OLPC Project To Offer "Buy One Give One" Scheme

[SMurf]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6994957.stm

I'd really like one of these, but unfortunately I'm not a first class citizen (I don't live in the US or Canada).

[QuantumPete]

I'd really like one of these

Why? I doubt it can play Starcraft II :-P

[Mario F.]

Over here in Portugal students of later grades are getting a massive discount on laptops. 150-300 EU.

Naturally they will make great use of it. Messenger, Messenger and some more Messenger.

Meanwhile, others like me - workers, tax payers - have to buy at non deductible retail prices. I don't feel second rated. I feel cheated.

[SMurf]

Most of the deals available in the developed world are cheapo OEM laptops that won't last, be it through CPU fan failure or whatever.

The OLPC on the other hand is a carefully designed piece of kit. The battery in it will last for far longer than anything else on the market (that isn't the size of two pizza boxes), the screen is apparently readable in sunlight (you won't get that for the price on another laptop), well worth the money.

In buying it I would be giving a kid somewheres one too, although given the behaviour of certain governments that might not mean anything.

If nothing else, I would be signalling through the handing over of cash that there is a market for the development of rugged, low consumption computing as opposed to the Core 2 Duo behemoths currently doing the rounds.

[QuantumPete]

the Core 2 Duo behemoths currently doing the rounds.

/me begins salivating uncontrollably