November 27, 2007

No Mention Of Mobile Phones In News Of $100 Laptop Problems

Would rather have a mobile phone this Christmas There have been several articles in the press that have covered the problems with the launch of the $100 laptop. Politicians, budgets, Microsoft, Intel and the revised price have all been suggested as the reason for the poor reception of the Prof. Negroponte project. The BBC reports:

A lack of “big thinking” by politicians has stifled a scheme to distribute laptops to children in the developing world, a spokesman has said. Walter Bender of One Laptop per Child (OLPC) said politicians were unwilling to commit because “change equals risk”. But, he said, there needed to be a “dramatic change” because education in many countries was “failing” children.

No articles cover the idea that it might be the wrong technology and it better to provide these kids with smart phones not laptops (as we’ve suggested before).

Article categories: Electronics & Gadgets, Telecom, Trends In Africa