[LINK] $100 laptop could sell to public

[Ivan Trundle]

On 15/01/2007, at 3:00 PM, Howard Lowndes wrote:
>
> Rick Welykochy wrote:
>> Richard Chirgwin wrote:
>>> Debunked, alas, at a thousand miles an hour, as many and various  
>>> sources will now attest.
>>>
>>>> One Laptop per Child (OLPC), a non-profit organisation with the  
>>>> goal of providing children in developing nations with laptop  
>>>> computers, today announced that "contrary to previously  
>>>> published reports OLPC has no plans to make the XO laptops  
>>>> available for sale to the general public."
>> I predict a surge in backpackers visiting third world countries
>> to buy real cheap laptops from the poor who would rather feed  
>> themselves
>> than compute. Laptop tourism replaces eco tourism, so to speak.
>
> They could also usefully put then up on Ebay  :)

OLPC issued a press release suggesting that they will not be sold  
commercially (buy two, get one free):

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp? 
ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070112005706&newsLang=en

...when it is blindingly obvious that there are people who would pay  
more than $100 for these machines. I can see a market for them  
appearing the moment that the first one is issued. And in any event,  
there are people who would sell them for LESS than market value to  
pay for their own food or shelter.

OLPC also said in the same press release that the pricing goal will  
start 'near $100 and then steadily decrease'. Won't take long to make  
them disposable commodities, then.

Now how about inventing one food basket per child (OFBPC?

iT