San Francisco (CA) - Intel today announced a new line of products in its Classmate PC project, an initiative to create low-cost computers for disadvantaged children.

The Classmate PC is a rival to the initiative that started it all, One Laptop Per Child (OLPC).  The Classmate PC is somewhat more sophisticated, though.  New features announced today include different display sizes (seven and nine inch), 30 GB hard drives and optional webcams.



The Classmate PC ranges in price from around $300 and $500.  The OLPC's "XO laptop" was originally created to be a $100 computer, but added costs pushed that up to nearly $200 by the time it was finished.

Intel was originally part of the OLPC program, but the OLPC group wanted it to remain exclusive to its low-cost XO laptop and not get involved with other systems, such as the Classmate PC.  

Intel introduced the Classmate late last year, in its own push to bring computers to children in third-world countries.  "We've always said there will be many solutions. The most important priority is to serve the need," said Mulloy.

However, OLPC "wanted us to focus our support exclusively on the OLPC system," he said.  The decision to pull out of OLPC came after six months of discussions between the two organizations.

The Classmate PC is different in its approach, though.  It is selling the machines directly to American consumers, while the XO laptop is targeted exclusively at third-world countries.

Intel said it has sold "tens of thousands" of its Classmate PCs since they went on sale a little over a year ago.  The OLPC group has sold hundreds of thousands of its lower-priced XO laptop.

more profit than charity?

Apr 03, 2008 12:44     

http://www.classmatepc.com One wonders if it is more of a 'for profit' thing with Intel than a 'charity' thing as the OLPC is suppose to be(?).
TomLeeM/BigWarpGuy report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

Nothing is charity on Wall Street

Apr 03, 2008 15:06     

You don't design product for charity. Better off to give them money than having to design and support for many years to come. Let the market decide.
nofubu report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -1

Intel is greedy that is all

Apr 03, 2008 23:08     

Intel corp is doing it for present and future profit not for children's well being or anything else. If any notebook possible to reach to underprivileged children to develop their mind and further to decrease crime all over the world is supposed to cost $100 or less priced notebook. Now indians allready figured out notebook pc development possibility that cost $75. Shame on Intel, stop stealing children's food over overpriced "specification-feature" crap!

Oa report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -1

it's just too expensive.

Apr 04, 2008 01:10     

they don't even make 200$ a year in africa, how can they afford this?
andy report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +2

My only problem with this is.....

Apr 04, 2008 04:20     

That like TomLeeM put it "more profit then charity". If Intel put there new Atom processor in to it, it could lower the price, but Intel won't because from what I have seen is that Windows does not run very well on it and Vista will not run at all. Right now OLPC uses Linux but Microsoft is trying to get Windows XP installed on to them. I think that the only reason why Intel stopped support for the OLPC project(Intel still provides some finical support still) is just the old WinTel back in charge. Microsoft has been cought with there pants down because they think every one needs or wants the top of the line computer system, and people don't and see this and thats why Vista is a flop.

ThomFrost report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

LOL classmate my a$$

Apr 04, 2008 10:54     

This product is priced and designed to compete directly with ASUS Eee PC laptop. ASUS found a new market segmentation for selling small cheap laptops into, and now Intel is using all the hype of the classmate to enter that market, it's not interested in the poor African market. We should boycott their product Classmate until they make it $100 and sell it to poor African schools and not my 13yo nephew.

Joey report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1