Intel launches second generation Classmate PCs for current generation of kids {Engadget}

Apr 3rd 2008 3:58AM Not sure what your impression of the "3rd world" is, but not all 3rd world countries are at the point of starvation. While they may be poor in the "1st world" sense i.e. lack of material wealth and assets, a huge majority are not starving outright. What they lack, however, is the opportunity to break away from the recurring cycle of poverty, where the lack of education keeps them in the lower income bracket. Something like a netbook can be useful in that it will encourage kids to learn and expand their horizons, besides providing them with access to additional learning/study materials, either online or through computer-based software.

Tech is not the end-all to poverty, but with the economy and employability increasingly dependent on IT technology and literacy, something needs to be done to close the digital divide between the haves and the have-nots.