$100 laptop moves closer to reality thanks to MIT
Nicholas Negroponte, the co-founder of the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, detailed specifications for a $100 windup-powered laptop targeted at children in developing nations. At 500Mhz and a one gig of memory the Linux powered notebook seems like a steal for $100.
The proposed design of the machines calls for a 500MHz processor, 1GB of memory and an innovative dual-mode display that can be used in full-color mode, or in a black-and-white sunlight-readable mode. The display makes the laptop “both an electronic book and a laptop,” he said. One display design being considered is a flat, flexible printed display developed at MIT’s Media Lab. Negroponte said the technology can be used to produce displays that cost roughly 10 cents per square inch. “The target is $12 for a 12-inch display with near-zero power consumption,” he said. The machines, which will run a version of the Linux operating system, will also include other applications, some developed by MIT researchers, as well as country-specific software.
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