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How much future is there in this?... the window for "civilians" in the US to buy these machines domestically has closed.

My hope was that that window was just a marketing window for that particular deal. As production ramps up, a new deal will be forthcoming?

On top of that, Intel just pulled their funding and technical support from the project...

My understanding was that was "good riddance" on the part of the OLPC team. INTEL only wanted to maximize profit and performance. Could care less about the original objective of optimum educational objective in a villiage environment.

How many hams have them now and more importantly, will there be any more in the future?

Good question, and that was why I suggested building a database of hams with them, including position so we can see the big picture...

...

I would like to build a map of all HAMS with OLPC's to help us... possibly MESH together.. The map will include both your home and work locations... where you might have your OLPC

Just email me your CALL, and LAT/LONGs for both of your locations....

WB4APR:3909.12N/07629.34Wl Home, with access to 3 OLPC's

The LAT/LONG is in DEG and decimal minutes. The two spaces after the decimal points are for hundredths of minutes. If you replace them with two spaces, then your position can remain ambiguous to the nearest mile, if you like.

The "l" (lower case L) after the W is the laptop symbol. Everything after that is free text to describe your OLPC.

Those that are into APRS can go ahead and just change your normal APRS station to the LAPTOP symbol for the next week or so, and I can capture your posit that way electronically.

Thanks! Bob, WB4APR