|
About | Contact | Mongabay on Facebook | Mongabay on Twitter | Subscribe |
|
|
Poor governments will need to pay $175 for $100 laptop mongabay.com April 27, 2007
The news comes as the laptop faces mounting challenges from Microsoft, which will introduce a $3 versions of the Windows operating system for poor countries, and criticism from observers who say that developing countries should not be asked to foot the bill for what is an unproven technology. Still the OLPC computer has won acclaim from the U.N. and the U.S. state department. The laptops have been billed as a durable low-cost PC for students in developing countries. The project has received support from Google, AMD, Brightstar, News Corporation, and Red Hat. Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft criticized the computer in March 2006 but by December 2006 it became evident that Microsoft was involved in the project.
The Associated Press reports that the laptop's manufacturer, Quanta Computer Inc., will earn a profit of $3 per machine, below it's normal margin. The foundation behind the project will also collect $1 from each laptop sold. The Associated Press reports that American computer manufacturers are concerned that OLPC laptops could end up in U.S. schools, creating fierce competition in the domestic PC market. Related articles Intel drops support for the "$100 laptop" (1/3/2008) Intel said it no longer will support the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project and resigned from the board over the group's demand that the chipmaker stop selling its Classmate laptop in developing countries. $100 laptop hit with production delays (10/24/2007) The "$100 laptop" -- a computer designed for children in poor countries -- has been hit by production delays and will likely miss an important target date for a charity program, according to reports from InformationWeek and other outlets. Intel may power next generation of "$100 laptop" (9/7/2007) Intel is in talks to speed up the processor of the "$100 laptop" for children in developing countries, reports PC World. Laptop for poor children set for mass production (7/23/2007) The "$100 laptop" is set to go into mass production after it received orders for 3 million machines, the requisite number to make the project viable. Intel joins forces with $100 laptop project for poor children (7/13/2007) Intel has teamed with the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program, agreeing to contribute funding and join the board of the nonprofit group that seeks to bring low-cost laptops to children in poor countries, reports the Associated Press. The announcement comes after Intel chairman Craig Barrett criticized the project in an effort to boost support for its own child-focused Classmate PC. Comments? News options
Tags: technology poverty alleviation poverty OLPC green News index | RSS | News Feed | Twitter | Home Advertisements: Organic Apparel from Patagonia | Insect-repelling clothing
|
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER 
Photos HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS / PRINTS 
CALENDARS 
CANVAS BAGS 
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Copyright mongabay 2010 Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated from mongabay.com operations (server, data transfer, travel) are mitigated through an association with Anthrotect, an organization working with Afro-indigenous and Embera communities to protect forests in Colombia's Darien region. Anthrotect is protecting the habitat of mongabay's mascot: the scale-crested pygmy tyrant. |
