Peru signs up for 260,000 OLPC laptops

One month after the One Laptop Per Child charity went into mass production with its $188 laptop, the Peruvian government has signed a contract to purchase 260,000 units. Nicholas Negroponte, an MIT professor and founder of the project, announced the deal on Saturday. He also revealed that Mexican billionaire and longtime friend, Carlos Slim, had ordered 50,000 units for distribution in Mexico.

In November, the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) charity contracted Taiwan's Quanta Computer to start producing the green-and-white computer in its new Changshu manufacturing center, which is located north-west of Shanghai. The first countries to place mass orders for the rugged green-and-white laptops were Uruguay and Mongolia. Ivan Krstic, the director of security architecture for the OLPC project, has said that Uruguayan water and mobile-phone utility companies have allowed the organization to plant wireless access points on existing towers to facilitate the laptop's use.

Liam Tung of ZDNet Australia reported from Sydney.

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8 comments (Page 1 of 1)
This will have the most amazing follow-on effects
by soggy0 December 3, 2007 5:40 PM PST
This will have the most amazing follow-on effects. Some people will inevitably pooh-pooh this - hopefully they will miss the biological immortality bus and die and we wont have to listen to their shortsighted idiocies anymore! This has the potential to push knowledge of reading, writing and math, and deeper more profound understanding of the world - to kids who will grow up to use this knowledge. Nicholas has finally put his money where his mouth is and I, for one, think he's doing a truly marvellous thing.
Reply to this comment
This will have the most amazing follow-on effects
by soggy0 December 3, 2007 5:40 PM PST
This will have the most amazing follow-on effects. Some people will inevitably pooh-pooh this - hopefully they will miss the biological immortality bus and die and we wont have to listen to their shortsighted idiocies anymore! This has the potential to push knowledge of reading, writing and math, and deeper more profound understanding of the world - to kids who will grow up to use this knowledge. Nicholas has finally put his money where his mouth is and I, for one, think he's doing a truly marvellous thing.
Reply to this comment
Aure and completely ignore the Intel Classmate
by Proustian December 4, 2007 5:03 PM PST
which is a true $100 laptop with more features than the $180 OLPC rip-off. Intel sold 1,000,000 Classmate $100 laptops to Mexico recently but CNET ignores that.
Reply to this comment View reply
Aure and completely ignore the Intel Classmate
by Proustian December 4, 2007 5:03 PM PST
which is a true $100 laptop with more features than the $180 OLPC rip-off. Intel sold 1,000,000 Classmate $100 laptops to Mexico recently but CNET ignores that.
Reply to this comment View reply
OLPC threat to Wintel Classmate
by kieranmullen December 4, 2007 5:58 PM PST
The reason why you may not see the classmate because it is intels attempt to crush out competition even through it is non profit. Intel came out with the classmate after OLPC came out with their unit and after they decided to join the board of OLPC. KieranMullen http://360oregon.com
Reply to this comment
OLPC threat to Wintel Classmate
by kieranmullen December 4, 2007 5:58 PM PST
The reason why you may not see the classmate because it is intels attempt to crush out competition even through it is non profit. Intel came out with the classmate after OLPC came out with their unit and after they decided to join the board of OLPC. KieranMullen http://360oregon.com
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