Negroponte's Dream: a Laptop for Each Child
Munich (GER), February 2007 - Nicholas Negroponte, founder and chairman of the One Laptop per Child non-profit association, has a challenging vision: He wants to provide all children in developing countries with a laptop and free Internet access to support them in learning. In his eyes, this project isn't just a laptop project but an educational project. Many problems in the world, like the population explosion and the climate crisis, are connected with education. "Some important people have said it cannot be done; some said it should not be done. Both are wrong. We are doing it", Negroponte said. "Education is the key to solve those problems."
In the next few years, fifty to one hundred million devices are planned. But this is only the beginning: "1.2 billion children are at school age, but half of them have enormous problems to go to school at all", Negroponte pointed out at the Internet conference "Digital - Life - Design" in Munich.
The software is open source and the Internet access is provided via satellite at low cost: about one dollar per month for each child to use the World Wide Web. However, the intended price of 100 dollars for the little green computers was exceeded; at present, a laptop costs 150 dollars, but the lower price should be reached with extended production within two years at the latest. "The child never pays for the laptop", the Internet pioneer emphasized. In the first phase, the regional governments pay for the equipment; in a second phase, Negroponte hopes that wealthy countries will make a financial contribution.
To prevent misuse, to guarantee that only the child uses the computer, and to avoid the development of a gray market, the laptops have an internal security system: As soon as a device has been stolen or sold, it becomes inoperable within 48 hours.
