One laptop per child redux: Problems between Intel and OLPC
I posted an article from BBC several months ago about the upcoming release of the $100 laptop, the brainchild of Nicholas Negroponte. His One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative aimed to develop a laptop that thusfar costs about $188, but whose goal was to be useful to children in all sorts of settings in developing countries, i.e. user-friendly, energy-friendly, and inexpensive. Reduction in price is contingent upon signing large contracts with governments.
The article from July indicated that although Intel had begun to develop its own version of this idea, called the Classmate, the company was still partnering with Negroponte's OLPC initiative. Negroponte was not happy about this development, and for good reason, but the partnership continued. The OLPC machines were due to be released in November, accessible to those in developed countries as well, as long as they agreed to purchase one for a child in a developing country at the same time (i.e. pay double) to further the project.
But now, it looks as though the divide between Intel and OLPC has solidified.
It remains to be seen what this will mean for the project.
Of course, one person I talked to in the past several months criticized the entire initiative in terms of all the other types of changes that are needed in developing countries, but I say forge on ahead with technology. Africa skipped over landlines to cell phones in many cases, providing the benefits of SMS to further efforts such as HIV prevention and hotline info, as well as using it as a mechanism to garner support for election campaigns.
One laptop project loses partner
Intel has pulled out of a project to put cheap laptops in the hands of children in the developing world.
Citing "philosophical" differences, Intel has withdrawn its funding and technical help from the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project.
OLPC aimed to boost learning in poorer nations via a custom-built laptop intended to cost no more than $100.
Intel's withdrawal is a blow to OLPC which has found few nations willing to buy large numbers of laptops.
Machine code
Intel joined the OLPC in July 2007 and was widely expected to work on a version of the project's laptop that used an Intel chip. Many expected this machine to be unveiled at the CES technology fair which opens in Las Vegas on 5 January.
The first versions of the OLPC or XO laptop were powered by a chip made by Intel's arch-rival AMD.
The green and white XO machine was designed specifically for children, was made rugged to cope with conditions in developing nations and could be kept powered using a hand crank.
Intel spokesman Chuck Molly said it had taken the decision to resign from the OLPC board and end its involvement because the organisation had asked it to stop backing rival low-cost laptops.
On the OLPC board with Intel are 11 other companies including Google and Red Hat.
The chip maker has been promoting its own cheap laptop, the Classmate, in many of the same places as the OLPC.
"OLPC had asked Intel to end our support for non-OLPC platforms, including the Classmate PC, and to focus on the OLPC platform exclusively," said Mr Mulloy . "At the end of the day, we decided we couldn't accommodate that request."
He added that the use of AMD chips in the first XO laptops had not influenced its decision.
So far the OLPC has yet to comment on the split.
Prior to Intel's involvement, OLPC founder Nicholas Negroponte criticised the chip firm for what he called its attempts to undermine the project's work.
He said Intel was selling its Classmate at a loss to make the XO laptop less attractive.
While Dr Negroponte's initial aim was for a laptop costing only $100, the final versions that have been trialled in Nigeria and Uruguay cost $188 (£95).
Costs were supposed to be kept low by governments ordering the XO laptop in shipments of one million, but large orders for the XO laptop have, so far, not materialised.
In a bid to boost the numbers of laptops available, OLPC ran a "Give One, Get One" programme in the US from 12 November to 31 December.
This allowed members of the public to buy two XO machines - one for themselves and one for a OLPC project elsewhere.
OLPC said the success of this had helped it to launch programmes in Haiti, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Mongolia, and Afghanistan.
[see original link for interesting graph of breakdown of expenses: of $188, they got Admin down to $1 and Overheads down to $10.]
The article from July indicated that although Intel had begun to develop its own version of this idea, called the Classmate, the company was still partnering with Negroponte's OLPC initiative. Negroponte was not happy about this development, and for good reason, but the partnership continued. The OLPC machines were due to be released in November, accessible to those in developed countries as well, as long as they agreed to purchase one for a child in a developing country at the same time (i.e. pay double) to further the project.
But now, it looks as though the divide between Intel and OLPC has solidified.
It remains to be seen what this will mean for the project.
Of course, one person I talked to in the past several months criticized the entire initiative in terms of all the other types of changes that are needed in developing countries, but I say forge on ahead with technology. Africa skipped over landlines to cell phones in many cases, providing the benefits of SMS to further efforts such as HIV prevention and hotline info, as well as using it as a mechanism to garner support for election campaigns.
One laptop project loses partner
Intel has pulled out of a project to put cheap laptops in the hands of children in the developing world.
Citing "philosophical" differences, Intel has withdrawn its funding and technical help from the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project.
OLPC aimed to boost learning in poorer nations via a custom-built laptop intended to cost no more than $100.
Intel's withdrawal is a blow to OLPC which has found few nations willing to buy large numbers of laptops.
Machine code
Intel joined the OLPC in July 2007 and was widely expected to work on a version of the project's laptop that used an Intel chip. Many expected this machine to be unveiled at the CES technology fair which opens in Las Vegas on 5 January.
The first versions of the OLPC or XO laptop were powered by a chip made by Intel's arch-rival AMD.
The green and white XO machine was designed specifically for children, was made rugged to cope with conditions in developing nations and could be kept powered using a hand crank.
Intel spokesman Chuck Molly said it had taken the decision to resign from the OLPC board and end its involvement because the organisation had asked it to stop backing rival low-cost laptops.
On the OLPC board with Intel are 11 other companies including Google and Red Hat.
The chip maker has been promoting its own cheap laptop, the Classmate, in many of the same places as the OLPC.
"OLPC had asked Intel to end our support for non-OLPC platforms, including the Classmate PC, and to focus on the OLPC platform exclusively," said Mr Mulloy . "At the end of the day, we decided we couldn't accommodate that request."
He added that the use of AMD chips in the first XO laptops had not influenced its decision.
So far the OLPC has yet to comment on the split.
Prior to Intel's involvement, OLPC founder Nicholas Negroponte criticised the chip firm for what he called its attempts to undermine the project's work.
He said Intel was selling its Classmate at a loss to make the XO laptop less attractive.
While Dr Negroponte's initial aim was for a laptop costing only $100, the final versions that have been trialled in Nigeria and Uruguay cost $188 (£95).
Costs were supposed to be kept low by governments ordering the XO laptop in shipments of one million, but large orders for the XO laptop have, so far, not materialised.
In a bid to boost the numbers of laptops available, OLPC ran a "Give One, Get One" programme in the US from 12 November to 31 December.
This allowed members of the public to buy two XO machines - one for themselves and one for a OLPC project elsewhere.
OLPC said the success of this had helped it to launch programmes in Haiti, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Mongolia, and Afghanistan.
[see original link for interesting graph of breakdown of expenses: of $188, they got Admin down to $1 and Overheads down to $10.]