Intel Joins "One Laptop Per Child" Board

Move Comes After Months Of Suspicion And Competition

(AP)  As Nicholas Negroponte stormed the developing world trying to drum up buyers for the innovative $175 computers designed by his One Laptop Per Child nonprofit project, he encountered a persistent obstacle: competition from Intel Corp.

Intel's chairman, Craig Barrett, had derided Negroponte's machines as mere gadgets. And Intel was signing up international governments for its own little "Classmate" PCs, which follow more conventional computing designs than One Laptop Per Child's radically rethought "XO" computers.

Negroponte was suspicious of Intel's motives, since the XO runs on processors from Intel's fiercest rival, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. Negroponte said Intel had hurt his mission and "should be ashamed of itself."

But in recent weeks, Negroponte and Intel CEO Paul Otellini began peace talks, culminating in a face-to-face meeting Thursday at Intel headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif. And on Friday, the two sides said they had joined forces: Intel will join One Laptop Per Child's board and contribute money and technical expertise to the project.

Intel will continue to sell the Classmate, which has fallen in price from about $400 to the low $200s, attracting buyers in Pakistan, Brazil, Mexico and Nigeria, according to spokeswoman Agnes Kwan. And One Laptop Per Child still hopes its machines reach schools in several countries this fall.

But now, Intel and One Laptop Per Child might seek ways to package their computers together. For example, Intel's Classmate, which has to be plugged in, might be an option for governments to deploy in urban schools, while the XO laptops, which use very little power and can be mechanically recharged by hand, could go into rural districts.

"There are an awful lot of educational scenarios between K and 12," said William Swope, Intel's director of corporate affairs. "We don't think all those are going to be served by any one form factor, by any one technology, by any one product."

Walter Bender, who oversees software and content for One Laptop Per Child, said his Massachusetts Institute of Technology spin-off would benefit from the addition of Intel's technical expertise. One Laptop Per Child expects to be constantly trying to perfect the XO machines — and get their cost closer to the originally stated goal of $100.

"It's a big problem, more than 15 people at OLPC can do all by themselves," Bender said. "Getting more talent lined up to help us is only a plus."

At least the initial wave of XO computers will still use processors from Advanced Micro Devices. AMD has been a major partner in One Laptop Per Child, along with such other big names as Google Inc., News Corp. and Red Hat Inc.

But without a doubt, Intel would love to oust AMD as the processor supplier. After all, that is Intel's core business — not selling little computers.

"We're going to go compete for the XO business, because we think we build first-class silicon," Swope said.

AMD's liaison to the One Laptop project, Rebecca Gonzales, said she welcomed Intel's involvement. "As a partner with OLPC, we support them in their mission, and if Nicholas believes that this is part of the mission and this is what is going to be best for OLPC, we will go along with them," she said.

Several countries have expressed interest in the $175 laptop, but One Laptop Per Child's leaders have backed away from predicting which governments will be first to officially sign contracts to buy the machines. The project needs orders for 3 million laptops before its low-cost supply chain kicks into action.

"We're definitely going to be doing stuff in South America, Africa and Asia right from the very beginning," Bender said Friday.

One possible selling point for the Classmate, at least for some buyers, is that it can run a version of Microsoft Corp.'s familiar Windows software in addition to the open-source Linux system. Instead, XOs use a homegrown, open-source setup that avoids windows, folders and other familiar formats in favor of a new approach designed to be intuitive to children.

Microsoft has been working to get Windows to run on XOs. But it still doesn't appear that will be ready soon, according to Will Poole, who heads Microsoft's emerging-markets group. The main reason is that it is hard to tweak Windows so it can interact with the nonstandard things that make XOs innovative, including their display and power-saving technologies.

[michellem99-2009]

We have poor right here in America. Hello There are needy right here. Charity starts here at home first not overseas. It makes no sense to put a laptop in the hands of a child who trust me..
Can't read write.You really think they will end up in their hands. Nope.I don't think so.Lovely idea. Their life is so dirt poor. They don't know any different.So how will a computer help them. Got any answers.

