| Break open the piggy banks, girls and boys, production of the XO1,
the $100 laptop, has been ramped-up, with hardware suppliers being given
the go-ahead to produce components needed to build millions of the machines.
For less than the cost of a pair of designer jeans, a needy child can
become a participant in the global online community as part of the One
Laptop per Child (OLPC) program. Once disparaged by such tech worthies
as Intel chairman Greg Barret and Microsoft’s Bill Gates, the laptop
now draws praise from the tech community for its innovative design. Whether
the child lives in the deserts of Libya or the mountains of Peru, there
is a powering option available for them, including solar, foot-pump, or
pull-string power. To accommodate schoolchildren without a roof over their
heads, the laptops also come with a sunlight-readable display. More |