According to the BBC, the One Laptop Per Child group are planning on releasing the laptop to the general public at around $150 or lower depending on what they can do with the manufacturing costs but there is a catch…
You have to buy two at once and you don’t get your second one. The second laptop is taken and given to somebody in the developing country.
What a inspired idea! I have read several comments on Digg with people saying that they’re willing to part with so much money for one of these little things so you could see what would happen with these laptops when they hit the developing world: they would turn up; be handed out to poor kids; a crime mob would turn up and take them away; ship them off somewhere and suddenly there would be 10,000 of the buggers turning up on eBay.
I know enforced charity isn’t everybody’s idea of fun but when these things are so cheap to begin with, and I’d happily pay $300 for one, I don’t take issue with it, neither should a lot of people.
What do you reckon? Would you buy one for $300 knowing that you’re paying twice the price but knowing someone that can’t afford one can get one? Or would you try and get one at $150 and not give to charity? Or just not get one at all?