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Sporkman
July 13th, 2007, 04:36 PM
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070713/ap_on_hi_te/hundred_dollar_laptop_intel_2



Intel, `$100 laptop' project make peace

By BRIAN BERGSTEIN, AP Technology Writer 38 minutes ago

BOSTON - The nonprofit that aims to seed the developing world with inexpensive laptop computers for schoolchildren has made peace with Intel Corp., the project's biggest and most powerful rival, The Associated Press has learned.

The One Laptop Per Child program and Intel said Friday that the chip maker would join the board of the nonprofit and contribute funding.

The nonprofit effort — known as the "$100 laptop" because of the low price it hopes to reach with mass production — has been trying to line up governments in several countries to buy the machines, which for now cost $175. But competition from Intel's child-focused Classmate PC has made things tough in some countries for One Laptop Per Child.

For example, Intel — which expects the Classmate's price to fall to near $200 this year — signed a deal to sell 700,000 of the machines in Pakistan.

One Laptop Per Child's computers will continue to use processors from Intel rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc., but Intel is expected to work with the project on future technical developments.

MonkeyBoy
July 13th, 2007, 05:42 PM
A few years ago I was really quite excited by the OLPC project but every bit of news about it for the last year seems to be diluting the idea of it all. It is quite disappointing.

I suppose it is ultimately good for the project to have help from Intel but it still seems to miss the points that the whole project is based upon.

Microsoft making an XO version of Windows was the kiss of death as far as my interest went. Sugar looked so good too...

Footissimo
July 13th, 2007, 08:04 PM
Microsoft making an XO version of Windows was the kiss of death as far as my interest went. Sugar looked so good too...

Apparently not true (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070502-olpc-project-clarifies-no-plans-for-windows-support.html)

Motoxrdude
July 13th, 2007, 08:12 PM
The "One laptop per child" laptop uses the linux/gnu. w00t.

MonkeyBoy
July 13th, 2007, 08:31 PM
Apparently not true (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070502-olpc-project-clarifies-no-plans-for-windows-support.html)

I hope that turns out to be the case. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next couple of years with all these similar projects. I'm getting a bit bored of hearing all this organisational stuff but not actually seeing the results of anything.

smoker
July 13th, 2007, 08:42 PM
the OLPC is a great project, but as usual, when big business see that a project such as this is becoming a reality, they begin to think of possibilities of making money. intel were miffed originally by the OLPC because they chose AMD, so decided to create their own laptop! microsoft next began fud about collaborating, then ranted about their $3 windows pack.

The OLPC project is coming along ok, there is timeline of the project up to date here:
http://www.laptop.org/vision/progress/

Hendrixski
July 16th, 2007, 02:36 PM
First of all, what Intel did over the past year is shameful. They didn't just try to compete with OLPC, they tried to make sure that OLPC didn't sell any laptops. They were trying to destroy a CHARITABLE organization just so that they could earn a few thousand dollars.

Second, I don't trust them as far as I can throw them, they still plan to compete with OLPC, even though they're joining the board of OLPC. Go to hell Intel!
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/ptech/07/13/hundred.dollar.laptop.ap/index.html