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Feb 2, 2009 05:15 PM | 9
Can a laptop be manufactured for $10? The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project created by Nicholas Negroponte and the MIT Media Lab has struggled to keep its promise to provide $100 laptops to school kids in developing countries (In fact, the cheapest one goes for around $188). But the Indian government says it will distribute laptops to students throughout India that each cost less than a movie ticket in New York City.
Too good to be true? Afraid so. BBC News today reported that the announcement – widely reported by new pubs over the weekend – has since been "corrected" to $100 per laptop.
But even at $100 a pop, the price tag would still be the cheapest for a school computer since Negroponte and his colleagues launched OLPC in 2005. Since then, NComputing launched its "thin client" model that allows schools to extend the computing power of one PC out to several PCs (at a cost well over $100 per desktop) and chipmaker Intel has helped bring to market the Classmate netbook PC, which starts at $300. Other computer makers, including Asus and HP, are flooding into the netbook market promising cheaper laptops, but they won't touch the $100 price point for some time.
Still, India's National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) program offers more than just laptops. The program is expected to deliver high-speed Internet access to schools that will allow students and teachers to download a variety of online resources, including textbooks published by Macmillan (Scientific American's parent company), Tata McGraw Hill, Prentice-Hall and Vikas Publishing, the Times of India reports. Much of the content will be delivered to students and teachers through the "Sakshat" portal (a password-protected Web site that aggregates all program-related information in one place).
ICT, intended to boost higher education enrollment in the country by 5 percent over the next five years, includes plans to extend computer infrastructure and connectivity out to more than 18,000 schools in India. The Indian government plans to subsidize 25 percent of broadband connectivity costs for private and state government colleges.
Image ©iStockphoto.com/Lajos Répási
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9 Comments
Add CommentFrom the bbc article (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7864806.stm)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisEarly reports of the cheap laptop suggested that it would cost only 500 rupees (£7). However, this could be a mistranslation, because transcripts of the speech, in which it was unveiled, mentioned it costing $10 (£7) but this was later corrected to $100 (£70).
Even if they are able to provide a 100$ laptop with 2GB RAM, it would be a great achievement. Go through this link:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://ncsi.iisc.ernet.in/pipermail/lis-forum/2006-July/004422.html
FTWP:
He also found out that due to the price of the battery and other hidden costs, the laptops (OLPC) might actually cost USD200.
If this is possible then some people are still blessed in this world. How long do we have to wait for holographic keyboard and monitors?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisA Sinclair computer enthusiasts group in france made a £100 laptop prototype four years ago and found a manufacturer to produce it. They had enough financial backup to produce a series of 10,000 machines, but for some reason the manufacturer decided to back down. Yet if a small group of hackers could make a £100 laptop four years ago, why is it taking big firms with big R & D laboratories so long to do likewise?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this100 pounds is significantly more than $100.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere is no evidence that a $10 laptop will help students do better in school.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLet me recommend a device is even cheaper, and its efficacy is supported by a tremendous amount of research. It is random access, compact, and highly durable. Using this device simulates temporal and pre-frontal areas of the brain, and may even delay senility in addition to increasing literacy levels dramatically. It is safe for use by children. One warning: This device is extremely pleasant to use and may result in addiction. These devices are found in great abundance in libraries, where they can be borrowed for free.
Why propagate the error in the title of the article - there are no $10 machines. SciAm should be above such spin for the sake of a good headline.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt is very good thing because all students are giving benefit of this facility. Good article which u use i like it
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this=====================
Marsh
<a href="http://laptop-computers.co.za">Laptop Computers</a>
its good thing
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this[url= http://www.laptop-computers.co.za rel= DoFollow ]Laptop Fanatic[/url]