TUNIS, November 17 – Today a very interesting, promising project entered the next phase. At the UN summit for Information Technology in Tunis the $100 laptop was presented to the general public. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Nicholas Negroponte from MIT introduced the “green machine”.
The laptop stands out thanks to its lime green color. The device is robust since it has a rubber exterior, especially designed to withstand carelessness by children. Thanks to special techniques used in the screens and technological advances like mesh-networking the laptop does not need much power. It can even be winded up like a toy.
The thought behind this development is that to close the gap between rich and poor knowledge is needed. Nowadays technology has a center point in the Western community and introducing this to poor countries will increase their knowledge and skills. Primarily targeted at education this tool will also make sure creativity is used. The system operates on an open source system so the local communities itself can develop software for it.
Backed by supporters like Google and media-tycoon Rupert Murdoch the plan is to produce hundreds of millions of these units for governments to buy. Negroponte announced that six big but differing countries will see the introduction in 2006 and then six months later anyone who wants can follow. Governments are asked to commit to contracts of one million laptops at least to keep the price as low as possible. With such commitments the price will come out at roughly $100 per laptop.
Meanwhile five manufacturers and three big technology brands have expressed their interest to bring this laptop to the market publicly.
