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Asus' new Eee PC 701 joins the laptop-lite fray with a bang
Asus and Intel seem to be bridging the gap between the fairly humanitarian efforts of the OLPC project and their own Classmate PC efforts, and the recent rash of mini-laptop attempts such as Palm's Foleo and VIA's NanoBook. Specs and launch plans aren't entirely nailed down, but this new Eee PC line has quite a bit going for it, even as crowded as this market is getting. The 7-inch ultraportable is based on an unnamed Intel chipset, and runs regular Windows XP or Linux without a problem, but really shines in its "easy" mode that strips things down to a barebones OS mainly for internet browsing (sound familiar, Foleo?). Asus didn't even leave Palm alone with its Wii comparisons either, stating that the Eee name, which stands for "easy to learn, easy to play, easy to work," also conveniently conjures images of the Wii game console, which is known for being novice-friendly. The Eee line will kick things off with the Eee PC 701, which will sport 802.11b/g WiFi, Ethernet and a modem for connectivity, along with a webcam, 512MB of RAM and a 4, 8 or 16GB flash drive for speedy, reliable storage. The real kicker is that prices for the 2 pound laptop are supposed to start as low as $200, and the Intel / Asus duo won't be aiming this at massive governmental purchases, but instead will be offering it to consumers through traditional retail channels.[Via HardwareZone]
Educational games sought for OLPC
We knew this was only a matter of time -- OLPC people are on the lookout for educational video games to plant on their laptops when they land later this year. We're not sure Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego and Oregon Trail are really going to translate, and as much as we'd expect to see Doom officially on the platform, it seems they're looking for new titles that could presumably be easily localized, and take advantage of the OLPC's mesh networking. If you and your code junkie pals want to try your hand, join up at the OLPC game jam at Olin College on June 8th. Grand prize: an OLPC. Hey, at the speed that thing's price is rising you might actually make back some cash on it.
Negroponte: "Intel should be ashamed of itself" for dumping its low cost PC
Go figure, but the "purely humanitarian" battle to provide the world's estimated 1 billion poor children with a computer is as hostile as a chance-meetup of Rockers and Mods. Apparently, it all started when Intel's Chairman, Craig Barrett (pictured right), called the OLPC "a $100 gadget." Whatever the reason, last night's 60 Minutes had Nicholas Negroponte claiming that for-profit Intel is dumping its Classmate PC -- offering it below cost -- on the same governments he's offering his not-for-profit OLPC. "Intel should be ashamed of itself," Nick Neg says, "It's just -- it's just shameless." Negroponte offers an Intel marketing document which outlined the shortcomings of the OLPC approach (compared to the Classmate PC) as "proof" of Intel's wrong-doings. True, says Barett taking credit for the document, "that's the way our business works." All this because the OLPC features an AMD processor? Maybe, but it sure sounds like sour-grapes to us. Assuming you buy into Negroponte's premise of supplying the world's poor with computers, then who really cares if the children use a computer spawned of monetary self-interest or (supposedly) altruistic motivations -- just as long as the kids can play Doom on something?
OLPC production line nearly ready after getting 3 million orders?
