A Classmate PC can work on either of the Windows or Linux operating system. It includes a 900 MHz processor, 256MB RAM and 1GB of NAND flash storage, a touchpad, and an optional digital pen for taking notes. Intel’s manufacturing cost for one PC is approximately $200.
In an interview with Reuters, Intel spokeswoman Agnes Kwan said that Intel and Microsoft are not subsidizing the price of the laptops, which Intel sells under the Classmate PC brand. However, she did not disclose the amount paid by the Libyan education ministry for the PCs.
In April, 2007, Intel had won an order to provide 700,000 Classmate PCs to Pakistan’s Allama Iqbal Open University. It also received orders from the Nigerian government to collaborate for a ‘digital inclusion project’ that aims to train 150,000 teachers, provide 3,000 computers to schools, and pilot an electronic means for hospitals to care for children in remote areas.
Similarly, One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), a non-profit organization, won a bid from the Uruguay government for 100,000 XO laptops. OLPC started offering the XO laptop for $200 on its web site in batches of 10,000 since last month. The Mongolia and Peru government has also placed their orders with OLPC. The XO laptop, in its first version, will be running on a microprocessor developed by Advanced Micro Devices, and will be produced in China. XO laptop has already exceeded its original price tag of $100.
Source: ComputerWire daily updates
