demand exceeded supply. Additional XO laptops are being built now and will be delivered in 45 to 60 days. If you wish to reconsider your contribution in the face of this delay, we will issue a refund to you. We have set up a dedicated phone line for these requests. The number is 1-800-883-8102.
In the meanwhile, please know that laptops are in the process of going to Mongolia, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Rwanda and Haiti as part of the "give one" side of the equation. Fortunately, OLPC's mission of getting laptops to the children in these countries has not been delayed. In Mongolia , the children are already enjoying themselves and learning new things with their XO laptops. Please see: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Ulaanbaatar. Eliminating poverty through learning is gaining wider acceptance thanks to support like yours.
Sincerely, 
Nicholas Negroponte
Chairman
OLPC Foundation 
well, ok, i guess i have also donated my patience so that they can learn these things and improve their performance on their mission elsewhere. think of what may have occurred if they had not had this kind of visible experience. or, are things really just as bad, yet unpublicized, with their core program ?
so anyway, i don't expect much of an update on this until march / april.
on the bright side, being rushed into the donation / purchase in the first place was undesirable. didn't give any chance for bugs to be worked out of the system, etc. but that was the only purchase period available. now, this delay should mean that fixes will have had a chance to have found their way into the hardware & software, meaning more reliable boxes. just a chance.
this was kind of my original expectation, delivery in the spring, whenever they got around to it. they should have stated those uncertainties a bit more strongly for some people, instead of getting strong-armed into the over-promising game. i suppose i'm used to reading between those lines. i was surprised at the earlier emails making noises about a january delivery.
there's something to be learned here for everyone, but especially in the software profession: stick to your realistic estimates. giving in to customers who can't face reality won't change reality.