No, it won't be July, but it's looking like you won't have to wait until Q4 either to hear the production line at Quanta begin to crank out OLPC XOs en masse. According to the China Post, Quanta "will start production of low-cost machines for the One Laptop per Child project in September after a nine-month delay," and interestingly, it even cites the recent hardware alterations as a culprit for the latest hangup. Michail Bletsas, a network design executive for the project, states that the firm will churn out "40,000 XOs a month from September 22nd," and could increase that figure to 400,000 units a month by the end of this year. Bletsas was also quoted as saying that "three million would be made in the first round of production," insinuating that quite a few orders have either been booked or are looking fairly secure. Regardless, we're sure kiddos around the world are hoping that this all pans out, because judging by the looks on the faces of kids in Uruguay, it's pretty much the best thing to ever hit the classroom.[Via OLPCNews]
Uruguay youngsters receive batch of OLPC XOs
Yeah, we've caught glimpses of the OLPC in action, but we've yet to see a group of school children get so hyped about receiving an educational tool like the 160 youngsters in Villa Cardal recently did. The relatively small Uruguayan town was thrown into a mild frenzy as a batch of shiny green and white OLPC XOs showed up to give the impressionable kiddos a taste of how learning should really be done. As promised, every child was gifted with their very own machine, and while we're not sure when the curriculum will be updated to account for them, we're giving the kids a slight edge on homework assignments for the time being. Needless to say, the experience is best described by photographs of the mayhem, so be sure to click on through for a few more select snaps, and hit the read link for the entire collection.[Via Digg]
Red Hat plans low cost Linux "Global Desktop" OS
What with the OLPC project and Intel planning to make cheap computing for the masses, we've got to wonder what the world was playing at up until now. As the horribly termed "emerging markets" start to emerge, Red Hat is getting into the low cost computing game with the "Red Hat Global Desktop," a low requirement operating system and software package which was announced at the Red Hat Summit in San Diego. The system will include a range of productivity applications, management systems that work on a scale of 10 to 10,000, plus what the Red Hat guys call a "modern user experience": fingers crossed that means no command lines. The Global Desktop is part of Red Hat's involvement with the One Laptop Per Child project, but it'll also be supported on Intel's range of lower specification and cost computer line, if your wish is to replace Microsoft's little OS.[Via The Inquirer]
OLPC rundown: XO gets naked, project detailed
We still haven't seen anything beyond BTest-2 of OLPC's impending XO laptop, but Jürgen Rink over at heise mobil has an in-depth rundown of the project, the laptop and the competition. There's much to be said, eight pages of it, in fact, but Jürgen provides some interesting insights into what sets the XO's tech apart from current laptops and other entrants in the educational laptop space. He also makes it quite clear that the XO has a ways to go, with power consumption -- which Nicholas Negroponte is targeting at 2 watts -- currently ranging from 6.5 to 9.1 watts, and the battery life at 2.5 to 3.5 hours falls far short of the projected 10 hours. Also MIA is the back light sensor, and that much talked about pull-string power generator hasn't even hit prototype stages yet. There are concerns that the convertible display hinge will prove to fragile under heavy use, and software holes like security and missing apps will need to be fixed before the laptop is ready for prime time. That said, the laptop provides some pretty interesting advancements in the realm of hardware and software, with notables like the reflective display, mesh networking, stylus-friendly trackpads and the "kids teach themselves" concept differentiating the XO from edu-PC wannabes. The project still hasn't reached its moment of truth, when verbally-committed governments have to start ponying up cash, but the first order of business is wrapping development on the XO, and we look forward to peeping the final product.
CNet takes Reggie's name and other words
Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime contributed a column to CNet's News.com, in which he discusses the "technological divide" growing between those who can afford and understand expensive, complicated equipment and those who cannot. He suggests that there is in fact a way to cross this divide, and serve consumers on both sides. Avid followers of Nintendo should know what he suggests: a low-cost device that innovates and creates new markets. He then proceeds to describe the Wii as simple and accessible enough to appeal to people who aren't willing to commit to complicated new developments-- the way cereal bars appeal to people who enjoy eating food but have no time to cook a full breakfast. We respect that there seems to be an actual strategy behind the Wii, and we recommend reading this column to see it laid out in very logical terms.
