Nicholas Negroponte’s One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program is underway with another order from Peru! I was pleased to read this in Saturday’s Boston Globe. Despite criticism from the media and computer manufactures, OLPC has made a significant milestone (and impact) in signing its first country Uruguay and now Peru’s order is just over 250,000 units. This is all about making a difference in the lives of poor children in poor schools in very poor countries. But I must ask: Have you ever watched as much press about the launch of a laptop before?
I’m amazed at those who continue to write that WinTel (Intel and Microsoft) should be in this “market.” Actually when someone writes how a ‘market’ is a collection of the poorest countries in the world – being pitched by the two richest companies in the world – something just doesn’t sit right. Actually it should stand out like a sore thumb.
I was pissed Intel would “create” a PC for this market. For one of the richest, most successful companies today to whore themselves to the poorest school children on the planet is disgusting. Additional companies in Taiwan, India and Israel trying to profit should be ashamed as well. Intel has never manufactured a laptop in their history for the low end education market – yet jumped at the chance to profit off the poorest kids in third world countries?
Since Intel and Microsoft have been around since the beginning of the PC revolution, why did it take MIT’s Media Center Director to develop this movement while Intel and Microsoft are just trying to profit from it? What does this really say about Paul Otellini Intel’s CEO? Clearly Intel and Microsoft are not leaders but followers.
But dig deeper you learn why Intel was working on this. OLPC selected Intel’s rival AMD as the CPU for those little green and white computers. Thankfully Negroponte called Intel out in a CBS interview and after feeling the heat, Intel changed their position. I’m not sure Microsoft is off the hook either. If Microsoft is so concerned about the welfare of children in third world countries then give your product away for free. Microsoft, probably the most successful and richest company (and people) of all time wants to pimp those poor kids.
Lets look at that price for a minute…$188.00 Those cheap shots at OLPC’s price-point are really showing how small they think. Yes, OLPC did have a target price of $100 per unit, yet missed its first production run by a mere $88 bucks. So why is the blogosphere filled critical remarks about $88? It reminds me about the guy who criticized music download fees of .99 cents while paying $40/month in ring tone fees.
Yup $40 in just ring tone fees…good position there Magellan!
Ironically if OLPC systems were running Vista it would probably create 30 million more frustrated users looking to migrate to Linux anyway. The reason OLPC is engaging open source software is to tap free resources for these countries. Ship the units with XP and the country would need to purchase software…and I just do not see these countries having enough money to feed their citizens let alone purchase Office XP upgrades. Bottom line: Intel and Microsoft are so cut throat (and I use this term lightly) that it clearly demonstrates the ugliness of greed.
No wonder Linux is so appealing.
Still not convinced? Think about your bill the next time you and friends dine out at a nice restaurant. Geeks this means a restaurant not Taco Bell, Burger King or Wendy’s. My own experiences probably dictate a full OLPC laptop over a couple of sushi dinners and drinks.
Amazing that one dinner with friends can make a difference in the world for a child in a poor country. That is what OLPC is all about.
Tags: OLPC, Negroponte, Give 1 Get 1 , intel, microsoft, Otellini, globalization, trends