Is the $100 laptop just a dream?

[Steve]

The Inquirer has a piece this morning on MIT's $100 laptop (initial news story). Some are saying that the proposed PC simply cannot be made for that price, and even then, there's no point in actually making it.

Michael Robertson and the folks at Linspire have also done homework on low-cost computers and markets for them. In a nutshell, they believe offering a cut-down laptop is a waste of time and people will desire a "real" computer, rather than something stripped of disks with a minimal processor. Kevin Carmony, CEO of Linspire, points out "Even if MIT's engineers succeed in building this device, there will be other problems to solve, such as distribution costs, support costs, and the $100 question...Will the laptop be powerful enough and perform well enough for students to even consider using it?"

Read more, and let us know what you think!

[directhex]

i don't see why it's so hard to believe - compare it to something like a nintendo ds, which is a for-profit device

just because it doesn't run linspire, doesn't mean it can't be a valuable device in the third world

[axis09]

i just watched a crappy movie about this, 4 guys trying to make the 99$ pc, it ended up being a holographic projector....lol

[Funkstar]

They have been following this on Engadget for a while now. I really like the idea, also hope it succeeds. There was talk of it being released to developed countries at a premium price (say $200) to subsidise the other units. If it runs out like some of the promotional shots, i wouldnæt mind spending the equivelant of $200 on it, especially cos it's going to be an open system (very hackable)

[nichomach]

I think it's a hell of a good idea; look at the price of portable computers in the UK. I'm not talking about refurbs, or second-hand; finding a usable new machine for much less than £400 is challenging to say the least. That's about $680 US. A machine which does the basics, like word-processing, internet access and email is going to massively broaden accessibility. No, it's not a powerhouse, but it doesn't need to be. Even if it DOES come in at $130-$150, that's still a fraction of the price of the cheapest Dell, and it should actually be more versatile in some respects. I read the Michael Robertson article that the Inq refers to, and frankly thought "Well, that's nice, he saw a village with no running water, but mains electricity to run a PC. Perhaps if a usable computer had cost them a lot less, then they could have had running water as well.". In addition, they've failed to take into account the ad hoc networking that is supposed to be incorporated, enabling on-the-fly networking in a classroom environment, something that "mid-range desktop" that he saw would be hard-pressed to accomodate.

[TheAnimus]

Its not a tablet PC :'(

Also I'm in the camp of not having any idea how they are going to produce for the price they claim. Maybe in the future but for now it can't be done (but i think a full slate tpc would be better option anyway, as keyboards break more, touch pads are awful)

[TheAnimus]

This post is about a differn't issue:

Security.

Windows has more viruses written for it than any other OS why? Exploits per line of code? People hate bill gates?

Ask any security expert worth their salt and they'll tell you "because everyone runs it, my mother runs it......" Thats why its so heavily targetted.

Then ask which retail vender has the best security offered for home users, they'll say microsoft. (but only lately, and normally pimp their favourate anti-virus product too).

What i'm saying is if everyone has the same box, just think of the danger with bugs etc. They'd better make sure the linux distro is much better at updating for idoits than any I've ever seen!

[Swafe]

They should be able to make them for 100 dollers, cos they claim theyve already made a fair few, everything about its cheap, imagine a laptop with no dvd drive, hard drive, graphics card, psu, its gonna be cheap as anyting to mass produce so it should be possible

'Will the laptop be powerful enough for the students to want to use it?'

If they come moanin about how they want higher specs, the third world countries can feck off and have sod all, it is powerful enough to do work on, 500mhz would pee all over a notepad type application, and there hardly goin to be playing doom 3 on it are they

[autopilot]

Excuse me for a second while i put my devils advocate hat on...


The 3rd world need clean water. They need a stable economy. They need more food. They need less war. They need jobs. The need more medical help. They need decent governance. They need more schools... So lets flog 'em cheap laptops?

The other thing of course is the fact that these devices, like much food and medical supplies in the past, possibly won't ever really reach most of the people they are intended for and end up on the black market. And $100 dollars is still a relatively huge sum for money for people in the third world

I'm sorry, but i can't help but feel a little cynical about this venture (even with my devils advocate hat off). It seems to me to be low on the priority of needs for these people and smells of profiteering to me. At the end of the day, the USA government could well afford to just give these things away if they really had a heart, which we all know by now they really don't.

To tell the truth, as cool as the idea sounds at first, i really don't know if it's really going to help these people or not, maybe it will.

But you never know, maybe someone will invent a USB landmine detector.

[TiG]

Dom,

I've heard this arguement before, and i'd answer with don't give the poor food, they will only look to rely on it in the future, give them tools and seeds and the knowledge to grow their own sustanable crops and they will feed themselves for a life time.

I think the laptop is designed (and coloured if you see a picture) to aim for children only, i don't see anyone actually selling them on the black market.

The laptop as i understand it is not going to be sold to the kids, they are going to be provided Free of charge.

Food and medical supplies are SHORT term needs, education and tools and knowledge to look after themselves is the only way you will ever get the third world to grow. I wish i could remember an african spokeswomens name who i heard give a presentation on this topic. I remember feeling inspired by the words she said and the passion she felt about the subject.

Education and removing the threat of children falling into violence was the way out of the problem.

TiG

[TheAnimus]

To be honest, giving someone food or medical supplies and thats it isn't going to help them. When we've nations like france needing to keep its struggling economy afloat by using massive food subsidies, which often make europian food cheaper than the local produced food, even in the 3rd world. Its a case of, should you help them a little bit, or help them fully?

If someone is ill, would you only half cure them, so that they died an even slower more agonising death, or would you save those resources, and put them to use on someone you could cure fully. Our world is overpopulated, we've no shortage of "people" so, lets be honest why worry? If the devils advocates cared that much they'd all be living in the areas needing help, dishing it out, not spending a single penny on themselfs. I always forget the name for this branch of philosophy, its basically how to devide up your effort for greatest good.

[autopilot]

I would have to disagree on the food and medical supplies being short term.

[Funkstar]

I think there is a destinction to be drawn between third world countries that require food and medical supplies and developing nations that could benefit massively from the improved education that these $100 laptops could provide.

I don't think they are talking about sending these things to areas of Africa that are struggling with famine and desperately need our help. I think they are probably looking at parts of south america and such.

[siuron]

I would have to disagree on the food and medical supplies being short term.

yea i 2nd that

[TheAnimus]

Food and medical supplies ARE short term, you can't get anything more short term than consumables (except for perishables, which most foods & medicains are!).

Jinkies, look at it with some perspective (yes its not very nice, but it's better in the bigger picture).

[autopilot]

Food and medical supplies ARE short term, you can't get anything more short term than consumables (except for perishables, which most foods & medicains are!).

Jinkies, look at it with some perspective (yes its not very nice, but it's better in the bigger picture).

Come on now, you did not think i ment it in that way surely. Food is a long term NEED. Of course a loaf of bread is only edible for a week or so, but that was hardly the point.

Anyway, it might be a good idea this whole laptop thing. Aparently, i heard on the Engadget podcast, they are thinking of selling the laptops in the developed countries like the UK and US for $200. $100 of that would be spent on buying one for a kid in a developing country. A great idea if they was a market for them over here, and i dont see why there could not be at that price if it was marketed the right way. Look at the even more expensive crappy 'learning' toy type 'laptops' sold to kids.

Microsoft must hate the whole idea of course - imagine all those kids being brought up on a Linux OS.