A nonprofit group OLPC (One Laptop Per Child Foundation), which makes low-budget computers for the economically poor children, may now sell laptops commercially from late December at $350 (approx Rs. 14,080).
The laptops in green and white were initially designed especially for school students located at poor countries. Analysts say that some features of the eye-catching colored laptop may attract children and their parents in richer countries.
Roger Kay, an analyst with PC market researcher Endpoint Technologies Associates Inc said, “The PC industry will be watching this very closely.”
This low budget PC uses relatively inexpensive microprocessor from Advanced Micro Devices Inc. Also, the free Linux software makes the laptop cheaper than Windows based operating system PCs.
Besides, this laptop is made waterproof to stand the weather at places such as Asia, Africa and Latin America. Also an incorporated high-resolution display allows children to read the text even in direct sunlight.
The battery has 12 hours of work time and can also be charged with a hand-crank.
Child Foundation’s chief technology officer, Mary Lou Jepsen indicated that OLPC wants to sell laptops on the internet, for which it is talking to three companies having good presence on the internet. However Jepsen did not mention the names of those internet biggies.
Jepsen also stated that they wish to sell these computers quickly so that the profit earned can be diverted towards their main project of providing laptops to poor children. “Our whole goal is to maximize the number of units shipped,” said Jepsen.
Taiwan’s Quanta Computer Inc. will do the mass production of these low-budget laptops from October.
