Laptops for $100 a pop

Now, that is cool indeed.

Nicholas Negroponte and several colleagues from the MIT Media Lab are developing a low-cost notebook to help bridge the widening digital gap in developing countries.

Specs for the laptop:

• Modest processing power and storage.


• Battery capable of being recharged using a hand-crank (similar to hand-cranked radios used in Africa).


• "Electronic ink" or rear-projected 12" display.


• Wi-Fi access.


• USB ports for peripheral devices.


• Powered by Linux (what else? ;)).

Worth looking into for our project, methinks.

Update: They have a prototype already, and a wiki, too.