Intel - stopping poor children from getting computers

[halbhh]

Well, the competition to get name recognition among these kids (future computer customers) will indeed benefit them I think. There is probably room for both companies, even though there is a danger Intel could succeed in sinking the OLCP due to decreasing the size of it's production runs (which is crucial to cost!).

Main thing I have against the Intel machine here is it's use of a form of Windows.

But RedHat is said to be working to offer an open source desktop for the classmate also, so perhaps these machines won't be so crippled.

Re the OLCP, even if Intel sinks the original organization, it was still a success -- in getting the cheap laptops going.

There is more than one way to skin a cat.

I think it would be smart for the governments to haggle with Intel to *keep* that price down there near $100, and require a contract to that effect.

It would also be smart for the countries to band together and buy laptops from both efforts, as a kind of insurance for success in the long run.

 

[Slobogob]

You don't understand the process. To make the project viable, a certain economy of scale must be reached. Intel is trying to stop this from happening. They can do this by offering an even lower priced unit (sold at a huge loss no doubt) so the various governments purchase the Intel version instead (why wouldn't they, after all it is cheaper)

Indeed! You know what that means. The OLPC project failed, yet Negroponte succeeded since there is something that doesn´t need a project name to work and offer cheap laptops to 3rd world countries. It´s the free market! 😀

 

[dasickninja]

The point is to turn the attention of the world to the plight of the poor and get companies to offer cheap, good computers to kids so that they can bridge the digital divide. It seems with Intel walking into this area, Mr Negroponte succeeded. He was selling these laptops at over $100, Intel will do it for cheaper. Meaning that the governments can buy more laptops. He's crying over nothing.

 

[ches111]

Intel = Bad, AMD = Good....

Got it.. Check!

Understand...

I think you will find mister Negroponte is upset, as it will directly affect HIS bottom line as well.

Now please do not think that the OLPC was JUST donated machines. It is NOT.. It was a way to make it cheaper for other countries to receive and distribute these devices. The countries were in agreement to purchase a portion of them as well.

Please look at the Red-Cross scandal.. If you are wondering if these Not-For-Profit organizations are not profiting someone. I do not deny the guy a living. I am saying that with the volume of sales (yes sales) of these devices and the overall cost (some donated) for distribution infrastructure. You could in effect have one of the worlds largest PC vendors. He may be benefiting he may not.

There have been many many articles written on this effort and how poorly implemented it will be. How many of the devices will end up on the black market, stolen and used for weapons trade, food trade...

In essence many of the people "in-the-know" in these countries will see it as a way to keep the wealthy wealthy, and the poor poor (see Serbia's and Mogadishu's relief efforts). Many will see it as a way to exercise further control over people as well.

I guess what I am getting at is there are many angles to every effort. Please do NOT see only one side/angle as it only distorts your view (don't look behind the curtain type of thing).

Intel offering the laptops for a lower amount is one part of "their" angle as well... OLPC would also put mister Negroponte in a position of authority in MANY international communities. So there is gain from every area.

AMD invested a meager 2M. I guess that makes them saints right? Intels investment would be much greater without a DIRECT return (notice direct is in all caps. (This is because they want name recognition in ALL areas).

Just don't be blind as to the whole efforts/gains on both sides of this discussion.

 

[Stewartwi]

The point is to turn the attention of the world to the plight of the poor and get companies to offer cheap, good computers to kids so that they can bridge the digital divide. It seems with Intel walking into this area, Mr Negroponte succeeded. He was selling these laptops at over $100, Intel will do it for cheaper. Meaning that the governments can buy more laptops. He's crying over nothing.

That would be the case if this hadn't decayed down to another AMD Vs Intel battle and how absolutely evil Intel is and how they secretly work for Satan and making money is the greatest of great evils.

 

[MonocleCat]

Exactly. Shouldn't he be happy that his mission succeeded and these kids are getting laptops? Who cares where they come from if they benefit the kids. It sounds like he's crying because the money isn't going into his pocket. Intel might be a bit misguided here, but in the end it seems like the children win, which is the whole point.

 

[halbhh]

The only possible bad result would be if Intel killed the OLPC organization, yet itself raised the price of the future version of classmate significantly in a year or three, thus killing the whole effort in a sense (to make cheap laptops widely in use). That's the worst possible outcome. I don't think it's the most likely, but it would be smart for the governments (the ones paying for these laptops!) to make long term contracts that prevent that outcome.

 

[BaronMatrix]

Exactly. Shouldn't he be happy that his mission succeeded and these kids are getting laptops? Who cares where they come from if they benefit the kids. It sounds like he's crying because the money isn't going into his pocket. Intel might be a bit misguided here, but in the end it seems like the children win, which is the whole point.

The point is that he approached Intel and they said beat it. Now they smell money so they say "Wait, just a sec, that's too much for you to handle."

