Those geeks over at the MIT Media Lab are working on a new project that might be of great benefit in helping to narrow the huge information divide: The MIT Media Lab has launched a new research initiative to develop a $100 laptop—a technology that could revolutionize how we educate the world's children. To achieve this goal, a new, non-profit association, One Laptop per Child (OLPC), has been created. The initiative was first announced by Nicholas Negroponte, Lab chairman and co-founder, at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland in January 2005.

Some Specs: The proposed $100 machine will be a Linux-based, full-color, full-screen laptop that will use innovative power (including wind-up) and will be able to do most everything except store huge amounts of data. This rugged laptop will be WiFi-enabled and have USB ports galore. Its current specifications are: 500MHz, 1GB, 1 Megapixel.

The Wall Street Journal has an article on the initiative. You will probably never see this one in the U.S. Don't really understand why they would be against corporations purchasing these. In fact they should embrace this by initiating some sort of sponsorship effort. For each X amount of laptops that the corporations buy, you give away Y amount to the needy. Simple double or triple toe price for the corporations. Believe or not even 100$ can be a burden on many. I will send you some pictures once I get mine.

---