Laptop for $100

[Steve]

The chairman and founder of MIT has been outlining plans for a new sub-$100 laptop design. The aim? Produce a tough, reliable, cheap laptop that's available for all. A prototype should be ready in November. The BBC reports:

The Linux-based machines are expected to have a 500MHz processor, with flash memory instead of a hard drive which has more delicate moving parts.

The laptop will be more rugged and flexible than ordinary ones
They will have four USB ports, and will be able to connect to the net through wi-fi - wireless net technology - and will be able to share data easily.

It will also have a dual-mode display so that it can still be used in varying light conditions outside. It will be a colour display, but users will be able to switch easily to monochrome mode so that it can be viewed in bright sunlight, at four times normal resolution.

[0blivion]

A Laptop for $100 - Surely its not gonna be very good, as in bare minium parts available

[DR]

But the point is not everyone needs a powerhouse!

[Steve]

On the contrary, I think it'll prove just how cheaply a laptop can be made. 500MHz isn't going to break any speed records, but it's ample for word processing and surfing.

[kempez]

That is an excellent idea and a great move forward. I reckon Linux should still run fairly well even on a lower spec machine

[0blivion]

Suppose it would be excellent for students etc

[Shorty]

That would do the job for remotely administrating a whole host of different environments.. terminal server, putty, telnet. Nice idea

[Goberpiles]

I need a laptop just to surf the net, cant find anything cheap, no such thing as a cheapo laptop.

This looks a real good idea.

[0blivion]

PC World have a laptop going for £400! thats the cheapest i've seen.

[speedy_s]

when is it coming out in the uk? can u use it as a htpc with a usb tuner card?

[0blivion]

I wanna see some pics of it or a spec

[Spud1]

I need a laptop just to surf the net, cant find anything cheap, no such thing as a cheapo laptop.

This looks a real good idea.

Ebay...lots of bargins there, you can get some really nice touchscreen fujitsu-siemens lifebooks on there for around 100 notes (700mhz, 256ram, 14" touchscreen)

But This new laptop looks great for engineers - a kind of cheaper version of the toughbook for people that dont need the high resource apps that the AA etc need

[Flibb]

You can do just about anything you want with 500mhz, I still run photoshop on an old lappy with win98, a friend does CAD on a P3 500, just about all modern apps and OS have a version that runs on a 500mhz CPU.

[zed13]

Tom99:

The chairman and founder of MIT has been outlining plans for a new sub-$100 laptop design.reports:

Doesnt exist yet dude, though I have to say, would be pretty cool for quite a few people I know (not meself per se, but then I'm a spec-hog)

Sorta wonder tho what a widespread introduction of products like this would do to the global computer market- as the vast majority of people only need word processing, email, web and maybe the ability to play music, not much more... I mean sure it would be a great step towards the globalisation of computer technology, even much easier for third world countries to spread computers among the populace, but still, while I doubt it would happen really (or at least not in our lifetimes) if lo-spec machines became the norm for people, it would widen the gap between gaming machines and average machines even more- possibly causing prices to rise whatever tho, like I said, I doubt it will have to great an effect, but interesting to think about all the same

-Zed13

[Tomahawk]

Seems great, just read the article, it's a brilliant idea especially for the regions/countries there aiming to ship to. Great for teh students who need something portable which doesnt break the bank.

[Flibb]

Quiet a few people ask me about a rig just for email, internet, etc. They tend to have been looking at the £500 pcworld jobs, I just point them at the £50 ebay compaq deskpros or similar. 1ghz base units, a cheap monitor and they are sorted.