Of course we all know that only the chipset and CPU have to be different so why couldn't they (Intel) work to get both in to the systems?

It would be the same as Dell, or HP since a third party assembles the systems.

 

[wsbsteven]

You don't understand the process. To make the project viable, a certain economy of scale must be reached. Intel is trying to stop this from happening. They can do this by offering an even lower priced unit (sold at a huge loss no doubt) so the various governments purchase the Intel version instead (why wouldn't they, after all it is cheaper)

So he's angry because he can't make money anymore.

do firemen get angry when someone else comes and rescues victims in a burning building robbing them of the glory? If they do, why? If they don't, why?

Terrible example.

Terrible because you don't have refutation or terrible because it doesn't apply? If it doesn't apply, tell me why it doesn't apply and how you came to the conclusion that it doesn't apply.

 

[halbhh]

http://community.zdnet.co.uk/blog/0,1000000567,10005332o-2000331759b,00.htm

The only way for the governments to not let Intel's below cost chips carry a sting (future price increases) is with a contract.

But a more interesting thing to me (instead of more Intel tricks), is the aspect of the open source software.

http://community.zdnet.co.uk/blog/0,1000000567,10005332o-2000331759b,00.htm

 

[dasickninja]

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Forget Intel, forget AMD, this isn't about them. This is about the children. They are the only ones we should be worrying about.

 

[1Tanker]

Exactly. Shouldn't he be happy that his mission succeeded and these kids are getting laptops? Who cares where they come from if they benefit the kids. It sounds like he's crying because the money isn't going into his pocket. Intel might be a bit misguided here, but in the end it seems like the children win, which is the whole point.

Yes. I'm not making excuses/denying that Intel has alterior motives(how many co.s don't? ) BUT. Ever hear the saying..."Don't look a gift-horse in the mouth" ? If i was a kid, and my sister's(who's babysitting me) boyfriend comes up to me and says....here's $10... go see a movie(cause he wants to make out with my sister)hey....it's a free movie, whether he actually cared if i see a movie or not. Yes, Intel is likely being cagey...but look at the possible benefits for both sides.

 

[anticupidon]

I think it's all BS. As if these kids (in third-world countries) need a computer....they need food, shelter, and medications/vaccinations. $130 would probably feed a kid for 6months-a year. :x :x

1tanker your are right

 

[computerKlok]

Let me get this straight

Intel is getting laptops to children at the $100 mark, but they make a profit.

OLPC is getting laptops to children around $130-$170 and giving back some of it.

now for some math Intel + (OLPC + AMD) = competition

competition is good for whom?........the consumer


Like Intel, AMD is not going to be out done by its competition and may very well donate more resources, resulting in cheaper OLPC laptops.

I'm not defending Intel's reasons for undercutting OLPC, but pointing out (as many of you should already know) that competition is good. The only real bad guy here is going to be AMD if they pull out as to not challenge Intel on yet another front. And how likely is that? And if OLPC is concerned about not being able to compete, maybe they should shift their focus to providing internet connectivity, thus providing a way to work with Intel who has the real resources to make this happen.

Just my 2 cents

 

[Zorg]

You Intel fanboys are ****** RETARDS.

Intel knows exactly what they are doing. They are dumping an alternative out there to drive out the competition before they can reach a critical mass to make the project viable. But a simple minded Intel dick sucking fanboy cannot understand this.

This is modus operandi for Intel though, so no surprise at all.

Why is your asinine comment directed at me :?: I never said anything about Intel, pro or con. Maybe you are RETARDED. Why don't you put just the tiniest amount of effort into your posting, then you won't look like a total idiot. I guess it's too late for that now, isn't it :?:

 

[halbhh]

I think it's all BS. As if these kids (in third-world countries) need a computer....they need food, shelter, and medications/vaccinations. $130 would probably feed a kid for 6months-a year. :x :x

1tanker your are right

This is getting too paternalistic! It's not far from saying a fat computer user that eats cheap pizza and potato chips should not have a computer.

It's not up to us to set *their* priorities. It's up to them.

the best part of the OLCP initiative is just to offer a good option to these countries.

doesn't mean they won't have corruption, malnutrition, torture, rape, etc.

 

[halbhh]

Let me get this straight

Intel is getting laptops to children at the $100 mark, but they make a profit.

OLPC is getting laptops to children around $130-$170 and giving back some of it.

now for some math Intel + (OLPC + AMD) = competition

competition is good for whom?........the consumer


Like Intel, AMD is not going to be out done by its competition and may very well donate more resources, resulting in cheaper OLPC laptops.

