[Kosh]

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.

[Rictor]

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.

[aldo_14]

Yes.

[MatthewPapa]

YaY!
GO AMD!

[Grey Wolf]

...

I want a $100 laptop.

[CP5670]

I have a $0 laptop.

[Martinus]

[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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[kasperl]

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.

[ZylonBane]

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.

[kasperl]

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.

[WMCoolmon]

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.

[Rictor]

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.

[MatthewPapa]

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.

[Flipside]

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.

[Rictor]

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).

[Martinus]

[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.
[/color]

[ZylonBane]

On a system with no hard drive, I highly doubt any large quantities of data are going to be dumped anywhere.