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In the zone
The Microsoft chairman’s criticism of a cheap laptop for poor kids provokes anger.
Critics blasted Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates in cyberspace on Thursday after the world’s richest man ridiculed efforts to build a $100 laptop for developing countries, touting instead the software giant’s vision of more expensive ultra-mobile personal computers.
The $100 laptop, running on a free Linux operating system—not on Microsoft Windows—is being built by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s media guru Nicholas Negroponte with support from Microsoft rival, search giant Google.
Meantime, Microsoft last week rolled out its plan for lightweight computers originally codenamed Origami. But with expected price tags of $600-$1,000, the UMPCs’ potential for success has been questioned by at least one prominent research firm (see Origami Could Get Crushed).
Mr. Gates’ comments at the Microsoft Government Leaders Forum in suburban Washington, D.C. on Wednesday mentioned a “shared computer.� But company watchers believe Mr. Gates could only be referring to the $100 laptop, which was a project announced by Mr. Negroponte at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in January 2005 (see MIT’s $100 PC for Poor Kids).
Some of the low-cost devices are expected to include a hand-cranked generator so that they can be charged-up in developing countries where electricity is often scarce. The generators are expected to yield about 10 minutes of computer use for each minute of cranking.
“If you are going to go have people share the computer, get a broadband connection, and have somebody there who can help support the user, geez, get a decent computer where you can actually read the text and you’re not sitting there cranking the thing while you're trying to type� Mr. Gates was quoted as saying.
Mr. Gates showed attendees a thin, hand-held UMPC.
Gates Not the Only One
To be sure, Mr. Gates isn’t the only high-profile technology CEO skeptical of the $100 laptop efforts. In December, Intel Chairman Craig Barrett expressed similar doubts.
“I think a more realistic title should be ‘the $100 gadget,’� Mr. Barrett said. “It turns out what people are looking for is something that has the full functionality of a PC… not dependent on servers in the sky to deliver content and capability to them, not dependent on hand cranks for power� (see Quanta to Make $100 Laptop).
The chips in the $100 laptop are expected to be sourced from Intel rival AMD.
Many bloggers lashed out against Mr. Gates’ remarks, saying they showed Microsoft was trying to diss developmental computing alternatives without making any contributions of its own.
“Talking smack about computers designed for kids in third world countries just doesn't seem becoming for a philanthropist as accomplished as Gates,� wrote John Paczkowski in his blog Good Morning Silicon Valley.
One Laptop Per Child, a non-profit organization created to further the cause of the $100 laptop, has said 5 million to 15 million units will be launched via pilot programs in China, India, Brazil, Argentina, Egypt, Nigeria, and Thailand. The organization is expected to start rolling out the laptops in 2007.
Source: *www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=...+Laptop§or=Industries&subsector=Computing
Critics blasted Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates in cyberspace on Thursday after the world’s richest man ridiculed efforts to build a $100 laptop for developing countries, touting instead the software giant’s vision of more expensive ultra-mobile personal computers.
The $100 laptop, running on a free Linux operating system—not on Microsoft Windows—is being built by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s media guru Nicholas Negroponte with support from Microsoft rival, search giant Google.
Meantime, Microsoft last week rolled out its plan for lightweight computers originally codenamed Origami. But with expected price tags of $600-$1,000, the UMPCs’ potential for success has been questioned by at least one prominent research firm (see Origami Could Get Crushed).
Mr. Gates’ comments at the Microsoft Government Leaders Forum in suburban Washington, D.C. on Wednesday mentioned a “shared computer.� But company watchers believe Mr. Gates could only be referring to the $100 laptop, which was a project announced by Mr. Negroponte at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in January 2005 (see MIT’s $100 PC for Poor Kids).
Some of the low-cost devices are expected to include a hand-cranked generator so that they can be charged-up in developing countries where electricity is often scarce. The generators are expected to yield about 10 minutes of computer use for each minute of cranking.
“If you are going to go have people share the computer, get a broadband connection, and have somebody there who can help support the user, geez, get a decent computer where you can actually read the text and you’re not sitting there cranking the thing while you're trying to type� Mr. Gates was quoted as saying.
Mr. Gates showed attendees a thin, hand-held UMPC.
Gates Not the Only One
To be sure, Mr. Gates isn’t the only high-profile technology CEO skeptical of the $100 laptop efforts. In December, Intel Chairman Craig Barrett expressed similar doubts.
“I think a more realistic title should be ‘the $100 gadget,’� Mr. Barrett said. “It turns out what people are looking for is something that has the full functionality of a PC… not dependent on servers in the sky to deliver content and capability to them, not dependent on hand cranks for power� (see Quanta to Make $100 Laptop).
The chips in the $100 laptop are expected to be sourced from Intel rival AMD.
Many bloggers lashed out against Mr. Gates’ remarks, saying they showed Microsoft was trying to diss developmental computing alternatives without making any contributions of its own.
“Talking smack about computers designed for kids in third world countries just doesn't seem becoming for a philanthropist as accomplished as Gates,� wrote John Paczkowski in his blog Good Morning Silicon Valley.
One Laptop Per Child, a non-profit organization created to further the cause of the $100 laptop, has said 5 million to 15 million units will be launched via pilot programs in China, India, Brazil, Argentina, Egypt, Nigeria, and Thailand. The organization is expected to start rolling out the laptops in 2007.
Source: *www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=...+Laptop§or=Industries&subsector=Computing
