Random Thoughts From Marybeth

$100 Laptop

The MIT $100 Laptop looks pretty good.

The proposed $100 machine will be a Linux-based, full-color, full-screen laptop that will use innovative power (including wind-up) and will be able to do most everything except store huge amounts of data. This rugged laptop will be WiFi-enabled and have USB ports galore. Its current specifications are: 500MHz, 1GB, 1 Megapixel.

It will also be peer-to-peer capable right out of the box.

The laptops will not be available for sale and will only be distributed to schools directly through large government initiatives. They will begin manufacturing the laptops when they have 5 - 10 million paid orders and plan to begin shipping them in late 2006 or early 2007.

I'm kind of sorry that they won't be available for sale. I like gadgets and think it would be cool to have one of these. I'm guessing that the main reason they won't be for sale is that they will have enough trouble producing all the ones they'll need for the "One Laptop per Child" project.

I think it would be really cool if they had a "buy one, sponsor one (or more)" program. I'd do it and I imagine there are plenty of others who would too. The laptops would, of course, go to those who need them first. Once the orders for the children have been filled, the sponsors could receive theirs.

A sponsorship program would get more people involved and help finance the project. It would also reduce the potential customers for blackmarket sales of the laptops, further making sure that the computers get to the kids who need them.