------ Forwarded Message > > January 4, 2008 > Intel Leaves Group Backing Education PCs > By JOHN MARKOFF http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/04/technology/04laptop.html?ex=1357189200&en= c4afaa5aaf035432&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all >> > > SAN FRANCISCO Intel said Thursday that it had chosen to withdraw > from the One Laptop Per Child educational computer organization, which > it joined in July after years of public squabbling between Intel¹s > chairman, Craig R. Barrett, and the group¹s founder, Nicholas P. > Negroponte. > > The low-cost laptop, originally priced at $100, has captured the > public imagination but also created intense controversy because it was > viewed as a potential competitor for both Intel and Microsoft in the > developing world. > > The machine, which is based on the freely available Linux operating > system and comes with educational software, is now built with a > microprocessor made by Intel¹s archrival, Advanced Micro Devices. The > PC, called the XO, is being sold for about $200 apiece to governments > and institutions. > > On Thursday an Intel spokesman said the company shared with O.L.P.C. > the vision of putting computers into the hands of children, but the > two were not able to work out what he described as ³philosophical² > differences. > > Intel did not attend a recent board meeting of the group in Florida, > according to a person familiar with the events, who asked not to be > named because he had not been given authority to describe the events. > That set off a bitter private dispute, which led to the Thursday > announcement. > > ³We¹ve reached a philosophical impasse,² said Chuck Mulloy, the Intel > spokesman. ³Negroponte had asked us to exclusively support O.L.P.C.- > based platforms.² > > For emerging markets, Intel has been backing its own, more expensive > Classmate PC, which sells for about $300. Mr. Mulloy said Intel was > unwilling to walk away from support agreements that the company had > made for that machine and other systems. > > Intel also said it was able to develop a prototype of an XO computer > with an Intel chip. > > [snip]
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