Jobs offers Mac OS X for $100 Laptop
The Wall Street Journal reports on an initiative to develop a $100 laptop targetted at school children in developing nations. A non-profit organization called One Laptop Per Child has been formed to oversee the project with plans to put the laptop into the hands of 100-150 million children.
The $100 design remains a challenge and has not yet been solidified, but due to the scope of the project has drawn interest from many industry leaders, including Microsoft and Apple.
According to the WSJ, Steve Jobs offered to provide Mac OS X for free for the upcoming machine. The offer was declined, however, as they were looking for a 100% opensource solution. This offer, however, was only possible as Mac OS X is now capable of running on the x86 architecture as well as the PowerPC. The new $100 laptop will be powered by an AMD processor running Red Hat Linux.
Official site: http://laptop.media.mit.edu/
The $100 design remains a challenge and has not yet been solidified, but due to the scope of the project has drawn interest from many industry leaders, including Microsoft and Apple.
According to the WSJ, Steve Jobs offered to provide Mac OS X for free for the upcoming machine. The offer was declined, however, as they were looking for a 100% opensource solution. This offer, however, was only possible as Mac OS X is now capable of running on the x86 architecture as well as the PowerPC. The new $100 laptop will be powered by an AMD processor running Red Hat Linux.
Official site: http://laptop.media.mit.edu/
Top Rated Comments
(View all)
82 months ago
Refusing was a good idea. MacOS X would never run well on this machine, and they'd have to rely on (i.e. wait for) Apple for updates whenever they wanted to rev the machine.
82 months ago
Very Interesting...
Doesn't this mean Apple is willing to break its DRM to allow OS X to run on non-Apple hardware... if Apple can do that, hackers will find a way too.
This seems way too much like a marketing ploy more than anything. Give millions of these machines out with OS X and then the market will boom! The main reason why people buy Windows PCs over Macs is because they think macs aren't compatible. Give millions of kids Macs and they'll only buy macs in the future, and their friends and their friend's friend.
Doesn't this mean Apple is willing to break its DRM to allow OS X to run on non-Apple hardware... if Apple can do that, hackers will find a way too.
This seems way too much like a marketing ploy more than anything. Give millions of these machines out with OS X and then the market will boom! The main reason why people buy Windows PCs over Macs is because they think macs aren't compatible. Give millions of kids Macs and they'll only buy macs in the future, and their friends and their friend's friend.
82 months ago
This may well be a sign that steve is
ever so possibly willing lease OS X
in the future......
ever so possibly willing lease OS X
in the future......
82 months ago
Wow.. that's pretty rad.
But you'd see people going to those countries and a rash of the $100 laptops on eBay or something.
One Laptop Per Child sounds like a really good program though. Maybe Apple will donate some money their way?
But you'd see people going to those countries and a rash of the $100 laptops on eBay or something.
One Laptop Per Child sounds like a really good program though. Maybe Apple will donate some money their way?
82 months ago
For a $100 laptop, you have to buy your own:
1. RAM
2. Hard drive
3. Keyboard and mouse (no trackpad included)
4. External speaker (no built in)
5. Power cord
1. RAM
2. Hard drive
3. Keyboard and mouse (no trackpad included)
4. External speaker (no built in)
5. Power cord
82 months ago
this news story is there just to warm us Mac faithfull of the future of Mac OS
Mac OS on x86 will happen on all PC's :(
Mac OS on x86 will happen on all PC's :(
82 months ago
Cute idea, but I'd rather see the money go to more important things (like feeing them or giving them vaccines/cures) than making sure they have a computer.
1. I don't think these kids are concerned about getting a laptop when their parents are dying of AIDS or they are worried about where their next meal is coming from.
2. Linux is a little over-the-head of the average user....do you think these kids will have any idea how to use it?
1. I don't think these kids are concerned about getting a laptop when their parents are dying of AIDS or they are worried about where their next meal is coming from.
2. Linux is a little over-the-head of the average user....do you think these kids will have any idea how to use it?
82 months ago
Wow.. that's pretty rad.
But you'd see people going to those countries and a rash of the $100 laptops on eBay or something.
Believe me, a $100 laptop isn't going to be much to look at.
82 months ago
For a $100 laptop, you have to buy your own:
1. RAM
2. Hard drive
3. Keyboard and mouse (no trackpad included)
4. External speaker (no built in)
5. Power cord
82 months ago
Holy cow, I can't believe they refused. Going open source is not a good idea at all. These under developed nations kids will now learn not standard and horrible GUI from one of the 134002 linux distros.
This is perhaps the nicest thing any software developer has ever tried. Microsoft will ship a version of Longhorn for developing nations which they cripple and they will CHARGE for it. I'm sure Steve didn't says "You can have OSX... 10.2 muah ha ha."
This is perhaps the nicest thing any software developer has ever tried. Microsoft will ship a version of Longhorn for developing nations which they cripple and they will CHARGE for it. I'm sure Steve didn't says "You can have OSX... 10.2 muah ha ha."
[ Read All Comments ]
Analytics firm Chitika today released a report showing that by its metrics iOS has now surpassed OS X in overall web traffic share in the United States. Chitika's methodology involves an analysis...
One of the most frequent reasons for an iPhone to go on a trip to the Apple Store's Genius Bar is because of water damage. Typically, a water damaged iPhone can be replaced for a flat $199...
TheVerge's Joshua Topolsky summarizes the iPad 3 casing findings reported earlier today, but also adds his own sources regarding some details of the iPad 3.
Image from RepairLabs
As...
Last July, Apple discontinued the white MacBook from its consumer lineup, pushing consumers toward the company's popular MacBook Air line or the 13-inch MacBook Pro. The company didn't kill...
Popular iPhone Twitter client Tweetbot has finally arrived on the iPad, with a user interface instantly familiar to any current Tweetbot user. Designed for the Twitter power-user, Tweetbot packs a...
