Tech Shout!

The One Laptop Per Child foundation lifted the covers up from the first working prototype of its $100 laptop at the Seven Countries Task Force Meeting on Tuesday. The device runs on Fedora Linux and features a color screen, Wi-Fi, a 500MHz processor, and 1GB of flash memory.

The prototype unit, adorned in yellow and orange, has “horns” that flip up to function as Wi-Fi antennae and cover the USB and audio ports when idle. The keyboard comprises of sports recessed buttons, similar to Apple’s new MacBook, and a handle on the back is designed to make transport easier.

Chaired by Nicholas Negroponte, OLPC is being funded by a number of sponsor organisations. These include Google, Red Hat, AMD, Brightstar Corporation, News Corporation, Nortel Networks and Canonical Ltd., with active participation of the MIT Media Lab. The initiative has also has its share of criticisms, the most prominent one being that from Bill Gates who had mocked at the project.