Intel rebuilds bridges with the OLPC project
Former rivals agree to work together as Intel joins the board of One Laptop Per Child
Intel has buried the hatchet with the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project by announcing that it has now joined the board of the group.
The dramatic U-turn came as a surprise to many in the industry since Intel has spent the past year sniping at the OLPC’s efforts to provide its ultra-cheap laptop, the XO-1, to under-developed nations. The chip giant even unveiled its own rival computer, called the Classmate PC, in March, which it has been selling into the education sectors of poorer countries.
Intel and the OLPC have now announced that they plan to combine their efforts to help developing nations by aligning their hardware initiatives. The companies have agreed to collaborate on technology and educational content.
Intel will also join the board of OLPC. The addition of Intel is a great boost for the OLPC, but there is no information on just how much money the firm will invest. It already spends $100m a year on education in more than 50 countries.
Nicholas Negroponte, founder of the OLPC, said: “Intel joins the OLPC board as a world leader in technology, helping to reach the world’s children. Collaboration with Intel means that the maximum number of laptops will reach children.”
Paul Otellini, chief executive of Intel, added: “Joining the OLPC is a further example of our commitment to education over the past 20 years and our belief in the role of technology in bringing 21st century opportunities to children around the world.”
This is a major turnaround for Intel and the OLPC, which have conducted a public sniping campaign against each other in recent months. Intel’s chairman Craig Barrett had previously dismissed the XO-1 laptop as a ‘gadget’ while Negroponte had claimed Intel was deliberately trying to undercut the OLPC.
He said at the time: “Intel should be ashamed of itself. It’s just shameless and has hurt the mission enormously.”
To date, AMD has been the major chip partner for the OLPC project, which has designed a special laptop that costs about $175 to make and runs the Linux operating system. The goal is to reduce that cost to about $100. Intel’s rival Classmate PC is powered by its own processors, runs Windows and costs about $200.
The brightly coloured X0-1 laptop is built to be durable and is capable of withstanding being dropped and wet conditions. The innovative dual-mode screen can be swapped into a black-and-white mode for easier reading in bright conditions and when the battery is running low an optional crank can be used to provide 10-20 minutes extra use.