Negroponte Responds to $100 Laptop Criticisms

teefaf writes "Wired News is running an article on the most recent developments surrounding Nicholas Negroponte's (of MIT) $100 laptop project. The project aims to make 'cheap' computers available to children in developing countries. In the article, Negroponte responds to the inevitable criticism from Intel and Microsoft, "When you have both Intel and Microsoft on your case, you know you're doing something right", and elaborates on his vision for the future of the project, "He also said the display and other specifications could change as enhancements are made. In other words, he seemed to be saying to his critics: Don't get too hung up on how this thing operates now, 'The hundred-dollar laptop is an education project,' he said. 'It's not a laptop project.'". The article also states that the initial production cost of the laptops is expected to be $135; the $100 price-point probably won't be hit until 2008. It's possible that the cost could drop as low as $50 by 2010."

Will it have a "Vista Capable" sticker on it?

[Anonymous Coward]

Just wonderin'.

Re:Why

[hunterx11]

Don't be so coy; tell us what you really think.

Even the "have-nots" deserve better

[sun10384]

I think why most people are frustrated about this project is because its such a piece of crap. The "have-nots" of the world deserve something better than a hand-crank. The deserve something wonderful as Mac OS.

But Negroponte's intention has never been to provide the best. Its always been going for the lowest common denominator. And for that he deserves all the criticisms.

Re:god

[cashman73]

Now... do you picture a guy who fights in a war will use a laptop to learn about AIDS, he's either going to sell it or at most use it for prn (assuming that he finds a networks somewhere or the laptop has a DVD bay).

Actually, I got $500 that says 90% of these things are going to end up in one huge beowulf cluster in Nigeria, set up as spam zombies bombarding us with more messages of how the late general's wife has $15,000,000 in some bank account in Zambia that they need some dumb American's bank account information to get the money out of the country,...