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."

Comments

Libya: highest std of living in Africa

[gelfling]

Please do some reasearch. Libya is a huge thinly populated country with oil. It has the highest or second highest std of living in Africa. Most middle class people speak Italian (former colony). If anyone in a '3rd world' country can make use of cheap computers, it's them.

Re:Ummm

[Plutonite]

You were more likely than not right in the desert, which is a lot worse than being in the city and operating out of air conditioned buildings. I used to live in kuwait and had less problems with sand&dust than many other places. If you can use the equipment in a closed area then you should be fine.

Re:Why?

[Tom]

Let's check what their dictator has brought them:

• The highest (or 2nd highest, depending on which sources you trust) standard of living in Africa
  
• The highest Human Development Index in Africa, ahead of Russia, Saudia Arabia, Turkey and others like those.
  
• One of the highest GDPs in Africa, more than Malaysia, Mexico or Bulgaria
  
• Market-oriented reforms and a business boom, currently ongoing
  
• Free education for all citizens, resulting in the highest literacy rate in North Africa
  

Judge by facts, not because your own dictator says "evil man over there".

Yes, human rights are still a problem. But a country that just legalised imprisoning people without charge, trial, access to lawyer and for as long as you like is not really the party that should speak accusingly of other parties on this matter.

Get rid of your own dictator first before you tell others to do so.