Dapht1 Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 Introducing: The $100(USD) Laptop The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) says it is close to making available a laptop for developing markets that would cost around $100 USD. At a minimum the computer would feature a color screen, Wi-Fi, a 500MHz processor, and 1GB of flash memory. The unit would even be able to generate power on it own through the use of a hand crank, making it useful even in areas where electricity is not readily available. Developing countries would be able to buy a laptop for every child, allowing new educational opportunities previously thought impossible. "If you take any world problem, any issue on the planet, the solution to that problem certainly includes education," Nicholas Negroponte, founder of MIT's Media Lab, told attendees of Technology Review's Emerging Technology Conference. "In education, the roadblock is the laptop." When first announced in January of this year, the project received corporate backing from AMD, Brightstar, News Corp., and Red Hat Linux. Brazil, Thailand and Egypt have already expressed interest in purchasing up to a million units each, with several other countries inquiring about the program, Negroponte says. MIT educational researchers say the computers would help students in math, planning and reasoning skills. Plus, with a connection to the Internet, students would be able to interact with the broader world community. "I think there is good reason to believe that if everything were open, fewer bad things could happen," MIT educational theorist Seymour Papert told the MIT Technology Review. "So give everyone the tools to observe and communicate what is happening." Several prototypes have been made, but researchers are still working on ways to get the retail cost of the unit down to $100 USD, and even lower in the future. One possible solution for a cheaper yet effective screen was to use the same technology found in today's portable DVD players. Negroponte remains committed to the project until its successful completion, calling it "the most important thing I've ever done in my life." A potential aid to the World's poor or another reason the West has no clue about Poverty? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kritical Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 Yeah I read this in the news yesturday, I think it's fucking great!... Mainly because I work with linux a lot.. and also with a lot of open source software... Imagine how much the laptops would cost if they had of approached micros**t... a whole lot more than $100! Apparently they're working together with google on this project aswell to make the laptops work together in a giant network... theres also talk of trying to get them all connected to the internet... When I was young I use to browse the internet and learn new shit all day... and I still do.... This is just what the world needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nato Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 I went with potential aid to the poor. The fact is that for many places the need for food far outweighs the need for a $100 laptop, but this will still go a long way to educating you people from these communities about things beyond just plain survival. A good idea in my opinion. Maybe when they are hooked up to the net they can hop on Woolworths.co.nz and order some groceries???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pakage Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 i was pretty half half too.. but ended up going with aide for the poor (without seeing the results or reading your posts) But the fact is: The people who are really poor dont have US$100, and dont need a freakin laptop thats for sure as nato said, maybe some seeds to plant crops, fertiliser and water, animals and infrastructure.. then laptops :S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kritical Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 The people who are really poor dont have US$100, and dont need a freakin laptop thats for sure bro... the kids don't pay shit for them... They're targetting the Ministries of Education for each Country... If you take New Zealand as an example... our government spends hundreds of millions of dollars on education... It's not just the piss poor countries of the world getting into this... Places like China are interested.. China man! they've got heaps of bling bling! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 Started witih the wind-up radio - big leap in technology since then. So I guess the greatest acomplishment of all of this is that third-world countries can have easy access to porn now Wonder how long the battery lasts for more than anything. I don't want my laptop dieing on me in the middle of a project (or counter-strike match =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kritical Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 Must be tough living in the third world without porn! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike Posted September 30, 2005 Share Posted September 30, 2005 I guess we now have the solution to the civil wars of certain third world nations Let them take out all their stress on the laptop and become addicted to that, instead of the killing thing =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Known One Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 I'm gunna go with "Another reason the West has no clue about Poverty" Reasons being... 1. Doesn't involve mass murder of starving people 2. Hard to use a laptop when you're starving/sick 3. Hard to use a laptop when you can't read 4. Can't use a laptop when you government sells them instead of giving them to the poor 5. Laptop's aren't waterproof... neither are mud huts/shanty towns Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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