Intel's $400 laptop for developing countries

Otellini demonstrated an Intel-developed teaching application on the Eduwise notebook at the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) that's taking place in Austin, Texas this week. The company hopes to launch the laptop for less than $400 by the first quarter of next year. The laptops - code-named "Eduwise" - will feature built-in wireless, uses flash memory instead of a hard drive and will be able to run Microsoft Corp.'s Windows or the Linux operating system.

The CEO reiterated Intel's commitment to developing products that will help close the technology gap between rich nations and poor ones, one day after it announced plans to invest $1 billion in education and training as part of its World Ahead program. What we want to do is accelerate to uncompromised technology for everyone in the world," Otellini said. "No one wants to cross the digital divide using yesterday's technology," Otellini said.

The flip-open Eduwise computer includes a handle, light blue accents and snaps shut like a purse. Special software allows students in a classroom to view presentations, take tests, and interact individually with their teachers using a built-in wireless connection.

This comes as Intel's response to the $100 laptops from the MIT's Nicholas Negroponte's One Laptop per Child program. The $100 laptops use older, but cheaper technology from Intel's main competitor AMD. One Laptop per Child hopes to begin providing the $100 laptops to millions of children in China, India, Egypt, Brazil, Thailand, Nigeria and Argentina by early 2007. Tentative designs call for a machine that uses one-tenth of the power of conventional laptops, a 7-inch screen and the Linux operating system. The project's partners also include Google Inc.

In addition, Intel has developed an application that enables teachers to monitor how and when students are using the Internet in a networked classroom. For example, a teacher could click a button on his or her console that starts a presentation with video on the Eduwise laptops. Students could move through the presentation at their own pace and access the Internet if they wanted to learn more about something contained in the presentation. The teachers can see where students are in the presentation and what Web sites the student is visiting--and can pull them back from checking sports scores or chatting with friends online.

Otellini demonstrated the Eduwise during a keynote speech at WCIT, a gathering of about 4,500 people from around the world, including company executives, government officials and teachers. About 2,000 of them are delegates who will vote on proposals to improve access to technology and to streamline health care services while ensuring privacy and security.

Otellini was preceded on stage by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who reiterated the software maker's commitment to the developing world, but didn't announce any new projects or initiatives.

"What we see going forward over the next five, ten, 15 years is a world of technology that has the potential itself to be even more important than the positive changes it has enabled society in the past ten years," he said. "Computers will see, computers will listen, computers will understand. Computers will help the world grow smaller and help people to collaborate in new ways." Also, Otellini said Intel had reached a deal with the Mexican government to provide new, low-cost PCs to 300,000 teachers by the end of this year.

(AP, ZDNet)