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$100 notebooks has come as a confidence boost to the project, the sources [within Taiwan's IC design sector] said. The project has raised doubts about where demand for the notebooks will come from.Might Negroponte's expansion of OLPC outside of his original target countries, and the timing of the Libya MOU announcement, be a sign that he struggled to reached his oft-repeated goal of a 5 million unit initial order by November after India said "no"?
Or to put it another way: Would Libya be your first round draft pick if you were thinking warm and fuzzy thoughts about helping developing world children through information and communication technologies? Does it really fit with the other OLPC implementation countries: Argentina, Brazil, Nigeria, or Thailand?
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"Or to put it another way: Would Libya be your first round draft pick if you were thinking warm and fuzzy thoughts about helping developing world children through information and communication technologies?"
I dont see why countries such as Libya cant have "warm and fuzzy" thoughts for providing their children with the tools to become educated in the 21st Century. Sure its run by a dictatorial regime but most rulers want only the best for their country. North Korea would be a different story.
I see from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Negroponte
that our project's noble leader is the brother of John Negroponte, United States Director of National Intelligence.
I wonder if they're working together. Are the laptops going to spy on the kids for the CIA? Is the CIA blackmailing national leaders to buy into OLPC?
Question 1:
100$ Laptop, is it just 100$? What about -
1. Freight
2. Insurance
3. Training
4. Cost of establishing the server firm
5. Support cost
6. Project management / administrative cost
Will these all come for free? Or these are going to pop out of thin air?
Question 2:
Who is going to get benefited? The country who receives a million of 100$ at a cost of some 150 million dollar or the country who receives the 100 millon dollar for manufacturing the Laptop (assuming the cost in question 1 are going to pop out of thin air)?
I have to admit being an adult i like this laptop for children and i do hope that it is a success because this will help our future computer users everything, it looks cool, it has very good functionality and so much more. so my hat goes of to Green machine.
Hey, I have two kids that need laptops for school. Why dont that come up with somthing for the underfunded in this country.
Personally i beleive this is the best thing ever invented....for all the ignorant and stupid people in the world that pretty much only think about themselves consider that we have things available for intenet access ,libraries school and what not...this is suppose to be for children in other countries who have probably never even seen a computer or have access to one and that don't have developed technology(hence why there are alternate power sources). It is a non profit organization that is trying to help one child at a time! i mean if people really want something like this they should sell them in richer countries for like $500 and use that to buy 4 more for the children of all the other countries in need!!!! WELL BEST OF LUCK TO THE PRODUCERS AND EVERYONE WHO HELPED MAKE THIS POSSIBLE!