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The foundation invests the assets that it has not yet distributed, with the exclusive goal of maximizing the return on investment. As a result, its investments include companies that have been criticized for worsening poverty in the same developing countries where the Foundation is attempting to relieve poverty.[55] These include companies that pollute heavily and pharmaceutical companies that do not sell into the developing world.[56] In response to press criticism, the foundation announced in 2007 a review of its investments to assess social responsibility.[57] It subsequently cancelled the review and stood by its policy of investing for maximum return, while using voting rights to influence company practices.[58]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gatesx07jan07,0,6827615.story

The Gates Foundation has poured $218 million into polio and measles immunization and research worldwide, including in the Niger Delta. At the same time that the foundation is funding inoculations to protect health, The Times found, it has invested $423 million in Eni, Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp. and Total of France — the companies responsible for most of the flares blanketing the delta with pollution, beyond anything permitted in the United States or Europe.

What good is curing Malaria for those people when in order to get there you help turn their environment into a complete mess? Also while Apple did certainly cut back on charity they didn't give it up completely and had with charities like Red.

http://www.apple.com/uk/ipod/red/

http://www.joinred.com/red/

The (RED) team would like to express condolences to Steve Jobs' family, friends and colleagues today. Mr. Jobs led Apple into its partnership with (RED) in 2006 and that partnership has helped to save the lives of millions of people with HIV in Africa. We are forever grateful for his leadership.

why was this link red compared to the usual green?

Because this story was sponsored by (RED).

You know, just like those red iPods, boxes of breakfast cereal, and other random crap where the attempted tie-in makes no sense.

I beg to differ.
There is this disease called "AIDS"
According to my quick, and limited research, according Pennsylvania Health Clicky - Blacks and Latino's are significantly more likely to get AIDS then your average white guy, asians, or other races, in fact the article clearly states that blacks have a 1.3% chance of being infected with HIV/AIDS which is 11 times higher then whites. Blacks and Latino's make up for about 30% of the US population (roughly 13-14% each)

But yet. AIDS research gets an insane amount of funding (Think, the entire RED Campaign)

AIDS is not a "white mans disease" it is a "minorities disease" that gets significantly more press and cash then the CF, which is a "white mans disease"

Your example makes me wonder about the legal issues with the (PRODUCT)red campaign, which has not one but two trademarked logos. These merge with other trademarked logos to cross-brand a variety of products.

(As an aside, it's still amusing to me that the campaign will put Apple's logo inside theirs, but Apple will not. Clearly good causes and good publicity have more leeway in the business world.)

Fair enough. Here you go:

AmEx - 1% of amount you spend
Gap - 50% of profit
Giorgio Armani - 40%
RAZR - 6.5%
Apple - 5% (according to the RED website)

Good enough for ya? I'm a firm believer that half a loaf is better than none. Previously these groups were doing nothing - now they're doing something. That's what Gates is suggesting - everyone gaining, whether large or small, is better than nothing.

Can I pay $50 more and have a special "OLPC Sponsor" logo etched into the case, with the $50 going directly to the OLPC project?

Think (RED) only different.

Think how chic this could be:
- cool logo
- cool charity
- indie coolness: Look ma, no Microsoft!

Perhaps a different color (black or white instead of green?) would make it more appealing.

Making it a different color would also serve another purpose: visually distinguishing between the official "sold-to-geeks-to-subsidize-the-kids" version and the "taken-away-from-the-kids-and-hocked-on-Ebay" version. I think it would do a lot to help keep these in the kids' hands where they're supposed to be, because the color would be a very noticeable bright green sign saying "I (effectively) stole this laptop from a poor kid in Africa!" and most people would be ashamed for people to see it.

Personally, I think a good color for the consumer version would be red (even if this particular product is about helping education rather than fighting disease)

check out these RED iPods for World AID day today http://www.joinred.com/products.asp?p=5

Its Oprah and the Product (RED) people. This will help cut down AIDS in Africa. http://www.joinred.com/

I am pretty sure Aids, TB and Malari is a better reason for overprizing then a cool black hat hacker MacBook...

Maybe I did not read the Stanford talk from Jobs correct... I thought he started thinking about live, death and stuff. Then again I never really have understood Californian Global Thinking....

So I suggest.. buy that White MacBook and go spend your saved money on a pair of cool Converse at http://www.joinred.com/