RSS$100 Laptop Prototype Unveiled
By the Betanews Staff | Published May 23, 2006, 4:11 PM
The One Laptop Per Child foundation unveiled the first working prototype of its $100 laptop at the Seven Countries Task Force Meeting on Tuesday. The device runs Fedora Linux and features a color screen, Wi-Fi, a 500MHz processor, and 1GB of flash memory.
The prototype unit, decked out in yellow and orange, has "horns" that flip up to function as Wi-Fi antennae and cover the USB and audio ports when not in use. The keyboard sports recessed buttons much like Apple's new MacBook, and a handle on the back is designed to make transport easier.
www.obook.info
Score: 0
|Great achievement for the mankind.
Hope this is crisp on performance and highly durable. The design suggests Strong plastic and no components at the edges - which is a good thing. The colors should be attractive to kids and since it is plastic - hope it is dust/water resistant.
The 500Mhz AMD processor should be sufficient saving power for longer durations. The 500MB/1GB of Flash Memory and absense of HDD is great.
An EdUbuntu linux distro would have made it even better.
Score: 0
|Wow this thing looks really bad. I know its only $100.00 but my god, it looks like one of those Vtech "my first laptop" things i bought for my neice like 2 years ago. Toys R Us, here we come.
Score: 0
|Where is the crank? I thought those were supposed to be hand powered...
Score: 0
|I want one. My youngest keeps trying to swipe my laptop (banging on the keys as hard as she possibly can).
Definately better than that V-Tech crap they sell @ Target.
Score: 0
|The red with yellow model bring me up memories of the "Speak'n Spell", the first "computer" for children in my generation (I was born in 1974).
Here is a picture of Speak... I found on the net: http://atlanta.metblogs....2005/11/speak_spell.JPG
Score: 0
|Did MIT create this or McDonalds?
Score: 0
|The most important thing is, it's made in Taiwan...
Quanta computer, also an OEM for DELL. :)
http://www.quantatw.com/
Score: 0
|I want one of those, i think ill paint mine a different color though.lol
Score: 0
|a lot better choice than those e-mail only machines some ppl use. It may not be pretty but its a viable solution for many I would think.
Score: 0
|Did they have a ugly contest to come up with that design? Not only are these kids poor but now they be humiliated by walking around something that looks that. Haven't these kids suffered enough!
Score: 0
|Given that this is designed for the developing world I doubt you will hear very many complaints about looks. This machine is still a lot better than what the vast majority of these children have now which is nothing. Outside of some community centers many of these children have probably never used a computer.
Score: 0
|I agree. This think looks ridiculous. Granted it's great idea, but geez, it looks like a toy. Why not just paint it gray or black (or any color but the one's they chose)...
Score: 0
|but geez, it looks like a toy.
Umm...
Duh?
IT'S FOR KIDS!!!!
Score: 0
|horns? why the F are pc vendors so lame?
take a hint from apple and design something that real style.
Score: 0
|Perhaps because this is intended for the developing world. I don't think the various governments looking to purchase these really care that much about what colors they are.
I think Apple could use a lesson in style anyway. The monochromatic world their designers seem to live in is getting a bit dreary.
Score: 0
|It still hasn't been established that this thing can actually be manufactured for $100. Do the math yourself, based on the absolutely lowest prices for the basic components involved (yes, I'm even talking about the wholesale quantity 1,000,000 discount levels) and it's way more than $100 today, without even accounting for factory overhead, manufacturing labor, warehousing and distribution, etc.
The foundation apparently intends to hide some of the distribution extra costs by not actually "selling" the laptops. They will only be distributed in bulk to schools and government. In other words, tax dollars will make up for some of the stuff not included in the $100. This is exactly like the "bargains" you find on eBay which require exhorbitant "shipping & handling" fees. Eye-catching but misleading.
Score: 0
|i'd like to see the math, but regardless i've, myself, nothing against this project and even with what you said, go for it. lets see the world grow
Score: 0
|I agree. Who knows the cost. Does anyone on this site know EXACTLY what parts are being used and who makes them? Until we know why comment about it?
But honestly this looks great for those places that have none and yes $100 still might be a lot for those poor countries, but at lease at this price they can afford to have more per child (or even adult) than they can now.
The horns? Anyone ever wonder if they put the Wi-Fi antenna's up there? I don't know for sure, but it'd make sense :)
Score: 0
|It's been my understanding that they were selling them for $100 a piece in developing countries at a minor loss, but making up for it by selling it for $200 in developed countries. I can't provide a source though; I just remember seeing that somewhere. Maybe somebody else has a link...
Score: 0
|No margin there. I would rather sell $6000 game machines at 100% markup to the upper class twits that don't know which end of the screwdriver to hold, but do know how to make daddy buy things for them.
But now there's an idea we can get the grabby rich kids to pay for these $100 laptops for the developing world, and they won't even know it.
Score: 0
|Taken from Slashdot.org: ...and you can pledge to buy one at triple price... in order to donate 2 of them to children.
http://www.pledgebank.com/100laptop
Score: 0
|Now that's a cool idea.
That would be cool if these things go full production. If you're only going to do Internet, Email, and Instant Messaging, and Word Processing why would you need anything more?
Maximum Minimalism!
Score: 0
|Ok I'll be the 'evil conservative'. Why does every child need a laptop? Seems there could be more use for $100 than a computer.
Score: 0
|Hi "evil conservative". That's a fair enough question (scepticism of "cure all" solutions is very important). I think that the idea isn't that every kid in the world will have laptops, but with marketing and fundraising you can get laptops into schools with a reasonably high density. Schools in the developing world are short of books, libraries etc which the internet can provide without the expense of buying paper-based resources. That's the selling point.
It will also give kids whose families have never had computers basic familiarity with them which will make them more competitive when they get older. And if companies know that there is a tech-savvy population in a low labour-cost country, they'll invest there. And when developing countries (paricularly African) get job growth, you have less of the problems cause by idleness.
Score: 0
|Well said!
Score: 0
|>Why does every child need a laptop?
To send out more 419 scam letters.
Score: 0
|