The Massachusetts Institute of Technology says it will
launch a $100 (£58) Linux-based laptop prototype this November to
help schools in developing countries adopt electronic
learning.
The machines will also be targeted at schools in advanced
countries that want to greatly boost the number of children who own
their own laptop. MIT expects commercial versions of the machine to
start appearing at the end of next year.
MIT plans to unveil its prototype at the World Summit on the
Information Society on 17 November in Tunis, Tunisia. The summit is
a United Nations body and meets on a regular basis.
The 500MHz laptop will run a stripped-down version of the Linux
operating system.
To overcome the lack of power access in many towns and villages
in poor nations, the laptop can be powered either by an AC adaptor
or a wind-up mechanism.
The machine will also be ruggedised and Wi-Fi-enabled, and is
expected to use an AMD processor.
Governments will be invited to buy the laptops on behalf of
schoolchildren.