backtop

Gadgets Dumped at the Altar: Intel Leaves OLPC
Jason Mick (Blog) - January 8, 2008 8:57 PM
Print E-mail del.icio.us 44 comment(s) - last by Zoomer.. on Jan 10 at 8:56 PM
Intel and OLPC permanently sever relationship, AMD donates large sum to OLPC

Intel's relationship with the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative has always been a stormy affair.  Originally, Intel was very enthusiastic about the OLPC project and its altruistic goals.  However, trouble began for the pair when Intel decided to develop the "Classmate PC", a similar cheap, low-power, small form factor device.  Then came Intel chairman Craig Barrett publicly insulting the OLPC's XO design by saying it's not a "grown-up PC" and criticizing the XO for its power crank. 

Still, many were optimistic when Intel and the OLPC foundation got back together and OLPC founder Nick Negroponte pledged that the pair would settle their differences .

Afterwards, Intel and OLPC seemed to be enjoying a healthy relationship. Just recently, an enthusiastic Intel reported that it would develop a chip to replace AMD's low-power Geode processor, which powers the current revision of the XO.

But alas, all things must come to an end.

While it worked to mend its relations with OLPC, Intel continued to work on its side project -- the Classmate PC. The OLPC foundation developed a jealousy for the "other laptop". 

This jealousy boiled over, at last, with an emotional Negroponte allegedly telling Intel that it was OLPC or the Classmate PC.  Intel refused to back down and decided to dump XO in favor of its own Classmate PC. In a statement to the Associated Press, Intel's Chuck Malloy states "At the end of the day we decided we couldn't accommodate that request."

Ironically, the OLPC foundation was planning to display an Intel-power XO prototype in its booth at CES.

There are lots of losers in the scenario -- Intel, who would gain publicity and a major customer; OLPC, who will be forced to rely exclusively with AMD; and the consumers for which the project targets.


The OLPC foundation can find small comfort in a move reminiscent of the NBC and iTunes drama; AMD in OLPC's moment of abandonment has made a big show of faith in support of the company.  AMD employees pooled their money to donate funds that will be enough to provide hundreds of laptops to underprivileged children.

The only real winner in the situation is AMD, who now -- at the expense of everyone else -- is getting to have the leftover cake from Intel and OLPC's failed matrimony.

Comments     Threshold


This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
Do laptops really increase awareness of education?
By MrX8503 on 1/8/2008 9:55:05 PM , Rating: 5
Providing OLPC's to the underprivileged is a very kind act in itself, but realistically does it improve education? Maybe we should look at other alternatives to improve education. I almost feel like all this effort into an OLPC is a waste of time.




By Roy2001 on 1/8/2008 10:55:51 PM , Rating: 3
Totally agree. Negroponte is a professor, not a businessman. OLPC is not like you make a bike and give it to poor kids so they don't need to walk to school. It is far more complex than that.


By theapparition on 1/9/2008 8:37:13 AM , Rating: 5
No,
Negroponte is a opportunistic showman. Read up on him and you'll find numerous examples of his "humanitarian" projects.
He stands behind this "noble goal" of bringing education to the world's poor...........yet, only his design (aka company) can do it. All other's need not apply.

Tell me, if another company came out with a $50 machine, that was more useful, and this $50 PC enabled Negroponte's "vision" to become reality......but undercut his effort.......do you really believe he would still support it? Of course not. He's in this for money, for show, and for most of all.......posterity.

Laptops are not the answer.
To learn, children need the following listed in most critical order.
1. Desire to learn
2. Dedicated teachers
3. Safe enviroment
.
.
.
.
146. Laptops


By UppityMatt on 1/9/2008 12:07:27 PM , Rating: 2
I totally agree, this program would be more worthwhile if it was called OTPC.. One Textbook Per Child. I dont remember needing a PC during my education (excluding college) unless i was in a specific computer class or Typing a paper... and well hell you can still write a paper. I would dare to say that even donating a portion of the sales to fund education would be more beneficial then this program.


