Prototype of 100 dollar laptop for poor unveiled

[Bellamy]

Prototype of 100 dollar laptop for poor unveiled at UN summit

 

UN Secretary General    Kofi Annan and a leading US IT expert Nicholas Negroponte unveiled the bright green and yellow working prototype of a 100 dollar laptop aimed at millions of schoolchildren in poor countries.

 

The robust wind-up laptop with low power consumption is meant to be the backbone of an educational project to distribute the Internet-connected computers at no cost to their future owners.

 

"It holds the promise of major advances in economic and social development, but perhaps most important is the true meaning of one laptop per child," Annan told reporters at the World Summit on the Information Society.

 

"Studies and experience have shown repeatedly that kids take to computers much more readily, not just in the comfort of warm, well-lit rich country living rooms, but also in the slums and remote rural areas of the developing world," he added.

 

Nicholas Negroponte, of the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Media Laboratory in the United States said he was aiming to launch the laptop in about two years.

 

He said he hoped small quantities, several thousands, would be produced this year and more than 100 million by the end of 2006 or 2007.

 

The non-profit "One Laptop per Child" project is aiming to eventually open up the way for supplementary parallel sales by a commercial partner in wealthy countries.

 

However distribution in the primary developing markets will be financed by donors or national governments and channeled through the same networks used to bring textbooks to schools, Negroponte said.

 

Initial launches are being lined up in six "big" countries -- one in the Middle East, two in Asia, one in Sub Saharan Africa and two in Latin America.

 

Negroponte only identified Brazil and Thailand as the "most enthusiastic" governments. Discussions were also held with China and Egypt.

 

Talks were underway with several potential industrial partners including one major computer maker.

 

Negroponte said the laptop would rely on economies of scale to keep the price down, as well as some innovative technology especially for the colour screen and web or network connections. Some of the components still have to be tested.

 

The compact laptop and its protective support can fold through different positions to turn it from a computer into an electronic book, a games machine and a television set.

 

"The idea is to have it play many roles so that the child takes it home, uses it for play, study. The whole theory is that learning is seamless, it's not something you just do at school," Negroponte said.

 

The inventors also want to rely on free distribution "open source" software.

 

Supporters of the project include the web search engine Google, computer chip maker AMD, and US-based media magnate Rupert Murdoch.

 

A slightly embarrassed Annan inadvertently broke the crank handle of the non-functioning model on display as he left.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20051116/tc_af...er_051116211654

 

http://laptop.media.mit.edu/images/laptop-front.jpg

 

http://laptop.media.mit.edu/images/laptop-crank.jpg

 

http://laptop.media.mit.edu/images/laptop-side.jpg

 

http://laptop.media.mit.edu/images/laptop-ebook.jpg

 

http://laptop.media.mit.edu/images/laptop-theater.jpg

 

http://laptop.media.mit.edu/images/laptop-hands.jpg

 

http://laptop.media.mit.edu/images/laptop-handside.jpg

 

 

it really is a great idea. hope every child can get one.

[tativale]

Yeah , that's pretty cool! Brazil is one of the latin american countries on it.

[Bellamy]

China should apply this for poor area children too. but could it be there's no Chinese version yet?

[Krys]

yeah China should apply...it breaks my heart when i see all those poor children wondering about the streets in front of my eyes

[Clari]

That's really cool, it will enlighten a lot of kids!