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Libya Purchases 1.2 mil Wind-up Laptops

An anonymous reader writes "The government of Libya is reported to have agreed to provide its 1.2m school children with a cheap, durable laptop computer by June 2008. The laptops offer internet access and are powered by a wind-up crank. They cost $100 and manufacturing begins next year, says One Laptop per Child. The non-profit association's chairman, Nicholas Negroponte, said the deal was reached on Tuesday in Libya. Professor Negroponte told the New York Times in an email that the project mirrored Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's political agenda of creating a more open Libya and he also expressed interest in purchasing the computers for poorer African neighbors."

13 of 258 comments (clear)

  1. Ummm by 2.7182 · · Score: 4, Funny

    BTW, were these things designed to be sand proof ?

    1. Re:Ummm by EotB · · Score: 2, Funny

      So the One Laptop Per Child program has to be proceeded by One Air-Conditioned Room Per Child then??

  2. Terrorists! by crhylove · · Score: 5, Funny

    God damn that Muammar Gaddafi, trying to make those African kids better with computers than our American kids. We need to get rid of these kinds of terrorists immediately, with their educating children and what not. What's next a Libyan bill of rights?!?!? Somebody needs to tell them that this is 2006, and the whole concept of a "Bill of Rights" is totally dated.

    rhY

    --
    I hold very few opinions. I hold information based on observation and fact. If you wish to disagree, please use facts.
  3. New Meaning by Cytlid · · Score: 2, Funny

    Gives a new meaning to "cranking one out".

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    FLR
  4. back to the future by minus_273 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Obligatory back to the future quote:
    "It's the Lybians!"

    --
    The war with islam is a war on the beast
    The war on terror is a war for peace
  5. Also by Se7enLC · · Score: 1, Funny

    A nuclear bomb made from pinball machine parts.

  6. Great Scott! by ObsessiveMathsFreak · · Score: 3, Funny

    Man. Those Libyians are going to be really pissed when they find out that their plutonium wasn't used to power the laptops.

    --
    May the Maths Be with you!
  7. Re:Libya: highest std of living in Africa by ProppaT · · Score: 2, Funny

    I don't understand how having the highest STD rate in Africa means they could make use of laptops better than any other third world nation? Or even having oil for that matter... Not saying it's not nice for them and they won't make good use of the laptops, but that's roughly the equivelant of me saying "John Adams High School has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in the state and the highest wealth per capita in the county, therefore if anyone could use new textbooks, it's them."

    --
    Wise men say, "Forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza."
  8. Improves Morals by Lord+Bitman · · Score: 4, Funny

    Can't type, wind the crank, and wind the crank, all at the same time. An internet ready computer that can't be used for porn? Amazing!

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    -- 'The' Lord and Master Bitman On High, Master Of All
  9. Ihre Papiere schnell by Lost+Penguin · · Score: 2, Funny

    "First of all every people should get rid of of their own dictator."

    Gitmo for you

    --
    I am the unwilling control for my Origin.
  10. Re:how about one laptop per child in US? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The United States treats its socialism the way a priest treats masturbation -- it does it very rarely, with a great amount of guilt, and tries very hard to ignore the amount of relief it brings.

  11. Re:Really? by MadTinfoilHatter · · Score: 3, Funny

    So Gaddafi is no longer the boss in Lybia?

    Not only that, but Libya is no longer spelled "Libya" either.

  12. Re:Libya: highest std of living in Africa by Ant+P. · · Score: 3, Funny

    Joke->    ~~~>

                O
    You->      -+-
               / \