[phil-in-fin]

Maybe some enterprising person in the third world is reading this post right now.

If you are, here's what I'd do with that piece of *** that you're using to read this post, go to e-bay, advertise that you are willing to ship your XO to wherever in America (as long as the American pays the postage), in exchange for some boxes of Oreo cookies, a couple of cans creamy evaporated milk, and a box chocolate bars.

The American will be thinking that he is getting the better of the deal: trust me.

[sharncedar]

I notice these corporations have so much compassion for the "world's poor" and utter disregard for America, its laws, its people, and the victims of corporate greed and corruption. The best thing the officers of Intel could do for this world is to tie up a noose and hang their own miserable filthy corrupt carcasses until their worthless souls have left this earth. That is the only compassionate act they could do. The rest of this is cr@p, taking more American money and stealing from this country to provide propaganda machines to the "poor" in other countries. so they can put commercials for Nikes out into those poor kid's heads, presumably.

[lwhiway]

Yep, what better way for a youngster sitting in a mud hut with his/her belly rumbling, to have a computer and DSL to see just what a full table of food looks like, or to be able to take a virtual walk through a WalMart. Like that won't tick him/her off in short order.

[michellem99-2009]

Yeah you got a good education in the 60s and 70s if you were born,
WHITE MALE AND NON HANDICAPPED. yes.I know.
I am white female legally blind and multi handicapped. I started school at 10 and in special ed grad at 19. In my day I was not taught the basics as they could or would not teach me. I was the only blind multi handicapped pupil in the schools.I fell thru the cracks. No large print books that I could have used,no magnifiers,etc. I was a foster child to boot. There were no ADA LAW. I was in tears as every thing was over my head when put in high school. So my friend helped me get a computer at 52.He wanted to show me how they poorly schooled me.It hurts. I educationly handicapped.I am not dumb just poorly schooled. Computers should be in the schools.Don't laugh it is true.

[mdenley1]

If not already on their agendas, has anyone thought of such a program for our children here in America? We, supposedly the richest country in the world, have children who need fod, shelter and clothing, also. Not to mention the rate at which our educational values are declining, our children could certainly benefit from such a wonderful learning tool.
mdenley1

[pobox26]

Why are they not available in America? My wife who is only 43 is dying and on hospice and our two daughters just graduated and will be freshmen this fall and my wife's dying wish to me is find a way to get them a laptop so they will have every advantage as all the other students and to keep in contact by messaging us even with video IM, I am a bedridden Navy Vet and our two disabilities income is nothing so I can't even keep her wish, I asked and this organization said we was in the wrong country which is the USA a country I served proudly in the U.S. Navy, A US Org that doesnt even list us last to get one for all are needy children across the US, the 3rd world country's need food & medicine first, they can't eat a laptop, I guess they could email the organizations sending them the computers and ask can you send food next [e-mail]

[brianbwb-2009]

payasyougo,

The introduction of computers into education has enabled children to access and use more information, and more importantly accurate information, than ever before. Computers do not think for you, they do what you tell them to do. You still must think, I am sure the computer did not compose your post, you did.

The decline of education is the actually result of two major influences, firstly, diminished budgets for education from conservative governments since Nixon, who decided that a populace that was too smart wouldn't let them get away with corruption, which is eating the leftovers.

Secondly the insistence by regulators that schools teach propaganda as part of the curriculum, and the students agree with it in order to advance, replaces the teaching or real knowledge needed to function effectively in society.

[shanev137]

Nice....what's the poor and starving third-world child going to type into Google..."I'm hungry"?

[payasyougo]

In about 50 years they will do an analysis that shows the introduction of graphing calculators and computers were the downfall of the education system. Reliance on electronic tools instead of instilling the ability and individual skills to think have resulted in a society of people that are dependant upon something other than inate ability. Why were schools so successful in the 60s and 70s and now are such a disaster?
Introduction of computers and the teachings that you don't have to think rather, you need to know how to use something that thinks for you.

It has been a failure.

Get computers out of the schools and return control of the classroom to teachers.