When MIT proposed that it could help bridge the “digital divide” by producing a reliable, rugged laptop at 10 percent the price, we all scoffed. I seem to remember suggesting that we could bridge the divide more easily by taking away our own computers.
True to form, MIT went ahead and did it. A hundred dollars is still out of reach for many in the developing world, but it’s a heck of a lot more attainable than 1200 bucks. This will put more technology in the reach of microcredit loans, a system that has already transformed the opportunities available to entrepreneurs in the developing world.
On a personal note, one Mac Plus carried two siblings and myself through a collective thirteen years of high school without a single hiccup. We ran MS Word off of six floppies back then, but compared with typewriting you felt like a sultan. If these laptops have the power and reliability of even a Mac Plus they could revolutionize life in large parts of the world. (Aside to Uganda: in the original Sim City you could keep taxes at 2% and then hike them to 30% just before tax day. Remember to keep that nuke plant well away from your new stadium.)
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For those of you wondering whether MIT is also capable of evil, the answer is most certainly yes. They have the Ig Nobel to prove it.
***Update***
Or not? A commenter points out that the display remains vaporware. Scoffing will recommence on a preliminary basis.
***Update 2***
On their own site, MIT explains the display thusly:
First, by dramatically lowering the cost of the display. The first-generation machine will have a novel, dual-mode display that represents improvements to the LCD displays commonly found in inexpensive DVD players. These displays can be used in high-resolution black and white in bright sunlight—all at a cost of approximately $35.
We invite anybody with relevant knowledge to opine on whether this statement is realistic. Techie flame wars are fine.