nicholas-negroponte

Why Brazil's not buying Negroponte's laptops

Owen Thomas · 09/27/07 09:59AM

CAMBRIDGE, MASS. — The chasm between Nicholas Negroponte's One Laptop Per Child project's lofty goal — putting computers in the hands of children across the developing world — and its actual achievements is staggeringly wide. Instead of millions of computers, it's struggling to put in an order for a hundred thousand or so. And rather than commanding larger orders from third-world governments, Negroponte is now trying to get first-world consumers to donate laptops instead. A speech by Brazilian culture minister Gilberto Gil Moreira at the EmTech conference gives a pretty good idea why no laptops per child is today's reality.

Oh, no laptops per child?

Tim Faulkner · 09/25/07 02:11PM

Nicholas Negroponte of the One Laptop Per Child initiative is waking up to the business realities of equipping millions with low cost hardware: "I have to some degree underestimated the difference between shaking the hand of a head of state and having a check written." No kidding. Some degree? A commitment for three million down to no orders for the production of 120,000 cheap laptops is some degree. To spur sales, the low-cost laptop will be offered to North American consumers for $399. The price includes an additional laptop donation for charity. But come on: Wal-Mart sells computers for less.

Tim Faulkner · 07/13/07 03:28PM

Intel joins Nicholas Negroponte's One Laptop Per Child charity, should no longer "be ashamed of itself" [Web Pro News]