Intel sticks to its own

By Kimberly Guest for Intel
Johannesburg, 08 Jan 2008

Intel's withdrawal from the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project has no bearing on its competing Classmate laptop range, the company says.

Speaking from the US, Intel spokeswoman Agnes Kwan told ITWeb last night that the chip manufacturer has always believed there are "multiple positions" in the market for low-cost laptops.

The Intel-based Classmate PC is a low-cost laptop designed by the company for students in emerging markets. The OLPC's XO laptop is AMD-based.

Failed friendship

Intel joined the OLPC board in July last year. Under the agreement, the company said it would explore collaborations involving technology and educational content.

Less than six months later, Intel has pulled out of the project, citing "fundamental differences between the organisations".

However, a statement on the OLPC's wiki says the organisation has been "disappointed that Intel did not deliver on any of the promises they made when they joined OLPC".

It adds: "Since joining the OLPC board of directors in July, Intel has violated its written agreement with OLPC on numerous occasions. Intel continued to disparage the XO laptop in nations that had already decided to partner with OLPC (Uruguay and Peru), with countries that were in the midst of choosing a laptop solution (Brazil and Nigeria), and other countries contemplating a laptop programme (Mongolia)."

In an interview with The New York Times, OLPC founder Nicholas Negroponte put the dispute down to conflict over Intel's Classmate PC, which he alleges the chip-maker continued to punt to governments, thereby competing with the XO.

Local success

Intel has had some success in bringing the Classmate PC to South African schools.

In August, the Abel T Motshoane High School - in Mabopane, north-east of Pretoria - became the launch site for the Classmate PC in SA.

An Intel-led consortium that includes Microsoft and IBM has donated 100 of the diminutive laptops and two teachers' notebooks to the school, in addition to the necessary supporting infrastructure, which includes WiMax.

National education director-general Duncan Hindle praised the project: "What we've seen here is a technological breakthrough. This is the leap forward we've needed to make."

Hindle added that the education department would be loosely following the progress of the 100 Grade 8 learners using the system.

Soon after the launch, newly-appointed country manager for AMD SA Imi Mosaheb said OLPC did not at that time have plans to roll-out to SA.

Although Intel's agreement with OLPC no longer hinders it from aggressively marketing the Classmate PC, Kwan maintains there will be no change to its strategy.

"Nothing has changed. We have been working with governments around the world and are excited with the current developments. We are working on extending our work with the Classmate PC," she said.