Karen Archer Perry Ensuring Socio-Economic Inclusion

A Wi-Fi-Enabled Laptop for 2 Billion Children, Starting at $200 Apiece

It’s ready! For a limited time only, get your $100 laptop for only $400!

No, really, it’s a good deal. Here’s the story.

The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project strives to produce a computer that can eventually be offered to children in developing countries for around $100.00. According to Nicholas Negroponte, founder and chairman of the nonprofit One Laptop Per Child, the organization’s mission "is to provide a means for learning, self-expression and exploration to the nearly two billion children of the developing world with little or no access to education."

Launched in January 2002 as a project of the MIT Media Lab, the project has drawn interest both from developing countries and stateside communities looking for a low-cost, child-centric device that supports education and exploration.

While this initial product costs closer to $200 per machine, it is one cool device, and founders are confident that the costs will drop with increased production. So where do you get the opportunity to BUY ONE? Actually, in a stroke of genius and in response to strong US interest in the product, Negroponte has created a limited Give 1: Get 1 offer: "For $399, you will be purchasing two XO laptops—one that will be sent to empower a child to learn in a developing nation, and one that will be sent to your child at home."

With the marketing panache of the limited-edition Beanie Babie, you also need to know that you only have two weeks to take advantage of this North American deal. Order your XO starting on November 12, but log on anytime to make a donation that will get a laptop to a child in a developing country.

For an even cooler view of the XO, check out this video review, including design details such as the amazing display, speakers, built-in video camera, game pad, water-proof and dust-proof design, optional solar panel, and color or black-and-white video display. The XO already has three programming environments, including full access to the source code with the ability to modify (and restore) as welll as Wi-Fi and mesh networking for classroom peer collaboration.

Are you ready to buy? Remember, half of your purchase price is fully deductible and any way you look at it, it is way cool.

Karen Archer Perry is founder and principal of Karacomm, based in New Jersey.

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