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Steve Ballmer's $100 PC, Sans Windows

Posted by timothy on from the damn-bowlderized-damn-domain-name dept.

Martin_Flory writes "SolarPC has announced the $100 personal computer. Steve Ballmer's idea for reducing piracy was great after all, since this computer runs on Linux (DSL Distro). 'The design and construction of the SolarLite is consistent with the goal of an environmentally friendly computer. It uses a lightweight, recyclable, aluminum case that has a 20-year warranty. Its VIA chipset based "long-life" motherboard is a "green" lead free product. Like all SolarPC computers, the SolarLite operates on 12 volt DC power and can be run from a solar panel, car battery, or human powered (with a bicycle-based generator). The cool and quiet SolarLite uses approximately 10 watts of energy, just a fraction of what a standard PC consumes.' Sounds amazing right? This could change education all around the globe... a new Information Era is coming, and everyone is invited." The site claims they'll be available next month (minimum order 100,000 units), and promises a demo at SCALE 2005.

4 of 409 comments (clear)

  1. imagine... by stagl · · Score: 1, Redundant

    a beowulf cluster of these!

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  2. Minimum order, 100,000? by Junior+J.+Junior+III · · Score: 0, Redundant

    What if you just want ONE?

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  3. Min order of 100k? by Haydn+Fenton · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Yeah, they sound great and everything, but what's with the 100k minimum order?

    It's not really a good "personal computer", if you need to buy 100,000 of them before you can use just one.
    It's also not really very cheap either, since you have to spend at least $10,000,000 before you can have a "$100" computer in your possesion.

    I breifly skimmed TFA... will companies like Dell, Tiny, Time etc. be able to buy and re-sell these, or not?

    Sometimes I really don't understand business techniques, surely they would make more money selling them individually than waiting for someone/company to buy 100,000?

  4. Re:am I just behind on the times? by jm92956n · · Score: 0, Redundant

    You misread the article: Ballmer hasn't endorsed this specific product, but he's endorsed the idea of an inexpensive, basic PC (running a variant of Windows, of course) for third world countries.

    Previous Slashdot article is: here.

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