My 'One Laptop Per Grown-Up' Initiative...
By James Grahame
MIT's One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative is intended to get millions of low-cost computers into the hands of underprivileged children around the world. Their goal is to eventually hit the $100/unit mark, through a combination of inexpensive mass-produced hardware and open-source Linux-based software.
As I pondered the production prototype, I found myself wanting one -- albeit in a slightly more grown-up color scheme -- for use as a low cost email / browsing / writing machine. I'd even be willing to pay around $250 for a model with 802.11b Wi-Fi. After all, most users don't take advantage of the high-end capabilities of their machines on a regular basis. This approach would allow me to leave my dual-core monsterputer at home, while lugging around only the bare essentials. Come to think of it, this machine could well become the Lada of the computing world.
And lest you argue a machine like this couldn't possibly offer enough power for everyday use, consider that I regularly use an 18 year-old Cambridge Z88 notepad for writing and the occasional game of Lemmings. It runs for close to 20 hours on a set of AA batteries and weighs a mere 2.3lbs (1kg).
My question to you: Am I crazy? Do you think anyone else would want a commercial version of this machine?
More about the OLPC Initiative (MIT Media Lab)
Flickr set of OLPC prototype images
