Intel joins up with $100 laptop maker

Intel has joined forces with an organisation aiming to get $100 laptops rolled out in the third world. Intel had previously been seen as working against the organisation with its own low-cost Classmate PC designed for developing countries.

The not-for-profit One Laptop per Child (OLPC) organisation has released a joint statement with Intel. It says they have "agreed to work together to bring the benefits of technology to the developing world through synergy of their respective programmes."

The two companies are to collaborate over the technology as well as the content supplied on the laptops. Intel also says it will sit on the board of OLPC. "Joining OLPC is a further example of our commitment to education over the last 20 years and our belief in the role of technology in bringing the opportunities of the 21st century to children around the world," said Paul Otellini, Intel CEO.

OLPC set out to bring the $100 laptops to children in developing countries and has gained widespread recognition for its efforts even though it has only hit a $180 price point so far. However, in May the founder of OLPC slammed Intel for attempting to undermine the not-for-profit organisation's efforts.

Classmate PC

Nicholas Negroponte said Intel should be "ashamed of itself". He claimed it was trying to undercut the OLPC laptop with its Classmate PC - first shown off at last autumn's Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco.

The $180 laptop includes an AMD Geode LX-700 processor running at 433MHz but with lower power usage, as well as doubled RAM and storage space, to 256MB and 1,024MB respectively.

Intel says it invests more than $100 million per year in over 50 countries to promote education, including efforts through the Intel Foundation.