When the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) project was announced, there was a question about what the industry would make of it. Most appeared to ignore the project.
The production of such cheap computers is never welcome by an industry struggling to maintain margins, although at least they were going to poor world users.
Ehen the two for one strategy was announced, where rich country buyers bought two cheap computers, kept one and donated the other, I can imagine that the industry was even more concerned about the sale of cheap computers to rich world buyers.
Intel, with much fanfare and good publicity for their corporate social responsability (CSR), announced that it was joining the project.
Now we see that, according to OLPC, after creating difficulties from the first moment, Intel are now withdrawing from the project.
While this may not have been their objective from the first moment, Intel could not have followed a better strategy, if they had wanted to hurt and derail this project. Something that will not be achieved by their departure.
Interesting that Intel did not see its withdrawal as important enough to issue a press release explaining its actions, not one I could find at least.
Onésimo Alvarez-Moro
See article:
Intel has pulled out of a project to put cheap laptops in the hands of children in the developing world.
Citing "philosophical" differences, Intel has withdrawn its funding and technical help from the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project.
OLPC aimed to boost learning in poorer nations via a custom-built laptop intended to cost no more than $100.
Intel's withdrawal is a blow to OLPC which has found few nations willing to buy large numbers of laptops.
See full Article.
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