Forget the OLPC XO: India working on $10 laptop
While Nick Negroponte and the crew over at OLPC struggle to offer the XO for its original target of $100 (it now costs around $175, before factoring in support costs), India's Ministry of Human Resource Development is planning to completely leapfrog three-digit price tags with a machine that is already spec'ed at $47 and may cost only ten bucks when manufactured in bulk. With two potential designs having already been submitted by a researcher and engineering student (neither of which is pictured above) and a critical meeting scheduled for later this month, the "TDL" project seems to be well underway, and officials hope to have a product out the door within two years. India's plans for uber-cheap hardware come almost a year after the country rejected the XO as "pedagogically suspect," and several months after yet another competitor in this space -- Intel's Classmate -- was loosed on Brazil. And so the race to charge absolutely nothing for computers continues unabated, foretelling a day in the not-too-distant future when we'll be churning through PCs like daily-wear contacts. [Via Slashdot]
Nobody at OLPC working on Windows: sorry kids
Yes, we know you impoverished children of the world would love nothing more than the opportunity to get some hands-on experience with Windows, providing you with a valuable skillset for a Windows-based world, but the OLPC project sure isn't going to help you in that quest. "We are a free and open-source shop." Says OLPC's Walter Bender, president of Software and Content, rebutting some of the conjecture surrounding Nick Neg's Windows-related statement last week. "We have no one from OLPC working with Microsoft on developing a Windows platform for the XO. MS doesn't get any special treatment from OLPC." It has been confirmed that Microsoft is developing for the XO, but OLPC hasn't contacted Microsoft about including the $3 software bundle with its computers, and claims no governments have approached it about loading Windows on the computers. [Via Slashdot]
Negroponte suggests the OLPC can support Windows, may hit US schools
Just when you thought you knew everything there was to know about the OLPC, Negroponte, and the Sugar interface, in comes the man himself using the "W" word in an open-sourced conversation. Curiously enough, Nik Neg has not only stated that the present is "perhaps the most critical stage of the OLPC's life," but he also blurted out a quasi-firm $176 pricetag that would be attached to them. Additionally, he went so far as to admit that "XO's developers have been working with Microsoft so a version of Windows can run on the machines," and while no direct linkages were drawn to the recent $3 software package that the firm had announced, the writing is somewhat on the wall. Furthermore, a whopping 19 state governors have reportedly shown interest in grabbing a few of the inexpensive machines for their own schoolkids, and while the creator initially stated that the XOs were "designed for a totally different situation," he was also quoted as saying that business in the US "couldn't be ignored." C'mon guys and gals, how about a little less conversation and a little more action?Read - Hints of Windows on OLPCRead - US schools could adopt OLPC
OLPC XO shipments delayed until Q4?
You'll have to take this with the usual hefty grain of salt, but according to China's Commercial Times, OLPC manufacturer Quanta has been forced to push back its target ship date for the XO from July to sometime in the fourth quarter of this year. Leading to this speculation is the fact that Quanta has apparently yet to release its orders for various parts and components set for inclusion in the laptop, which would seem to indicate that a July ship date would be tough to meet. It would also, of course, seem to make the promised ten million laptops before year's end a bit unlikely.[Thanks, Eric]
Microsoft will sell $3 software to developing countries
In what initially sounds like an altruistic gesture towards developing nations -- but is in reality a shrewd business move to both compete with pirates and get kids hooked on Windows -- Microsoft will be selling a package containing full-fledged versions (well, kinda) of its OS and office software to eligible countries for a mere three-bucks-a-pop. Starting sometime in the second half of the year, less-developed nations that agree to provide free computers for their school systems will be able to participate in the latest effort in Microsoft's Unlimited Potential initiative, which nets them a bundle containing XP Starter Edition, Office Home and Student 2007, as well as various other educational titles (fingers crossed for Flight Simulator). Of course, by putting this restriction on participants, Microsoft is obviously forcing them to purchase PCs that work with its ecosystem of products -- and more importantly, that aren't the OLPC XO (Classmates are cool, though). The company will also benefit somewhat from governments that tend to buy their software from shady sources, although pirates can rest assured that they'll still be able to thrive on the patronage of individuals and private firms. So make no mistake about it, the war for the hearts and minds of the next wave of PC users is most definitely on, and while Bill Gates may espouse the many societal benefits of bridging the digital divide, Microsoft's Orlando Ayala made the company's intentions crystal clear when he told Reuters "This is not a philanthropic effort: this is a business."
Asustek building Classmate PC, prices start at $199?
This one's not quite as clear as we would wish, but here's what we've got: Asustek is prepping to launch a series of cheap laptops based on Intel's Classmate PC platform in the second half of this year, which will go up against (what else?) the OLPC XO. What we can't quite figure is if Asustek is building these OEM-style for Intel branding (shown above), or if it's just using the design to line its own pockets -- it could really go either way. The best news is price, since we've been rather worried about that $400 tag that's been kicked around, more-or-less officially, for the Classmate PC. Apparently the 1GB SSD version of Asustek's 7-inch Classmate PC will start at $199, with price points at $249, $299, $399 and $549 for capacities all the way up to 40GB. Ah, nothing like those educational laptop warm-fuzzies on a cold Monday afternoon.
