Negroponte Responds to $100 Laptop Criticisms

teefaf writes "Wired News is running an article on the most recent developments surrounding Nicholas Negroponte's (of MIT) $100 laptop project. The project aims to make 'cheap' computers available to children in developing countries. In the article, Negroponte responds to the inevitable criticism from Intel and Microsoft, "When you have both Intel and Microsoft on your case, you know you're doing something right", and elaborates on his vision for the future of the project, "He also said the display and other specifications could change as enhancements are made. In other words, he seemed to be saying to his critics: Don't get too hung up on how this thing operates now, 'The hundred-dollar laptop is an education project,' he said. 'It's not a laptop project.'". The article also states that the initial production cost of the laptops is expected to be $135; the $100 price-point probably won't be hit until 2008. It's possible that the cost could drop as low as $50 by 2010."

Comments

but

[mlehman]

who wouldn't criticize this machine; it's a great idea but it has a crank battery hehehehe!

Re:100 dollar computers?

[bmo]

"A main goal of the project is to make a machine that children will actually want to use. Having a cool green laptop, rather than a beige monstrosity, makes a big difference."

You know, I must sit back and laugh and point. Clearly you are not old enough to remember a society without microcomputers. When you go from "I have no computer" to "Hey, look at this cool TI-99/4a with a tape recorder!", you don't quite care how cool it _looks_.

"Lack of education is the most serious problem afflicting poor people. It's more serious than starvation and disease"

You're an utter idiot.

"Poor people get AIDS because they are staggeringly uninformed about safe sex; many of them have no idea the disease is even sexually transmitted. They starve because they have no idea how to plant crops properly."

And you need computers for this _how_? Famine is more the result of politics these days than failing crops. Indeed, I ask you to _prove_ to me of a famine that happened in the past 30 years that was the result of _merely_ failing crops and not warlords fighting over resources. And we've had politicians in Africa _denying_ that sex transmits AIDS or that HIV causes it.

"Buying thousands of books for a "well stocked" library is much more expensive than some ultra-cheap laptops"

And where are you going to _buy_ the content for those laptops?

"through a wireless mesh network"

A lot of good that does for someone outside the city limits.

Damn, but you are uninformed about the rest of the planet. I suggest you go to your local video store and rent/buy a Bollywood movie. The last one I saw had a good 5 second shot of a sink with running water to _show off the wealth of the character's family_.

Charging someone $100 bucks for a computer in such a situation is almost an astronomical price compared to handing down a fully working desktop machine that would typically wind up in the rubbish here in the US.

--
BMO

Re:Gates not all bad

[pilkul]

Uh, no, although Sudan's economy has been growing from its abysmal depths lately, it is nowhere near being a significant market for Microsoft's products. Maybe in 30 years, if the political instability were to go away. Nobody who cares only about profit cares about Sudan.

I think this is a case of charity envy from Gates. He's supposed to be the big technology and charity bigshot, and these guys are beating him on his own turf. Well, let's just hope it will push Gates to try harder.