World's Cheapest Laptop at $150?

♠ Posted by Emmanuel in at 7/26/2007 06:26:00 PM
First things first: Let me start by noting that the long-awaited One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) computer is now entering production, some five years after the idea was first proposed according to BBC News. (Is it just for me or does the OLPC look a lot like the original iBook?) While I have some doubts over the financial viability of this project, there is no question that the intentions behind it are good and that it deserves to succeed despite its difficult gestation period.

As I will explain a bit later though, it is not the world's cheapest lappie top as it hits the street priced initially at $175 (see the breakdown of the machine's costs as well in the pie chart to the right). Still, the OLPC machine incorporates several novel technologies to compensate for the lack of electricity availability in many parts of the developing world and the harsh operating conditions. As an educator myself, I can testify to the often rough educational environments I must deal with. (Dear students, especially mine: I'm just kidding.) There is also a video feature posted together with the BBC's report. Do visit the BBC site as I cannot stream the video feature they have on their site:

Five years after the concept was first proposed, the so-called $100 laptop is poised to go into mass production.

Hardware suppliers have been given the green light to ramp-up production of all of the components needed to build millions of the low-cost machines.

Previously, the organisation behind the scheme said that it required orders for 3m laptops to make production viable.

The first machines should be ready to put into the hands of children in developing countries in October 2007.

"There's still some software to write, but this is a big step for us," Walter Bender, head of software development at One Laptop per Child (OLPC), told the BBC News website...

Since the idea was first put forward in 2002, the low-cost laptop has been both lauded and ridiculed.

Intel chairman Craig Barret famously described it as a "$100 gadget" whilst Microsoft founder Bill Gates questioned its design, particularly the lack of hard drive and its "tiny screen".

Other critics asked whether there was a need for a laptop in countries which, they said, had more pressing needs such as sanitation, water and health care.

Professor Negroponte's response has always been the same: "It's an education project, not a laptop project."

The view was shared by Kofi Annan, ex-secretary General of the UN. In 2005, he described the laptop as an "expression of global solidarity" that would "open up new fronts" for children's education.

And as time passed, even some of the critics have changed their stance. Earlier this month, Intel, which manufactures what was considered a rival machine, the Classmate PC, joined forces with OLPC.

The innovative design of the XO machine has also drawn praise from the technical community.

Using open source software, OLPC have developed a stripped-down operating system which fits comfortably on the machine's 1GB of memory.

"We made a set of trade-offs which may not be an office worker's needs but are more than adequate for what kids need for learning, exploring and having fun," said Professor Bender.

The XO is built to cope with the harsh and remote conditions found in areas where it may be used, such as the deserts of Libya or the mountains of Peru.

For example, it has a rugged, waterproof case and is as energy efficient as possible.

"The laptop needs an order of magnitude less power than a typical laptop," said Professor Bender. "That means you can power it by solar or human power."

Governments that sign up for the scheme can purchase solar, foot-pump or pull-string powered chargers for the laptop.

And because it may be used in villages without access to a classroom, it has also been designed to work outside. In particular, the green and white machines feature a sunlight-readable display.

"For a lot of these children it's their only book and we want them to have a first class reading experience," said Professor Bender.

The XO will be produced in Taiwan by Quanta, the world's largest laptop manufacturer.

The final design will bring together more than 800 parts from multiple suppliers such as chip-maker AMD, which supplies the low-power processor at the heart of the machine...

"We certainly believe very strongly in the mission and vision of OLPC so finally starting to see it come to fruition is not only gratifying, it is also rewarding."

Test machines, on which the final design is based, are currently being put through their paces by OLPC.

"We keep laptops in the oven at 50 degrees and they keep on running," said Professor Bender.

Field testing is also being done in countries such as Nigeria and Brazil.

The XO currently costs $176 (£90) although the eventual aim is to sell the machines to governments for $100 (£50).

Well, what's the world's cheapest laptop, then? I was visiting the CNET site when I came across yet another contender for world's cheapest laptop computer honors on the crave blog. According to CNET, the Swedish firm Medison may offer the world's cheapest laptop at $150, thus undercutting the OLPC by $25. Unlike the OLPC, the Medison unit is very mainstream and full-featured--it is designed to function like a conventional laptop, albeit while being sold at an especially affordable price. What is very surprising to me is that the specifications of this $150 machine seem to be alike those of a far more expensive machine. If this thing were sold for thrice the price, I would not raised an eyebrow. Take a look for yourselves:
  • Intel® Celeron 1.5 GHz CPU
  • 14" Widescreen X-bright LCD
  • 256 MB Ram memory
  • 40 GB Hard Drive
  • 802.11g Wireless LAN
  • Optimized Linux operating system
  • Pre-installed office and multimedia applications
Holy moley! The posters on the crave blog are also wondering whether this is the real deal as it seems to be a heck of a lot of computer for $150. Of course, these two different units are not direct competitors. The OLPC machine is designed for education markets in the developing world, whereas the Medison appears to be designed for bargain shoppers in the developed world. These are interesting times for computing, especially with the Intel $320 machine being available as well. My choice? I'd probably fo for the Medison if it's the real deal. At $150 and a feature set like that, it's no slouch for a machine at any price.