Brazil's first Intel Classmate PC given to o presidente

The odd public relations battle among the various manufacturers of super-low-cost laptops is heating up once again, with Intel ceremoniously delivering Brazil's first Classmate PC to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (presumably it will not be his primary machine). The low-power Classmate -- competing with OLPC's XO and Encore's Mobilis for a bulk contract and presumably lucrative support deals -- was part of an initial lot of 30 machines for government eggheads to play with, and will be followed by a donation of 800 units sometime next month. Unlike the $150 XO, the Classmate is a multi-hundred dollar machine with some fairly decent specs -- for its class, at least -- as it features a Celeron M CPU, 256MB of DDR2 RAM, and 1GB of NAND flash, among other "luxuries." With this seemingly heated competition to provide cheap notebooks to the children of Brazil, it's amusing to think that along with teaching them about coding, writing, and web surfing, these little gadgets will also bring them another proud tradition of developed countries: the OS war.

[emor8t @ Mar 2nd 2007 5:32PM]

All hail Golden Jesus!

[Chocolate Starfish @ Mar 2nd 2007 5:42PM]

These south american tyrants need a better cleaning staff. They forgot to take the nearly dead guy he's been torturing down from the wall before his photo-shoot.

Unless they left it up on purpose as a warning to his enemies...

[Todd @ Mar 2nd 2007 5:45PM]

WLWJU? ( What Laptop Would Jesus Use? )

Answer: the XO

[Eric @ Mar 2nd 2007 5:50PM]

Uhm, not everyone in politics in South America is a "tyrant". Sure he might be corrupt and ineffective, but you can't just think all of South America is led by communist dictators. He's the president of Brazil, and they have a democracy just like us.

[Mario Mejia @ Mar 2nd 2007 5:59PM]

i would say Brazil has a better functioning democracy than the US - Chocolate Starfish

[Chocolate Starfish @ Mar 2nd 2007 6:03PM]

Apparently we have a better sense of humor, though.

[Chocolate Starfish @ Mar 2nd 2007 6:01PM]

"it's amusing to think that along with teaching them about coding, writing, and web surfing, these little gadgets will also bring them another proud tradition of developed countries: the OS war."

And porn.

[Mario Mejia @ Mar 2nd 2007 6:09PM]

o rly?

[Phil_B @ Mar 2nd 2007 6:13PM]

""it's amusing to think that along with teaching them about coding, writing, and web surfing, these little gadgets will also bring them another proud tradition of developed countries: the OS war."

And porn."

And obesity.

[Michal G @ Mar 2nd 2007 6:14PM]

Go da porn lol.

OS War next destination: Poor African Countries :D

[Rodrigo dos Reis @ Mar 2nd 2007 6:18PM]

Chocolate Starfish - Keep your ethnocentric jokes to yourself. Instead of amusing us with your utter ignorance regarding other cultures, you should maybe try reading some non-gadget news. Picking up a book every once in a while could help, too. Ah, of course, our "bloody dictator" was democratically elected, and at the first year of his second term, his "body count" is zero, as opposed to 2.000 troops and 200 K civilians from another random country chosen to steal the resources from.
Saudações do Brasil

[Daniel Hanson @ Mar 2nd 2007 6:25PM]

Rodrigo, I think you might have taken Chocolate Starfish a little too seriously. I'm pretty sure he and the others were just kidding. Now if you can't take a joke, then I have nothing for you. I just returned from Brazil, and while Iove it there (my second time visiting), the government is fairly corrupt to say the least. But I don't have to tell you that.

[garrido @ Mar 2nd 2007 6:30PM]

OK, now that we've all had a crack at each other's president and country, can we go back to the topic at hand please...
The Intel might have better specs, but something must be said for those stupid-looking ears the XO has for antennas. It does seem to have a better screen though, much better for the porn.

[Adam Victor Nazareth Brandizzi @ Mar 5th 2007 7:38AM]

Zero? I think you are a little desinformed...

http://riobodycount.com.br/

[Rodrigo dos Reis @ Mar 2nd 2007 6:34PM]

Daniel,
I appreciate your politeness. I can also take a joke, I just thought that one wasn't particularly funny or clever. As for corruption, do Karl Rove, Scooter Libby or maybe Richard Perle ring any bells? Guess that's not a national problem, is it?

[Daniel Hanson @ Mar 2nd 2007 8:21PM]

I have no problems in admitting my country is probably just as corrupt or more corrupt than Brazil. I think there is a key difference though, and that difference is that we are the "superpower". While much of the criticism we get is deserved, everything we do is magnified more because of our status.