I'm not defending Intel's reasons for undercutting OLPC, but pointing out (as many of you should already know) that competition is good. The only real bad guy here is going to be AMD if they pull out as to not challenge Intel on yet another front. And how likely is that? And if OLPC is concerned about not being able to compete, maybe they should shift their focus to providing internet connectivity, thus providing a way to work with Intel who has the real resources to make this happen.

Just my 2 cents

whoa. If Intel is making a profit on this $100 laptop, it's news to me! I'd find that interesting. Got a link to prove that???

 

[anticupidon]

I think it's all BS. As if these kids (in third-world countries) need a computer....they need food, shelter, and medications/vaccinations. $130 would probably feed a kid for 6months-a year. :x :x

1tanker your are right

This is getting too paternalistic! It's not far from saying a fat computer user that eats cheap pizza and potato chips should not have a computer.

It's not up to us to set *their* priorities. It's up to them.

the best part of the OLCP initiative is just to offer a good option to these countries.

doesn't mean they won't have corruption, malnutrition, torture, rape, etc.
whooo now hold on buddy
i just want to point it out those children can really enjoy their cheapamdzintel laptop with food in their stomach
mis dos centavos
ps.have you ever been in a third world country?

 

[icbluscrn]

I think it's all BS. As if these kids (in third-world countries) need a computer....they need food, shelter, and medications/vaccinations. $130 would probably feed a kid for 6months-a year. :x :x

Yes they do need those things you mentioned but if they are to ever to get out of poverty then they are going to have to have an education and these laptops could help to provide that. Really the governments of these countries need to step up and provide for their people.


I agree with tanker i go on few of mission trips to south america my last one to the mountains near chiuaua mexico a couple of famlies had what i am guessing are these laptops given to them, the sad part is most of them dont have reliable electrical power /or any power for that matter so pc to them is useless.

 

[Zorg]

doesn't mean they won't have corruption, malnutrition, torture, rape, etc.

You forgot mass slaughter/genocide. Now that I think about it, the computer is pretty far down the list of necessities.

 

[halbhh]

If this is heading into some kind of welfare vs libertarian debate, count me on the libertarian side (for about 30 years now).

but, yeah, i've seen poverty (Mexico). (Interesting side note: Ruiz was a poor mexican kid once.)

One of the best libertarian principles is we don't think we *can do well* at making other peoples choices for them.

Ideally these people rise up against and overthrow their corrupt governments!

But that may not happen!

In the meantime, if their government gives them laptops, perhaps evolutionary change will come to end the corruption in time.

 

[halbhh]

I think it's all BS. As if these kids (in third-world countries) need a computer....they need food, shelter, and medications/vaccinations. $130 would probably feed a kid for 6months-a year. :x :x

Yes they do need those things you mentioned but if they are to ever to get out of poverty then they are going to have to have an education and these laptops could help to provide that. Really the governments of these countries need to step up and provide for their people.


I agree with tanker i go on few of mission trips to south america my last one to the mountains near chiuaua mexico a couple of famlies had what i am guessing are these laptops given to them, the sad part is most of them dont have reliable electrical power /or any power for that matter so pc to them is useless.

well...the Intel Classmate would be useless without electrical power to charge the battery. But what of the original OLCP laptop, which was to be hand-cranked.....

"A built-in hand-crank generator was part of the original design, but Negroponte stated at a 2006 LinuxWorld talk that it was no longer integrated into the laptop itself, but optionally available as a hand- or foot-operated generator built into a separate power unit.[26]


Power consumption
The laptop will consume about 2 W of power during normal use, far less than the 10 to 45 W of conventional laptops.[2]

In e-book mode, all hardware sub-systems are powered down except the monochrome display (including any display backlighting). When the user moves to a different page the system wakes up, draws the new page on the display and then goes back to sleep. Power consumption in e-book mode is estimated to be 0.3 to 0.8 W."

from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/$100_laptop


For comparison most healthy people can maintain 100watt output (bicycle crank) for a long while, so occasional hand cranking this low power OLCP is very practical at around 2 watts usage.

 

[DarkTide]

More kids get laptops, Intel gets publicity and tax write offs.

Not seeing the problem.

So long as they don't turn around and jack the price later this is good for the kids.

 

[shadowmaster625]

What's ironic is that if the trend in the data for the last couple years continues then it means we are at peak global oil production in which case there will be less and less, and africa is the continent that will suffer first and most. They aren't going to care about OLPC when food (which is closely tied to petro) becomes too expensive to import. What is really ironic is picturing an intelligent african child learning how to calculate how much food could have been produced with the amount of energy that went into the production of the OLPC....

 

[computerKlok]

whoa. If Intel is making a profit on this $100 laptop, it's news to me! I'd find that interesting. Got a link to prove that???

no i don't, I'm making reference to future consumer market which can provide future money to Intel which seems to be people's problem with this situation.

but business ethics 101 if you can't make money off of it then don't do it. This applies to all businesses