
 Why Microsoft and Intel tried to kill the XO $100 laptop - nickb
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article4472654.ece
======
babul
I am actually surprised this article made The Times Online proof-
reading/editorial process given its poor writing style, long length (without
focus), rambling nature, clichés, bias, and especially given the authors bio
(<http://www.bryanappleyard.com/bio.php>). Not meaning to be negative, just
surprised.

Nonetheless, it is good to see OLPC and such projects get mainstream media
attention and more awareness.

------
swombat
_AMD and Intel hate each other with a hatred as hard as that of Hamas and the
Israelis._

A metaphor in poor taste to kick off this lengthy article.

------
josefresco
"Apple’s system is much better, but Windows, through sheer Microsoft muscle,
has been made to appear necessary."

Wow, biased much?

~~~
immad
Yeah, that was a weird comment.

------
hexiumvii
The cheap PC/notebook market is really strange. It gets hyped, but not many
people buy it. Asus had a burst of success with the eee, but steam is starting
to die and asus realize it doesn't make that much money, so they are massing
much more expensive things under the eee name. Also the $400 notebooks we saw
last year and early 08 are all but gone. Though for $600 you do get dual core
and 3gb ram. Computers should have never dropped below $500. It makes charging
$200 to get them fixed look really retarded.

------
glymor
Wow. I suppose I should take the article to task for being one sided. But then
there are more than enough wholly negative articles out there; one leaning the
other way is past time.

If OLPC really has sold that much, in the hundreds of thousands already, then
it's probably past the point where it can be killed. And if that many users
doesn't let OLPC fix/improve sugar then they'll be kids in those hundreds of
thousands willing can hack on it themselves.

~~~
rkowalick
I honestly think the OLPC project is extremely naive and quite stupid. I
cannot say that owning a computer has contributed to my overall academic
performance. Sure it has enabled me to chase links for hours about marginally
important information on wikipedia, or read the latest blogs about the OLPC,
but it certainly hasn't helped me to get better grades or learn more of what
is academically valuable.

Think about PG's essay "disconnecting distraction" and the copycat essays that
followed. These clearly show that a computer to most is more of a distraction
than a resource when it comes to learning. The only reason many on this forum
can't part with a computer is because that is their source of income.

The internet is wonderful resources, and many Americans were thankful to be
some of the first in the world to have access to it from its very inception.
How did our early exposure to the internet help us acamdemically? We are still
quite a ways behind European and East Asian countries in quality of education
and sheer intelligence.

I just don't see the connection between academic success and owning a laptop.
Not owning a laptop right now is probably doing more to better my grades and
peformance in school than anything.

~~~
Chocobean
That's rather short-sighted of you. The OLPC's goal has never been to enhance
academic performance of illiterate children in poverty stricken countries, and
its goal is most certainly not to enhance _your_ academic success.

The internet is indeed a wonderful resource, one which a lot of us have
utilized for _personal_ enrichment. A great number of non-US countries have
made very good use of computers as a learning aid. Just because it (in your
opinion) failed to increase quality of education in America doesn't mean the
technology is worthless or the goal of making the technology available to the
poor "naive and stupid."

Semi-related article: when slum children in India get free internet access --
[http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2000/oct/17/itforschools...](http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2000/oct/17/itforschools.schools5)

