Bill Gates Mocks One Laptop per Child Project

Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates has mocked the $100 laptop project of Google and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 

The $100 laptop project, also known as One Laptop per Child project, aims to provide inexpensive computers to people in developing countries. Keyword here is inexpensive. And what makes up an inexpensive laptop? Well, there’s your tiny screen and the keyboard, perhaps? Google and MIT did say that the project will create computers that will lack many of the features found on a typical computer, such as hard disk and software. That’s probably what drove Gates to mock the project. I really don’t blame him. Maybe he felt his concept of the computer was butchered.

He said:

“The last thing you want to do for a shared use computer is have it be something without a disk…and with a tiny little screen…hardware is a small part of the cost of providing computing capabilities…the big costs come from network connectivity, applications and support…”

Prior to his critique, Gates unveiled a new “ultra-mobile computer” which runs Microsoft Windows on a seven-inch (17.78-centimeter) touch screen.

Mr. Gates,  how come “A computer in every household” is ok and “One Laptop per Child” is not?

Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates has mocked the $100 laptop project of Google and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 

The $100 laptop project, also known as One Laptop per Child project, aims to provide inexpensive computers to people in developing countries. Keyword here is inexpensive. And what makes up an inexpensive laptop? Well, there’s your tiny screen and the keyboard, perhaps? Google and MIT did say that the project will create computers that will lack many of the features found on a typical computer, such as hard disk and software. That’s probably what drove Gates to mock the project. I really don’t blame him. Maybe he felt his concept of the computer was butchered.

He said:

“The last thing you want to do for a shared use computer is have it be something without a disk…and with a tiny little screen…hardware is a small part of the cost of providing computing capabilities…the big costs come from network connectivity, applications and support…”

Prior to his critique, Gates unveiled a new “ultra-mobile computer” which runs Microsoft Windows on a seven-inch (17.78-centimeter) touch screen.

Mr. Gates,  how come “A computer in every household” is ok and “One Laptop per Child” is not?