A $100 Laptop; or is it?

Techtree News Staff, Oct 30, 2007 1057 hrs IST

Nicholas Negroponte's One Laptop per Child Foundation (OLPC) has begun selling its famed $100 (XO) laptops for no less than $200 a piece.

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$100 laptop no more!

Nicholas Negroponte's One Laptop per Child Foundation (OLPC) has begun selling its famed $100 (XO) laptops for no less than $200 a piece.

The laptops are being made available in quantities of 10,000 and more via the OLPC Web site at: http://laptopfoundation.org/participate/givemany.shtml).

So far, the one constant in the journey of the $100 laptop has been the steady rise in prices: from the original $100 to the interim $150 to the recent $188.

What is surprising though is that the laptops being offered via the OLPC Web site are part of a donor program, wherein donors who purchase them will get to decide where they are to be sent, etc. So why are they priced so high?

Further, the XO laptops are slated to go into production in China next month, which is behind original schedule. Same with the quantities to be produced, which are way behind earlier projections.

And, the software required to run the laptops is not expected to be ready before December 7th. Which means customers have a long wait ahead before they can get their hands on the laptops.

The so-called $100 laptop comes with: a keyboard that switches languages, a video camera, wireless connectivity, an Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) microprocessor, and Linux software.

While the laptop uses Linux software, Microsoft is trying to make its Windows XP software work on the machine.

The laptop's display switches from color to Black and White for viewing in direct sunlight. The machine needs just 2 watts of power as compared to a typical laptop that needs up to 30 to 40 watts of power.

The laptop has no hard drive, and uses flash memory and four USB ports to add memory and other devices.

USER COMMENTS

I will spend 6ooo/- on it if it can run Core java on it, not for me but for someone else.

by su30mki, Delhi, on Nov 18, 2007 02:14 PM, Report abuse Reply

Anil Ambani can perhaps give it for less than a hundred bucks ! Anil, r u listening ? Y dont u try ?

by chanakya, chanakyapuri, on Nov 02, 2007 11:28 AM, Report abuse Reply

$200 is about Rs 9000. One can buy a really decent second-hand computer for this. I do not see any advantage of a laptop over a regular PC. And for this money, one would get good amount of HDD too.

by badvt, Chennai, on Oct 30, 2007 07:37 PM, Report abuse Reply

Huh ? Did you even know what you are talking about ? This laptop is not for you and me, this is for the rural areas where there is no proper power. And for the target audience, hard disk space isn't going to be an issue.

by Brendon, Mumbai, on Oct 31, 2007 09:11 PM, Report abuse

does it run java? (JSDK1.5) just programs from core java, (excluding applets and swings)

by su30mki, Delhi, on Oct 31, 2007 08:05 AM, Report abuse Reply

I for one would like to have one for 8k--it has wiereless-does not need to be plugged in and has got good reviews.

by vijayshimla, Shimla 171001, on Oct 30, 2007 05:45 PM, Report abuse Reply

"So why are they priced so high?" What on earth are you talking about? For $188 you're getting a laptop that is capable of just about everything a "normal" user would want... and then some. I wouldn't classify that as "high" I would classify that as "a really damn good bargain."

by Matty X, Somewhere in the U.S.A., on Oct 30, 2007 03:42 PM, Report abuse Reply

If I remember correctly, its the price for two laptops. Every laptop you buy, another is sent to undeveloped nation free of cost.

by Prax, B'lore, on Oct 30, 2007 02:34 PM, Report abuse Reply

What is the flash mem size? And RAM?

by Dylan, Vasco, on Oct 30, 2007 01:31 PM, Report abuse Reply

There is 4GB of flash - the Operating System plus applications take nearly 2.7 GB, but considering the end-user, 1 GB should go a long way in satisfying the children. Of course since it has USB ports, one can always expand using external Hard-disk drives

by Pats, BLR, on Oct 30, 2007 01:51 PM, Report abuse

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