lickety jackblog

Budget Cuts?



As some of you may know, a concerted effort has been in the works since January '05 by The "One Laptop Per Child" initiative and the MIT Media Lab in general, and Nicholas Negroponte in particular, to create a laptop sellable for just $100. The purpose of the machine is to be mass-produced and sold only via largescale government initiatives that would send the machines to needy school districts, "third-world nations"* and other computing-starved situations. The first images of the machine have been released and can be viewed here.

I think this is pretty damn cool. The machine will run some version of linux. Its designers claim that it will be equipped with many of the same capabilities as more expensive computers minus the massive data storage. For more specs check out the One Laptop Per Child homepage.

Unfortunately, these machines will mostly not be available for sale to you or me. However, there is a pledge site up where you can apparently purchase one for $300 (so that you get one, and you're also paying for the production of 2 more).

This machine could change a lot, especially considering that it will be the first computer that many children across the globe will be interacting with. Kind of makes me want one.


*Please do not verbally crucify me for the use of this term. I'm aware that it marks me as a h8r.

Labels: science

posted by dan @ 1:57 PM