One Laptop per Child hits paydirt

The One Laptop Per Child Foundation of Cambridge is finally starting to receive the type of orders it set out to generate in the first place. The Peruvian government has just signed an order for 260,000 units – the largest government order to date.

The One Laptop Per Child foundation runs a “give one, get one,” program, whereby if a customer purchases one of their XO laptops, they will donate another laptop to a child in a developing country.

Mexican billionaire, Carlos Slim recently purchased 50,000 units – Slim is apparently a friend of the organizer, Nicholas Negroponte. But sales of the laptops have been slow so far. The XO laptop is a tough, plastic cased laptop designed to be used “in the field,” and sells for about $200 at the moment, although OLPC aim to bring this down to less than $100 as soon as possible.

But it seems governments of developing nations are not quite as keen as Mr. Negroponte is to have every child in the country connected to the internet and, apart from Peru, sales are still lagging. But OLPC have extended their offer through December, so if you are interested in donating, their website is here.

I myself am not sure of the value of having a computer in a country where obtaining the next meal is a priority, but I would love to know what you think. Leave me a comment – will it help educate these countries or just distract them from the business of living and ultimately, leave them dissatisfied with their lot – this is my fear – when you live in a mud hut, but can watch Beverly Hills 90210 and Babewatch, how do you decide on your priorities?

Comments welcome.