Intel’s OLPC change of heart
p2pnet news | product news:- Intel “should be ashamed of itself” for trying to undermine the non-profit XO One Laptop per Child (OLPC) project, said founder Nicholas Negroponte in May.
“Wouldn’t it be great if Intel decided to get behind MIT’s One Laptop Per Child project, created to bring children in Africa into the 21st digital century?” – p2pnet posted last month, also saying,
“Instead, Intel is competing against it with a hardcore commercial unit purpose-designed to funnel corporate product into the homes of African families many, if not most, of whom are surviving at subsistence level, or below.”
Then Intel, recognizing it was courting a PR disaster by trying to force its commercial Classmate PC down the throats of the world’s needy in competition with the OLPC laptop, bit the bullet, as p2pnet reported last week.
Now AMD, which has been on board since the beginning, is welcoming Intel into the fold.
“Intel has apparently had a change of heart, and we welcome them to the table,” venunet.com has an AMD spokesperson stating.
And, “The thing we have been highlighting is that both parties are working towards the same goal,” story has a Chipzilla spokesperson saying.
Meanwhile, “Intel and One Laptop per Child (OLPC) today announced they have agreed to work together to bring the benefits of technology to the developing world through synergy of their respective programs,” says Intel in a statement.
“Under the agreement, Intel and OLPC will explore collaborations involving technology and educational content. Intel will also join the board of OLPC.”
OLPC aims to, “bring learning opportunities to the most remote and poorest children of the world by providing connected, low-cost and rugged laptops to each and every child in their daily lives,” says Intel as it hastily climbs onto OLPC’s coat-tails, hoping to generate side-benefit for Classmate.
“Joining OLPC is a further example of our commitment to education over the last 20 years and our belief in the role of technology in bringing the opportunities of the 21st century to children around the world,” says Chipzilla ceo Paul Otellini unblushingly.
For its part, OLPC has issued a carefully crafted statement praising Intel and its commitment to world education.
“Collaboration with Intel means that the maximum number of laptops will reach children,” it has OLPC founder Negroponte declaring.
Also See:
ashamed of itself – Intel: horning in on OLPC project?, May 21, 2007
p2pnet – Intel, Asustek vs OLPC, June 7, 2007
world’s needy – Intel backs One Laptop Per Child, July 13, 2007
venunet.com – AMD welcomes Intel to OLPC table, July 16, 2007
Use free p2pnet newsfeeds for your site. It’s really easy!
Subscribe to p2pnet.net | | rss feed: http://p2pnet.net/p2p.rss | | Mobile – http://p2pnet.net/index-wml.php
Net access blocked by government restrictions? Use Psiphon from the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto. Go here for details. Download here.