[Daniel @ Mar 2nd 2007 7:08PM]

Digg it:
http://digg.com/hardware/Brazil_s_first_Intel_Classmate_PC_given_to_o_presidente

[Charbax @ Mar 2nd 2007 7:45PM]

- OLPC XO consumes much less power than Intel Classmate. Probably something like... 10 times less power.

- OLPC XO has a better larger screen than Intel Classmate.

- OLPC XO is half the price of an Intel Classmate.

- OLPC XO comes with faster bootup, faster Linux OS, more optimized open-source OS and applications unlike Intel Classmate that forces Windows XP on poor school kids.

- OLPC XO has developped a power-saving way of shutting down the AMD Geode processor and storing screen informations in a buffer most of the time, when the CPU is not required, a thing Intel Classmate does not have with its Intel Celeron CPU.

- OLPC XO comes with revolutionnary Wi-Fi Mesh chip that has its own processor, consuming less than 0.5 watts, maybe even as low as 0.2 watts to be running 24 hours a day for 5-6 days before recharge, constantly being able to forward packets for other OLPC XO or other Wi-Fi Mesh appliances. Something Intel Classmate provides non of, consuming lots of power having to run the main Celeron CPU, to use any Wi-Fi application, making the Classmate useless to use it as a always-on VOIP device, waking up on incomming VOIP/IM/Email/RSS or other incomming packets.

[Marcos de Carvalho @ Mar 2nd 2007 8:56PM]

(off-topic)

oh c’mon, I am braziliam and I think that the Chocolate Starfish comment was really funny (I am still laughing). A country that intends to be laic (like Brasil) is not serious enough if it keeps a big jesus in the president room.

[phelipe @ Mar 2nd 2007 9:15PM]

Ok, regarding the post "(presumably it will not be his primary machine). " Belive me The present of Brasil dont have any computer, And yes, he is a Ditactor "wanna be", and Brazil will choose (actualy he will) the intel low-end computer! why? Because Intel proabaly will pay a under the table comission for this jerk.... Brasil rox, Lula sux

[Leandro Almeida @ Mar 2nd 2007 9:37PM]

I LOVE MY BRAZIL culture based on family moral value as JESUS EXEMPLE. there are corruption but happiness lies not on money. And I say: "ALL CIVILIZATION THAT BASES ON ANYTHING OTHER THEN LOVE ; WALKS INTO SELFISHNESS AND ITS OWN DESTRUCTION" Leandro Almeida

[Ronin @ Mar 2nd 2007 10:36PM]

Hey, our nine-fingered illiterate president probably will only power on this if he can use it for web surfing, mainly about Corinthians (soccer) and maybe search for places to get drunk.
After all, he must keep himself busy to have wingmans stealing from the country and say "I distrusted, but I didn't know".

[whiskey @ Mar 2nd 2007 11:10PM]

Oh, yes! You americans are so developed...

[apeguero @ Mar 2nd 2007 11:41PM]

Yeah, it will bring them OS wars as well as future H1B visas right? Our own government should look into this OLPC deal and add that to it's NCLB (No Child Left Behind) scheme.

[reticulate @ Mar 3rd 2007 4:12AM]

"Enjoy the laptop. Also, are you aware you have a Jesus on your shoulder?"

[Enitemaus @ Mar 3rd 2007 7:05AM]

For you who stated about the "superpower" thing, remember of Rome.

Brazil is a nice, nice place. You can brag all you want about your economy and your status, you realy have it. But you also have hurricanes, earthquakes, suicide bombers and George W. Bush.

We don't.

Only thing you have and we don't that i realy miss is the patriotism.
Overall, i'm happy i was born here.

Enit.

[Paulo Souza @ Mar 3rd 2007 9:00AM]

Hey Brazilians, don't be upset about it. I liked the joke :)

We got to understand that. That is the old "stereotyped" view of things. As some think that every south-american president is a dictator, we may think that every person in Texas drives a truck with a loaded shotgun on the glass :)

[Marcos Sartori @ Mar 21st 2007 10:11PM]

I dout if Lula is capable to use it, He is dumpper than a trash can. Our dictator is as dump as a popkin, which exactly what he is. This country is commanded by the people ignorance. The vote in brasil is a obligation and as many people is not capable to chose a good government we are going though the hole...
The poornest in Brazil (Here) has increased Dramaticly, who was rich is richer ever and the poor is poorest as never. Tries like olpc are futility `cause our Gastropode invertebrate president want everyone in ignorance so they (PT) can buy the votes...

Saudacoes Brasileiras!!! (Nota: Teclado US sem cedilha)