OLPC Sugar interface tour gallery
Since being announced in 2005, there aren't too many things we've wanted so much as to get some good, solid time in with the OLPC, and it's sweet, icon-driven Sugar interface. Well, as of yesterday our wishes were granted when official OLPC builds hit the internets. The live CD is of extremely limited utility, but if you want to check out the fruits of Negroponte's ultimate pet project -- and see what millions of kids the world over will be using any semester now -- we've got the goods. Check out the gallery, we covered some decent ground with some of the basic apps bundled with the distro.%Gallery-2509%
OLPC's Linux-based operating system available for download
If you've got a tick to spare, or you're simply the type who shoves any flavor of Linux on any flavor of gadgetry that'll accept it, here's yet another opportunity to kill some time and check out the OLPC a bit further. Apparently, the Linux-based Sugar OS from the One Laptop Per Child project is now available via a bootable LiveCD ISO, and according to user reports, works quite well aside from the "lack of WiFi capability" on a certain MacBook. But hey, why are you relying on us to tell you how it works out? Go on and tag the read link whilst grabbing a fresh cup of joe, and do report back with ample amounts of praise (or grouses) once you've checked things out.[Via Digg, photo courtesy of LinuxQuestions]
Quanta planning $200 OLPC for developed nations
A lot of good things can happen when you receive a million orders for your product, such as finding the ability to add speedier hardware, offer up new renditions, and of course, break into new markets. Such is the case with Quanta, as it is reportedly aiming at bringing a device "similar to the OLPC to developed markets when the time is right," and if all goes as planned, it'll hit "for as little as $200." Of course, it was noted that the low-end versions would likely arrive sans a hard drive, with diminutive screens, and utilize open source software, but there's currently not much room to grumble if your laptop budget tops out at two Benjamins. In a quote that certainly made a case for CE-Oh No He Didn't, Michael Wang (Quanta's president) frankly stated that there were "a lot of poor people in developed countries, too," simultaneously dissing those without a large deal of disposable income and mislabeling the millionaire tinkers who'd probably pick one up just to fiddle with. No hints at a release date just yet, but if the sluggish rollout of the OLPCs is a halfway accurate benchmark, we'd guess that this one's a good ways out.[Thanks, Charbax]
OLPC to get speedier hardware upgrades?
While OLPC test machines are circulating around, and orders are reportedly adding up in vast quantities, it looks like the green machine could be receiving a few hardware upgrades. According to Vulnerable Minds, the One Laptop Per Child panel at Shmooncon announced that the machine would now sport a 433MHz AMD Geode LS-500 processor (up from 366MHz), 256MB of system RAM (up from 128MB), and a 1GB NAND drive (up from 512MB). The CPU is of the .13-micron variety and only draws 0.08-watts, and it'll also sport the obligatory 7.5-inch sunlight capable display, 1,200 x 900 monochrome / 692 x 520 color resolutions, 802.11b/g, and interestingly, the draft version of "802.11s ESS mesh networking" will also be supported. The trio of USB ports, stereo speakers, VGA webcam, SD card slot, and microphone all remained unchanged, but if you (or your respective government) have any outstanding orders, we sure hope you're lobbying for the newly upgraded machines.
Open source SimCity in the works for OLPC's XO
Development is underway to create an open source version of the original SimCity for One Laptop Per Child's XO computer -- a.k.a. the $100 laptop. Apparently both Will Wright and EA are all for distributing a free version of the game (best thought of as an intro to programming for kids) with XO. OLPC currently aims to distribute 10 million of its laptops to children in developing countries by the end of 2008 -- with an end goal to distribute an XO to every child in underdeveloped nations around the world.An early build of SimCity is on display at OLPC's GDC booth.[Via OLPC News]
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.
