http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/I liked you better before your ads started including half-naked women. If I wanted to look at that, I would read fark.
-Jen]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/I like browsing more without ads. Download Firefox, GreaseMonkey and Adblock.
-Mark]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/For $100 I would buy one today.
]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/
I whish people would click on the ads once in a while and support the site they visit everyday.]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/
This is what the specs SHOULD be:

500mhz (fine!)
256mb RAM
2 USB 2.0 Ports
802.11b
10/100 Ethernet (maybe, is there really a place to plug this in?)
SOLAR Powered (sure, this isn't realistic, but do you really think that hand crank will do any better?)

Make it bigger, and make it weigh like 7 pounds. That way we can cram all the cheap parts into it and reduce costs.

As far as a CD drive is concerned... drop it. Everything they need should be available via the internet and thumb drives.

I while I agree that it is a bit ass backwards to give these people that can't eat laptops, I also feel the fact that by NOT having internet/comptuers their ability to be aware of valueable information is seriously reduced. And whats more important? Knowing that a hurricane is coming right towards you or a bagel?]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/
so yeah ..$100 pc .. im for it .. do it if u can .. but hell with all that is being offered in that pc i might want one myself ..

]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/
A B L, the company is going to morethan break even because its going to LICENSE the design. Licensing is easy money; no manufacturing costs. The governments are going to undertake the cost and give them away to their people for free.

Jake: It's not about democratizing access to technology, its about democratizing access to information. Developing countries in many ways are at the forefront of wireless networks because they don't rely on wired infrastructure - it doesn't exist. A notebook and wifi access is access to all the information ever gathered in human history. That's a powerful gift. This way, they can feed themselves and develop their countries. There are way better things to loathe; this is a good idea.

I like the form factor 2, btw.

]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/
Otherwise a year or two down the road it's just going to end up as a big pile of garbage in a junkyard. Nice gift.]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/
Two good articles:

http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3742817

http://cbdd.typepad.com/global/2004/07/icts_impact_in_.html

]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/
It's the same reason why there are no hobbyist computers like the c64 any more: the kids all have mommy and daddy's used Pentium 3 box.

And in this case, people would much rather have a used laptop or desktop that can play Starcraft, than a windup POS that can't play anything fun or run Office.

The $100 price point is pure fantasy, as well.

Jon Acheson]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/ - The devices are meant for educational purposes. You know, students.
- The display technology will (supposedly) cost about $12

The thing looks rugged; the keyboard seems sealed. As Mike above mentioned, the 1GB is probably flash memory. I bet it will run embedded linux, and the display will have very slow refresh rates and limited colors.

If the display technology works and actually costs only 10 cents per square inch, $100 for mass production doesn't seem outlandish to me.
]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/
It has to be a typ0. At 500mhz, it probably has 128 megs of ram.

Look at what single board industrial computers cost. $100 bucks is not unreasonable for 500mhz and 128 mb of ram.]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/
Oh, sorry, almost thought this was /. for a second...]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/
In every "developing" country there are dirt poor people, poor people, middle income people, rich people and filthy rich people, just like you have in any "developed" country.

To educate people about AIDS, needs resources, and cheap computers will be very beneficial to those involved in spreading awareness.

Nobody is going to give a cellphone or computer to someone who has nothing to eat. However, the people who are distributing food to the starving will benefit from cheap computing power that can be used to handle the logistics and other areas of distribution.

The computers will also be used in schools, which is a very good thing. People from poorer countries should be helped with access to technology, as this often provides a way for them to impove themselves.

Imagine if you will, a poor family with 5 children. Let's say they can only afford to send one child to school. That child will often teach his younger siblings to read and write.

Now if that child has access to a computer and the internet at school, he may come accross some usefull information that can raise the standard of living of his family. He might access information on irrigation, which he could tell his parents about, and if they implemented it, they would increase the yield of their crops, giving them more to sell at market. Now they can afford to send a second child to school.

