Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Kosh on September 28, 2005, 11:55:44 pm

Title: $100 laptops
Post by: Kosh on September 28, 2005, 11:55:44 pm: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050928/ap_on_hi_te/hundred_dollar_laptop

They are slower then hell, but for children it is better than nothing.
Title: $100 laptops
Post by: Rictor on September 29, 2005, 12:08:56 am: Why are there zombie-like hands grasping on the mock-up screen? What to do they know that we don't? Will this cheap laptop turn our children into mindless automatons, stalking the night in search of human flesh; merely shells of their former selves, under the diabolical control of Baron Samedi, the infernal Lord of the Dead?

That's what I want know.
Title: $100 laptops
Post by: aldo_14 on September 29, 2005, 05:07:29 am: Yes.
Title: $100 laptops
Post by: MatthewPapa on September 29, 2005, 06:46:15 am: YaY!
GO AMD!
Title: $100 laptops
Post by: Grey Wolf on September 29, 2005, 09:28:05 am: ...

I want a $100 laptop.
Title: $100 laptops
Post by: CP5670 on September 29, 2005, 09:31:25 am: I have a $0 laptop. :D
Title: $100 laptops
Post by: Martinus on September 29, 2005, 11:48:48 am: [color=66ff00]I don't understand the slower than hell mentality, 500MHz will run linux quite well, my lappy is an 800MHz Thinkpad and it runs every desktop app. I have flawlessly.

I'd say that 500MHz will be more than enough.
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Title: $100 laptops
Post by: kasperl on September 29, 2005, 12:42:45 pm: Easily if the thing is just meant for text editing and surfing. Media player might work for music, though DVD's are a bit of a question.

You might get a bit of a problem with image editing, though.On the other hand, that is not what these things will be used for.

BTW: The design of a cheap, very robust laptop with a crank instead of just an AC adapter, plus that screen with the 'high contrast' option seems a good thing to market in western countries as well, but then with more standard specs and a higher price. I'd go get one as my next laptop, if it was sub $1000, if it had semi-normal specs, a good screen and an optical drive.
Title: $100 laptops
Post by: ZylonBane on September 29, 2005, 03:29:33 pm: Quote
Originally posted by Maeglamor
I don't understand the slower than hell mentality, 500MHz will run linux quite well
Heck, 500MHz will run Freespace 2 quite well!

That being said, the idea that this thing can sell for $100 anytime soon is absurd. Ruggedizing is expensive. Cutting-edge display technology is expensive. A single gig of Flash ROM goes for $100 all by itself.

The whole "Funputer" thing has been tried for years. The only difference I see with this one is that it seems particularly doomed.

And the "mesh" network described in the article just sounds like a ripoff of Bluetooth.
Title: $100 laptops
Post by: kasperl on September 29, 2005, 03:45:12 pm: Point-to-Point WLAN (802.11b or g or something. Perhaps n once we get there) is more like it. Large range, better plug'n'play support. Bluetooth is still plug'n'pray.

But yeah, the flash ROM might prove to be a bit of an issue. The ruggedizing might work, though. Just use big, slow parts. There's no HD to crash, and that's the most sensitive part if you go for vibrations and non-puncture impacts. And keep in mind prices of Flash have been dropping by about 50% every few months or so. A year ago, IIRC, 1 GB of Flash would cost more than $1000.
Title: $100 laptops
Post by: WMCoolmon on September 29, 2005, 07:48:07 pm: DVDs will easily work on a 500mhz machine, as long as it has some kind of hardware decoder.

I've seen standalone DVD players on sale for $30, so I imagine they could get 'em working it this for much cheaper.
Title: $100 laptops
Post by: Rictor on October 03, 2005, 06:13:13 pm: Well, having read a bit more about the project, it sounds extremely cool.

If they can indeed get the price to $100, with the listed specs, and are able to manufacture it in large numbers, this could be a revolutionary invention. Keeping in mind that these are probably going to kids who are living in pretty ****ty conditions, I don't think it's necessary that they be able to run Doom 3 and store 10 gigs of MP3s. Everything that a student in any country would use the computer for is easily covered by the specs. I also like how it can double as an ebook and a screen for watching movies. When the kids take it home, and their entire family gets into the game, it could prove to be hugely significant.
Title: $100 laptops
Post by: MatthewPapa on October 03, 2005, 06:48:10 pm: IMO it would actually save schools money in the long run. Gone would be the days where they have to buy expensive hardback books and use loose leaf paper.
Title: $100 laptops
Post by: Flipside on October 03, 2005, 06:55:58 pm: Very good idea, though my Nostradamus gene is telling me that if it looks like this is getting anywhere, Microsoft will come over with an attack of generosity ;) It is, from a business point of view, only common sense.
Title: $100 laptops
Post by: Rictor on October 03, 2005, 07:06:34 pm: Microsoft is the reason they're going with Redhat in the first place, I think. Bloatware it definitely not what is needed here, and all the necessary programs can be had for free (Firefox, OpenOffice, Irfan, Winamp etc).
Title: $100 laptops
Post by: Martinus on October 03, 2005, 07:17:23 pm: [color=66ff00]It would be cool though if someone 'accidently' dumped Metallica's entire catalogue onto the machines.

Not that I want those kids listening to them, I simply like the thought of a little payback over the music piracy thing.
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Title: $100 laptops
Post by: ZylonBane on October 04, 2005, 10:16:34 am: On a system with no hard drive, I highly doubt any large quantities of data are going to be dumped anywhere.