After downloading the OLPC emulation software for the XO 'One Laptop Per Child' OS. I noticed in the emulation the icons don't have labels.

When I was at Microsoft the UI team and the industry as a whole believe that people read both the icon and the IMAGE of the labels. Meaning they don't necessarily read the labels words but the words are helpful to the recall of the icon's task.

I could prove that theory by knowing I have used Polish Windows and other languages that I do not know a single word from and found the icons were clear when you had been using one language consistently, but when changed or removed the labels they were not obvious.

Other things I found obvious (in the emulation) was that the browser will have problems because it may not have plug-ins installed. This could be corrected but the computer and it's software are Open Source and the plug-ins are commercial software (ie. companies that want to get paid for their work). And there is no real system font even though I suspect there will be a few for writing or chats.. Hmmm what will those be?

So will this be one poor laptop for one poor child? I'm sure they could do better by showing people how to rebuild all those millions of computer cases into current barebones like computers.