DailyTech - OLPC $100 Laptop Gets Another Price Hike

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Hardware OLPC $100 Laptop Gets Another Price Hike
Wolfgang Hansson (Blog) - September 17, 2007 8:02 PM

14 comment(s) - last by B.. on Sep 18 at 3:00 PM

OLPC XO laptop price rises again from $175 to $188 and some countries pay even more

When we first heard of the One Laptop per Child Foundation, they promised a $100 laptop for disadvantaged children. The price has already gone up to $175 per laptop, significantly up from the original $100 target. The nonprofit group is now upping the price on the $100 laptop again, this time bringing it up to $188.

An announcement that prices would vary by country was also made. The cost per laptop in Uruguay will be $205 due to a partnership with Brighstar Uruguay SA, according to Engadget. OLPC News says the cost of the laptop includes more than merely the components used in the machines.

There are costs to be considered for training of staff and integrating the computers into the curriculum. Hardware maintenance has to be a strong consideration since many of these laptops will be deployed in developing nations.

Software maintenance also has to be considered as holes in security could lead to a huge amount of compromised systems. The final consideration is the cost of internet access for the machines. When all of these factors are considered, the invoice for each laptop over five years comes to $972.

George Snell, One Laptop per Child Foundation spokesman, told Reuters, “We are testing it [the XO laptop]. We are making sure all the software works."

"We are making all the corrections on it that need to be made before the product comes out," Snell said. He went on to say, “We are not disclosing any orders until we have a final computer, we are in talks with dozens of countries."

Production of the XO laptops is set to begin in October and retail versions could make it to store shelves at higher prices.

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Not exactly

By Justin Case on 9/17/2007 9:18:45 PM , Rating: 2

It's not so much that the laptop got more expensive, it's mainly that the dollar has hit a record low, so anything priced in dollars appears to have become more expensive. But since the laptop isn't aimed primarily at the USA, the price in dollars is more or less irrelevant.

Compared to the euro, the dollar has lost about 40% of its value since 2000, so a $188 laptop today is "just" a $113 laptop at 2000 exchange rates. Still not on target, but not terribly far.

Of course, any country whose currency is pegged to the dollar will also suffer, but I don't think any of the other countries involved in the project is in that situation (the yuan has a de facto dollar peg but AFAIK China didn't order any XO laptops; they have their own Longmeng "100 €" project).

RE: Not exactly

By borowki on 9/17/2007 9:22:07 PM , Rating: 4

In Zimbabwe they call it the $1000000000 laptop.

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RE: Not exactly

By borowki on 9/17/2007 9:23:48 PM , Rating: 5

Now it's the $1008400000 laptop.

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RE: Not exactly

By jskirwin on 9/18/2007 9:56:16 AM , Rating: 2

quote:
Now it's the $1008400000 laptop.

Now President-for-life Robert Mugabe has confiscated this laptop in the Name of the People, and given it to one of his cronies - so it's now the "People's Laptop."

Unfortunately like the rest of Comrade Bob's confiscations, it now no longer works.

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