Re: [9fans] A look at the OLPC environment

["Jack Johnson" <knapjack@gmail.com>]

On 6/17/06, Dave Eckhardt <davide+p9@cs.cmu.edu> wrote:
> > Actually at USENIX they said they were considering the possibility
> > of selling a $300 model that would help fund the $100 models.
>
> That would seem to me to bracket the cost of the "$100" machines
> at somewhere above $100 (my claim) and below $300 (which I have
> no trouble believing--but which is no headline-grabber).

Actually, it's a PledgeBank thing:

"If he does offer it, then I will buy one at three times the cost and
thus contribute to supplying two to the proposed users."

http://www.pledgebank.com/100laptop

The target is still $100 by 2008, but they're predicting $135 to $140
at first sight.

Also realize that no one is building them per se, but designing
everything from the factory and supply chain on up so you can build
your own factory in Uruguay or Mozambique or wherever (either private,
grant-funded or fully government-funded) to bootstrap your own
educational technology program.

It's always been expected that the U.S. market for these things will
be non-existent, except to us geeks who want to fiddle with and/or
lambaste it.

-Jack