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Preview Of The $100 Laptop

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the penguins-in-little-hands dept.

cynical writes "Harvard's Ethan Zuckerman, founder of GeekCorps and Global Voices, got a chance last week to drop in on Nicholas Negroponte and get a preview of the $100 laptop Negroponte has designed for students in the developing world. Zuckerman talks about both its hardware and the One Laptop Per Child project, and asks the readers for suggestions for innovative ways the $100 laptop can be used." From the article: "The mockup I saw was about the size of a large paperback book. There's a stiff rubber gasket around the edge of the machine, which can double as a stand. The keyboard on the mockup was detachable, but will probably fold out on a hinge ... Two trackballs, surrounded by four way buttons, on each side of the screen act as controls, and function keys on the back act as additional buttons.)" We've previously reported on this device here on Slashdot.

3 of 304 comments (clear)

  1. THE END OF THE AMERICAN TECH WORKER by ferrellcat · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    So pretty soon, every child in India will have a laptop, while here in America, we're lucky if half the graduating High School seniors know how to read.

    This is an outsourcer's wet dream come true.

    Expect HUGE sporsorships from the usual suspects.

  2. Cheaper than the $100 laptop by t0qer · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    Was the p-233 laptop I picked up for $30. I slapped a $7 wireless card on it, removed the hinge and put it in a picture frame. I use it at the karaoke bar I work at so singers know when they're coming up.

    http://www.7bamboo.com/modules.php?name=News&file= article&sid=212

    --toq

  3. Reality check by Ancient_Hacker · · Score: 1, Offtopic
    Okay, it's fun to be a bubble-headed academic and design things in your ivory tower.

    But if you get real you might want to do a few things differently:

    • Do a survey in the third world-- talk to people and ask them what they need.
    • You might find they put food, water, housing, bicicles, security, land reform, tribal peace, roads, and electricity waay ahead of "laptops".
    • Even if they mention "laptops", you should probably consult with like real laptop engineers, builders, and marketers.
    • There's a huge difference between cardboard prototypes and actual working, stable, marketable, sustainable and supportable products.