2B1 Test Production Started!
Posted on October 18, 2006 by Wayan in Prototypes: 2B1, Countries: Libya, Hardware: OEMs
DigiTimes is reporting that Quanta Computer has started test production of 2B1 Children's Machines in its Changshu, China production facility
Samples, based on the "Green Machine" physical design should be available as early as November, while full production runs will start in first quarter 2007 second quarter 2007.
Yet, buried in the middle of the DigiTimes article is an interesting link to Nicholas Negroponte's recent announcement of an MOU with Libya.
Recent reports that Libya placed an order for 1.2 million US$100 notebooks has come as a confidence boost to the project, the sources [within Taiwan's IC design sector] said. The project has raised doubts about where demand for the notebooks will come from.Might Negroponte's expansion of OLPC outside of his original target countries, and the timing of the Libya MOU announcement, be a sign that he struggled to reached his oft-repeated goal of a 5 million unit initial order by November after India said "no"?
Or to put it another way: Would Libya be your first round draft pick if you were thinking warm and fuzzy thoughts about helping developing world children through information and communication technologies? Does it really fit with the other OLPC implementation countries: Argentina, Brazil, Nigeria, or Thailand?
