[EAS] $100 Laptop

[Peter J. Kindlmann]

(from Edupage, November 16, 2005)

MIT DEBUTS $100 LAPTOP
At the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunisia, Nicholas
Negroponte, director of MIT's Media Lab, will show an early version of
a $100 laptop that he announced in January. Negroponte has said that
such a device would bring the fruits of technology to millions of
schoolchildren in developing nations, spanning the digital divide and
spurring economic development. According to those involved with the
project, a number of countries have expressed interest, including
Brazil, China, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, and South Africa, though
development remains before orders can be placed. In addition, the
governor of Massachusetts has called on his state to provide the new
laptops to every middle and high school student. Critics of the program
argue that people in developing nations often need more basic supplies,
such as food and clean water, and some also note that the educational
value of laptops for every student has not been proven. The devices use
the Linux operating system and flash memory; they do not include
cameras or DVD-ROM drives, as originally planned. They run on C
batteries that can be recharged using a hand crank attached to the
device.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 16 November 2005
http://chronicle.com/free/2005/11/2005111602t.htm