Speaking at the opening keynote of the Computex computer trade show in Taiwan, Intel Corporation Executive Vice President Sean Maloney has reaffirmed Intel’s intention to be a significant player in the ultra-low-cost mobile computer market.

Last month Nicholas Negroponte, the visionary behind the One Laptop Per Child initiative (OLPC), lashed out at Intel for trying to undermine his dream of creating a low-cost computer for poor children.

In his keynote speech Maloney said that Intel and Asustek are working together to offer a family of education focused, low-cost mobile PCs, with one model below US$200.

According to Maloney, Asustek’s mobile PCs will play a key role in Intel’s World Ahead program that aims to accelerate access to fully featured computers and technology for anyone, anywhere around the world.

OLPC is hoping sell its low-cost XO-1 AMD-powered mobile (picture) to second and third world governments for US$100 by 2008, though at the moment the price is said to be around US$135 to $175.

The US$200 price point mentioned by Maloney is getting closer to the US$135 to US$175 price point of the XO-1, and given that Negroponte still has a long way to go to reach his target of 3 million orders before he can even start production, it is starting to look as though the OLPC project is doomed.

Originally, the XO-1 was to have an Intel processor. When OLPC decided to select an AMD processor, Intel started its own laptop-for-poor-kids program, the World Ahead Program, and developed the Classmate reference design.

Lesson learnt – if you want to help the poor kids of the world, don’t piss off Intel.

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Entry was posted on Thursday, June 7th, 2007 at 12:37 pm under Intel, Notebook, Open source.

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