Bender goes bipolar: OLPC's Sugar UI tweaked for Intel's Classmate PC

We know he's just thinking about the children but damn, if Walter Bender's latest move doesn't smack of retribution for Negroponte's XP-lust. Having successfully spun himself out from under NickNeg's OLPC, Bender's UI now owned by his non-profit Sugar Labs might just end up on Intel's Classmate PC. Right, the same competing platform the OLPC camp had lambasted, repeatedly, for its "shameless" and "half-hearted" behavior in the educational marketplace. Nevertheless, Bender is quoted in an interview saying, "A community volunteer is working with Intel on Sugar for the Classmate PC. Sugar Labs helped to expedite the relationship." We assume Bender's loftier goals act as a lithium-salve to what must be a palpable internal turmoil.

P.S. That's our mockup, Intel declined to comment on the usage of Sugar.

[Flashpoint @ Jun 19th 2008 8:15AM]

I was in BBY to buy a HP 6835nr the other day and I saw the new ASUS Eee PC Windows XP (4GB RAM + 900 Mhz CPU).


Considering most of these netbooks have more USB ports, more connectivity options (ethernet, 56K, etc) than a $3000 Macbook Air, then does a "netbook" become a "laptop" only when it has a built in CD ROM drive?

[AnONeamus @ Jun 19th 2008 8:21AM]

Wow, this makes my head hurt!

As far as I can remember, the Classmate with XP was supposed to compete (for educational contracts) with the OLPC with Sugar. Now the Classmate with Sugar is competing with the OLPC with XP?

[Cwisfa @ Jun 19th 2008 9:24AM]

That OS looks quite nice, and I can see the GUI (in addition to lower system requirements) dominating over XP in terms of UMPC's (Ultra-mobile whatever thingies everyone called them, ultra-portable etc.) since the hardware in those computers isn't as great as desktops.

If only it was ported to the OLPC. :(

[absurdio @ Jun 19th 2008 10:36AM]

Bender goes bipolar: It'd be more interesting if it were the next Futurama movie. :p

[whiskey @ Jun 20th 2008 3:01AM]

This should go straight to the "reality goes inverse" folder, with other cases like "Mac goes Intel", "Mac runs Vista" and "Somebody found out how to run OSX on a Graybox"...