About 5:30 this evening, a FedEx lady dropped off a rather small plain box from Brightstar US, Inc, 1001 Technology Way, Libertyville, IL 60048. In this box, packaged in recycled cardboard egg crate type packaging was the XO that I ordered via the G1G1 (Get One Give One) program. Recall, this donation was made in the name of Purdue’s entrepreneurship students. Some child somewhere is going to receive an interesting Christmas present.

Typical of most notebook packaging, our XO computer arrived with the battery wrapped in a plastic sleeve, as was the charger. There were only TWO papers inside the box. On, a single sheet, stated “One of our goals is to be as environmentally responsible as possible, which is why the XO laptop is shipped without much information printed on paper. …..” You were then vectored to a web site and an 800# for questions. The link is: www.laptopgiving.org/start.

The other sheet, folded to provide four pages, is long on visuals and short on verbiage. It’s learn very very basics from here, the idea appearing to be just jump in which most kids in the target audience would do anyway. Good thinking here. 

It booted right up, asked me for my name, and in a very short time we were @ the XO’s home page. I played a tune preloaded and the stereo while a little low on volume, but sounded great. The 800 X 600 graphics are adequate for the screen size (6″ wide X 4 1/2″ high, 7 1/2″ diagonal). There is a wireless activity LED that kept blinking at me, a power on LED, what appears to be a camera (?), 3-USB ports, a microphone and headset ports, a SD port (way under the screen where you would never think to look for it), and green membrane keyboard. I kinda like the snarky greeeeen color of the body.

I’ll keep you posted as I learn more about this little wonder. Hank