Intel's Classmate PC to go head to head with OLPC in Brazil

Given the quite disparate price points -- around $400 for Intel's fledgling Classmate PC, $140 for the cute little OLPC -- we would think the two different machines wouldn't be treading on each other's toes too terribly much at this time, but that doesn't seem to be the case in Brazil. Intel just committed to donating 700-800 of the Classmate PCs for a large in-school evaluation. Brazil will be pitting the laptop up against an OLPC prototype they just got in the mail, along with another similarly education-bent laptop from an Indian company. "We're going to put it in the classroom and see how it does," says Jose Aquinto. Walter Bender of the OLPC camp welcomes the competition: "The only way the price is going to continue to go down is competition in the marketplace." Sure sounds like they're getting it.

[Ladderless @ Dec 6th 2006 12:00PM]

They should offer both machines in the US for a 30% premium (or more...)

I'm sure they would be a hit, and they could use the additional profits to subsidize the overseas efforts to provide them at reduced prices (sort of what happens on teh drug industry)

[Mario Mejia @ Dec 6th 2006 1:00PM]

you can already get laptops in the US for about $400

much better ones too.

[John Doe @ Dec 6th 2006 7:02PM]

Umm not really. Most of those $400 computers are for shit. At the very least the OLPC are computers that are designed to be cheap instead of just being cheap crap.

[Vince D @ Dec 6th 2006 4:15PM]

Agreed. Why does a 'charity' computer cost as much as a retail computer does? We are only 3 or 4 years away from a retail laptop at a $100 equivalent price point anyway, the whole premise is uneconomic and insane and will end up costing taxpayers somehow.

[gorkon @ Dec 6th 2006 1:24PM]

I would buy one....today. I'd even give them 300 bucks for a 100 dollar device.

[paaul @ Dec 6th 2006 1:56PM]

Intel's Classmate PC looks quite good. It will be useful for the students, they can carry it anywhere. The price is also less. Nice useful laptop from intel.

http://cheap-computers-review.blogspot.com

[Giltronic @ Dec 6th 2006 2:29PM]

try again. the intel laptop cost 400 compared to 140 for the OLPC.
you must work for intel.

giltronic

[Ricardo @ Dec 6th 2006 4:09PM]

Paul,

The $100 and $400 pricepoints for Brasil are not an apples to apples comparison. In its current version the XO1 OLPC is probably more above $150 plus local taxes. Since the machine is not produced in Brasil at all, this can double the price for the Brasilian market. The Intel product, if manufactured locally can easily be closer to $300 than $400. In another words: stay tuned for the actual prices that are going to be heavily dependant on local production of components and local assembly of the systems. Also, remember that the Intel product is actually a reference design that will be produced by PC manufacturers, including locals or multinationals with manufacturing presence in Brasil.

Additionally, I will go ahead and publish the Specs for the Classmate PC so you can see what kind of hardware is in the machine. Please go ahead and check my blog in a few minutes at: http://p6.hostingprod.com/@ricardosblog.com/blog/intel/classmate_pc/

As with past articles, feel free to reproduce with proper credit.

Thanks, Paul

[wayan @ Dec 6th 2006 4:38PM]

Yawn. We broke this news in October http://www.olpcnews.com/countries/brazil/in_brazil_2b1_laptop.html

I just wonder how fair the competition will be. Intel is offering a reference design so local manufacturers will be happy, but Negroponte has promised to buy 100,000 OLPC servers from Brazilian manufacturers too. Brazil's President will be feeling pressure to pick the group offering the most domestic production.

[Xolith @ Dec 7th 2006 12:45PM]

Go Intel!

[SunFlyer @ Dec 7th 2006 1:18PM]

It is surely good to see competition, and in the right place. Brazil for sure can support a little more expensive price for this toys, comparing to other countries on the OLPC list, with its huge economy (I think they are the 8th economy in the world or something).

[Taylor @ Jan 11th 2007 12:17AM]

Wait... OLPC runs a version of Linux, right?

So... does the Classmate run Windows?

[Adam @ Jan 11th 2007 10:50AM]

All i REALLY see here is rampant greed on the part of Intel and the rest...
when the OLPC came out they were the first.. they offered to give every child a PC and they made it work.. without funding from the PC deep pockets.. NOW that its not only a reality but proving to be VERY VERY popular all the other company's are jumping on the bandwagon.. to do what ? make more money ?.. if for everyone BUT OLPC it was really about the children they would work WITH the OLPC team and make something worthwhile..

The more these company's bicker over such things.. the more i lose respect for them