Article

Personal Interest

$100 Laptops to Bridge Digital Divide

by Geof Lambert
Sunday, April 24, 2005. 07:59PM
541 Views 6 Comments

CAMBRIDGE (MASSACHUSETTS), APRIL 5. In a rural Cambodian village where the homes lack electricity, the night-time darkness is pierced by the glow from laptops that children bring from school. They were equipped with notebook computers by a foundation run by Nicholas Negroponte, the founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab, and his wife, Elaine.

"When the kids bring them home and open them up, it is the brightest light source in the home," said Mr. Negroponte. "Parents love it." He and some MIT colleagues are at work on a project they hope will brighten the lives and prospects of hundreds of millions of developing world kids. It is a grand idea and a daunting challenge: to create rugged, Internet and multimedia-capable laptop computers at a cost of $100 (about Rs. 4,400) apiece.

Mass produced

The laptops would be mass-produced in orders of no smaller than one million units and bought by governments, which would distribute them..........

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Tuesday, October 18, 2005. 02:51PM by Ahmed Khalil
The web site of the 100$ laptop is: http://laptop.media.mit.edu/ ... is a leading project..but needs improvment regarding the speed of the processor which is 500 Mhz, it depends on Linux which people who already work with Windows wont b able to learn easly..it needs someone who didn't work on an operating system before... and in the future such a project can make use of coming technologies like DNA computers, which 1 gram of DNA computer can hold the data of a trillion CD. imagine implanting that in your skin..it's like having the whole internet with a light speed in ur body holding all ur info and making communication and networks personal more than ever: http://encyclopedia.thefreedi...
Thursday, April 28, 2005. 10:09PM by raul ciabal
in the Philippines, a laptop costs a conservative $1000US. Let's see How this project can even take off from its inception. I pray it does. We hope bill gates got to see these postings.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005. 11:39PM by Florence Hui
This is a meaningful project.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005. 06:01PM by Geof Lambert
Well before we spend that kind of money, we ought to consider advances in technology in the next 5 to 10 years, could very render the PC as obsolete as the buggy whip. But in any event we are exploring supporting this notion of $100 laptop in some way shape or form.
Monday, April 25, 2005. 04:58AM by Marcos Carot
Well, now we have to raise $100,000,000 to have our one million laptops to distribute throught the world. Perhaps the Rotary Foundation can make an arrangement again with Bill Gates foundation our other so together can raise the $100,000,000... it can be a VERY nice starting project for the Digarians ;)... first start convincing our foundation.
Monday, April 25, 2005. 12:26AM by Rick Thornton
What a wonderful idea. Hearts in the right place with this. Will the big players help or sabotage? Most older people would be happy with that outfit.