Don Kasprzak

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.