The “US$100 laptop” that Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have dreamt about for international schoolchildren is becoming a slightly more distant concept.
The nonprofit One Laptop Per Child acknowledged on 14 September, 2007 that the devices would cost US$188 if mass production, were to start now. Among the nations that have shown interest are Brazil, Libya, Thailand and Uruguay. The XO machines feature an open-source interface designed to be intuitive for children, a display readable in sunlight, very low power consumption, built-in wireless networking, and a pull cord for recharging by hand. A variety of factors were at play, including currency fluctuations and rising costs of such components as nickel and silicon. The project is committed to keeping the price from rising above US$190. A price nearly twice what the project's promised could make it harder for One Laptop Per Child to sign up international governments as customers. The governments are expected to give the computers to children, and believe to cause critical thinking and creativity to blossom.