That second child might look up information on crop varieties, or access data about cash crops, he takes this information home, and this time instead of just planting maize, rice or their usual crop, they plant some cotton and paprika. Add this to the improved food crop they are getting due to the irrigation scheme started by the first child, ad this year, they have enough food to eat, some surplus grain to take to market, AND some valuable Cotton and Paprika to sell at market too.

They make enough mony this year to buy a tractor, and increase the amount of crops they can plant. They aslo have enough left over to send the remaining 3 children to school.

Now, I know this will not happen in every case, and I've made the example simple. However, this is the power of giving tecghnology to poor people.

Having lived in africa for many years, I've seen it happen many times. Some of my ex-students (I used to teach "computer studies") were from "starving families" but are now making their living online and supporting entire comunities.]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/
People screw each other when they're bored and there's nothing like the internet to cure boredom. Not to mention giving them access to wonderful information like "How to not screw each other and get AIDS" (google that and you get all sorts of useful information)]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/
"And in this case, people would much rather have a used laptop or desktop that can play Starcraft, than a windup POS that can't play anything fun or run Office."

Starcraft runs great on a p200... This machine would kill it :D

-Matt]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/At least since 1998 ...
"With very low cost computers and some boldness in education policy, it will be possible to touch the lives of all children, including those in the poorest and most remote regions of the world."
http://web.media.mit.edu/~nicholas/Wired/WIRED6-09.html
Of course, a computer with 1998 era specs is available for $100 today. Its called a PDA.
]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0002MDTN6.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Some children need to be fed by their mothers. Others grow up to eat by themselves. Still others learn how to grow stuff.

Just kidding.]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/
http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-Work-Pad-z50-powered-by-Windows-CE_W0QQitemZ6805281519QQcategoryZ42202QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I have an ibm z50 and it was a good little toy. I think this would be nice if it were offered to all students around the world.]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/
1) producing a massive quantity of laptops
2) not having a hard drive (they just get larger, they don’t get any cheaper, and they break)
3) custom open source software

I love how the strap for the laptop also functions as an AC adapter
]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/
As for the infrastructure/support questions, it's amazing how infrastructure and support emerge when technology is available. It is not necessarily/always the other way around.

Give 3rd world people credit for being inventive, intelligent humans. The ability to solve problems isn't limited to those with a college education.]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Check 'em out at castrator.com.
Please tell me I am not having a flashback here.]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/
This reminds me of the old Jupiter class handheld PCs running Win CE 2.1. They were really expensive when they first came out, and could not compete with full-fledged notebooks, which explains why that form-factor as a whole died.

http://www.pencomputing.com/pdf/HPCPro_shootout.pdf

Nowadays though, you can buy one for well under $100, and its light weight, large screen, instant-on and incredible battery life still makes it a fairly attractive investment.

I still use my Sharp Mobilon Pro PV-5000 for the odd spot of word processing. If they resurrected the design and included Wifi they would make an ideal internet appliances (a la the Nokia 770) and basic computer, whether or not you live in a developing country.]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/
Please, no more half naked women. From now, full naked women.
Thanks
Vinsanity]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/
Haitians work hard and believe in learning, that includes computers. True, many cannot read but they wish they could.

This $100 computer will help the poor access educational opportunities. They boost the economy as locals discover the ability to see weather forecasts, check markets and obtain supplies.]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/
I believe that in the long run this would be cheaper than supplying them textbooks every year. Not to mention distribution channels would be more efficient and less likely to be prone to corruption.]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/28/negroponte-details-specs-on-planned-100-laptop/Surely someone can do this kind of thing en-mass within the costs they are looking at. Mass market product, non MS OS - dont care what it is, just non MS - Dont want my kids infected.
Apple were in talks with Baygen (windup radio and torch manufacturer) to stick a winder on the side of the eMate too.]]>Dec 19th 2005 1:25AM