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First 10 $100 Laptops Now Shipping
Techtree News Staff, Nov 21, 2006 1343 hrs ISTA non-profit organization, One Laptop per Child (OLPC), has shipped its first ten '$100 Laptops' for pilot testing by children.
A non-profit organization, One Laptop per Child (OLPC), has shipped its first ten '$100 Laptops' for pilot testing by children.
OLPC, a program meant to bring affordable and durable laptop computers to children in developing nations to help bridge the digital divide, is led by program Chairman and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab co-founder Nicholas Negroponte.
The first 10 machines, which recently underwent testing by US government officials, are being shipped at a cost of $125 per laptop. Although it is priced slightly higher, Negroponte hopes that the price will drop to a $100 by 2008.
In a statement, Negroponte said that the laptops would also be undergoing stringent testing during a couple of weeks, as they have to test this machine under conditions of extreme cold, extreme heat, mud, dust, and daily abuse by kids.
It is also learnt that the first laptops will be followed by a 900-unit run early next year, many of which will be used by developers to create software for use with machines, including an instant-messenger program.
Each laptop, called OLPC's XO-1, is hand-cranked and equipped with advanced features like camera, microphone, and Wi-Fi connectivity. The machines have 128MB of DRAM and 512MB of flash memory for storage. The machines will also run on the free, open-source Linux operating system.
While the project has received flak from a number of critics, the governments of countries like Argentina, Brazil, Libya, Nigeria, and Thailand have expressed support for the program, stating they will order the machines for use by their children.
The project has also rattled the tech community, as a low-cost computer will probably need to run on free, or almost free software, introducing millions of children to the world of open source software.
Meanwhile, mass production of the machines will begin as soon as orders for the first 5-10 million units are received. The laptops will be distributed in schools through education authorities.
OLPC, a program meant to bring affordable and durable laptop computers to children in developing nations to help bridge the digital divide, is led by program Chairman and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab co-founder Nicholas Negroponte.
The first 10 machines, which recently underwent testing by US government officials, are being shipped at a cost of $125 per laptop. Although it is priced slightly higher, Negroponte hopes that the price will drop to a $100 by 2008.
In a statement, Negroponte said that the laptops would also be undergoing stringent testing during a couple of weeks, as they have to test this machine under conditions of extreme cold, extreme heat, mud, dust, and daily abuse by kids.
It is also learnt that the first laptops will be followed by a 900-unit run early next year, many of which will be used by developers to create software for use with machines, including an instant-messenger program.
Each laptop, called OLPC's XO-1, is hand-cranked and equipped with advanced features like camera, microphone, and Wi-Fi connectivity. The machines have 128MB of DRAM and 512MB of flash memory for storage. The machines will also run on the free, open-source Linux operating system.
While the project has received flak from a number of critics, the governments of countries like Argentina, Brazil, Libya, Nigeria, and Thailand have expressed support for the program, stating they will order the machines for use by their children.
The project has also rattled the tech community, as a low-cost computer will probably need to run on free, or almost free software, introducing millions of children to the world of open source software.
Meanwhile, mass production of the machines will begin as soon as orders for the first 5-10 million units are received. The laptops will be distributed in schools through education authorities.
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Eric Lemle
,Ogden, on Oct 14, 2008 10:18 PM
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raja
,ludhiana, on Jun 02, 2007 10:11 AM
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,Kathmandu, on Nov 22, 2006 12:35 PM
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,Maine, on Nov 22, 2006 03:14 AM
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,Canada, on Nov 22, 2006 01:25 AM
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,Manteca, on Nov 22, 2006 01:19 AM
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,London, on Nov 22, 2006 12:32 AM
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,Trichy, on Nov 21, 2006 03:50 PM
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