By JAB on 1/9/2008 1:43:49 PM , Rating: 2
No child needs his own personal library or classroom to carry around. We did not have laptops when I was a child they dont need laptops or an education. Let them eat cake.


By ebakke on 1/9/2008 12:15:14 AM , Rating: 5
That's the spirit! Cheap and easy, instead of something that'll actually work.


By Spivonious on 1/9/2008 9:02:33 AM , Rating: 2
Isn't that what all of those Christian charities I see on TV do?


By Chil on 1/9/2008 9:08:14 AM , Rating: 2
No, they're just trying to feed the kids and keep them alive.


By marvdmartian on 1/9/2008 10:06:35 AM , Rating: 2
Yeah! That way, in 20 years, they won't be any better off in their ability to take care of themselves (grow crops, produce manufactured goods, etc), and we'll hear the same commercials about saving the children.....only it'll be the kids of the kids we're saving today!!

Instead of throwing money away, year after year, feeding the starving people........why not show them how to grow their own crops, and take care of themselves?? Work on self reliance, instead of generation after generation of people that can't support their own kids, and need handouts from others.

Sadly, that could be said about third world countries..... and our very own country as well!!


By Ringold on 1/9/2008 11:58:22 AM , Rating: 4
quote:
why not show them how to grow their own crops, and take care of themselves?? Work on self reliance,


quote:
and our very own country as well!!


In other words, make supply-side Reagan-loving Republicans out of them?

Blasphemy! Continent-sized social welfare nets ftw!

On a more serious note, there is no glory for Negroponte or his ilk in building for building mundane things like a realistic school (not Oprah's extravagant example in waste) and locating and paying a teacher (or paying for one to go to school) and then placing them there, or paying local publishers to print text books. That's just not sexy, not hip, and requires too much hard work over prolonged periods of time -- during which not a single headline will ever be made. The US dollar has tremendous purchasing power in some of the worlds most undeveloped areas; using the dollar on expensive developed-world goods and then air-dropping them in to these places completely negates that advantage as well.


By ImSpartacus on 1/9/2008 3:29:01 PM , Rating: 2
I say everyone pull out of the area for 50 years. By then the entire current generation will be gone, and anyone left would have had to learn how to fend for themselves. Then teach them to survive. No handouts. They have every right to live as we do, and no more right to handouts than we do.

Better for half the population to die, than for all these organizations to barely keep them alive long enough to have more babies. So then it takes even more money to feed them!

And then after population is stabilized, education can begin to make strives. Thats when these laptops will do good.

Granted some countries are already to that point, so I think the OLPC can do some good, but it's far from perfect.


By Lifted on 1/9/2008 8:11:21 PM , Rating: 2
So what exactly gave you the idea that OLPC was meant for countries that, according to your description, are on the brink of annihilation?

Where is my mind?
Where is my mind?
Wheerrre is myyyy mind?

For some reason every time OLPC is mentioned, everyone who knows knothing about the program comes out with "feed them, they need foooooood, not computers!"


By Zoomer on 1/10/2008 8:56:46 PM , Rating: 2
Will you stand by your argument if that "area" was improvished neighbourhoods in America? Pull welfare, pull unemployment, fence these areas up, wait 10 years, then go in?


By defter on 1/9/2008 1:15:42 AM , Rating: 2
Of course is less expensive to send laptops. But I hope that you aren't thinking that laptops themselves are replacement for teachers or library??

I wonder why some people just refuse to accept that OLPC is just a toy for most users. Look at what kids are doing with computers in developed countries: how many of them write software or are doing something else "useful"? How many of them just use computer for fun, to chat with their friends, play games or watch youtube videos? Why would kids in poor countries behave in a different way?


By xti on 1/9/2008 2:54:54 AM , Rating: 2
so...let them?


By jajig on 1/9/2008 8:26:03 AM , Rating: 2
That's an important list of skills to have in an office!


By PAPutzback on 1/9/2008 9:34:51 AM , Rating: 2
Tru Dat