Trash talk between One Laptop and the PC crowd rages on

LAS VEGAS--Nicholas Negroponte declined to speak about the rift between his organization, One Laptop Per Child, and Intel during a speech at the Consumer Electronics Show taking place this week.

Two of the individuals with OLPC sat directly behind me, and they talked extensively about the disagreement and their interaction with Intel before the speech. (To recap, Intel joined OLPC after a long public argument, but then recently pulled out.) I checked their badges to make sure they were with OLPC. Here are some of the highlights.

"They are so arrogant."

"Did you meet Swope (Intel exec Will Swope)? He was unimpressive."

"Working with Microsoft is a joy by comparison."

To be fair, there's probably not a lot of love lost on Intel's side. Chairman Craig Barrett, before the brief alliance with OLPC, often criticized the device. A number of companies are also chilly toward Negroponte. One Taipei executive told me that people in the last year have started to blame declines in Quanta Computer's stock on its association with OLPC. Contract manufacturer Quanta makes the OLPC and even built an entire manufacturing line for it.

Another Taiwanese exec asserted that Negroponte doesn't understand how the hardware business works. I can't verify what the Taiwanese are saying (but I have met Swope and he's kind of amusing). The Taiwanese business community also thrives on rumor. If someone said that Bill Gates was building a fusion reactor, there's a good chance it would end up on paper. Still, it gives you an idea of the feelings.

As for the speech, it wasn't bad. Negroponte clearly cares about kids and education. Back in 1999, he and his son gave laptops to first graders in Cambodia. Next year, first-grade enrollment went up by 100 percent.

"The kids in the program told the other kids in the village how cool school was," he said.

However, he seems to take a dimmer view of adults and often speaks of them in a disappointed, schoolmarmish tone. The criticism about the small keyboard is misplaced, he claimed. "When they criticize it, they are criticizing it from the point of a fat-fingered adult," he said. Everyone advised him to do OLPC as a profit institution, a route many charities have taken. Remaining a nonprofit "was the single best decision OLPC ever made."

One of the best moments of the speech came at the beginning when Gary Shapiro, the official emcee of CES, introduced him. Shapiro touted his achievements.

"Thank you for the (slight pause) long introduction," Negroponte said.

And thank you too, Nick!

[john55440]

What a bunch of whiners..

Negroponte and company are a bunch of childish whiners.<br /><br />Competition is a good thing, benefiting the buyer and end user.

[owlgarden]

Competition is NOT

a good thing when it comes to providing basic resources to <br />everyone. You have to have access to things like food, shelter, <br />security and education first before you can step in to compete. <br />Bring a level playing field to everyone and then let them build their <br />own for- profit culture. Open your mind.

[tarrantm]

It's not competition.

Think of it this way: There are 200,000 kids needing laptops, the cheaper it is, the more kids can be provided for on the same budget. Hence the OLPC is a better choice since it gets provided to more children. Intel is trying to turn a profit, so they badmouth the device and try to push the govt into buying their Classmate PC.<br /><br />It's like if McDonalds started badmouthing soup kitchens in order to try and get homeless people to buy their burgers. <br /><br />If you can't see the inequity, moral turpitude and plain idiocy in such action, I doubt any amount of education will help.

[ranjo65]

OLPC vs. Intel

There are alot of people, I'm sure, who know much more about all of the ins and outs of this situation than I do, but I believe I'll have to second the first posters thoughts.<br />If OLPC is a superior product than Intel's Classmate then the market will sort itself out. <br />I wonder if Negroponte's problem is the fact that OLPC is a non-profit while Intel is not. It seems to me that Negroponte sees himself as a White Knight defending the moral high ground...which would strike me as suspect.

[gregbright]

What about the Kids Postures?

We?re going to have a bunch of kids looking like Smeagol.<br /><br />See what I mean at<br /><br />www.one-laptop-per-child.com

[jackhidary]

olpc

I am lucky enough to have one of the new XO laptops from olpc. this device is nothing short of revolutionary. <br /><br />more thoughtful design went into this object than the boeing 777. <br /><br />it is not just about the hardware. this software -with its many opportunities for kids to program and experiment - will lead to even further innovation.<br /><br />intel is acting like a lumbering elephant in its heavy-footed approach on this. sad but predictable.<br /><br />before you make any judgement on this venture get hold of an XO and give it a whirl.<br /><br />Jack

[suyts]

I thought

the XO was charity for the children in 3rd world nations? Where'd you get one?

[instrumediatech.com]

OLPC vs. corporate culture

There are two sides to every argument.<br /><br />One one side, I whole heartedly agree that it's up to the non-profits to take the lead in an atmosphere of caring. It's why churches, schools, hospitals and research organizations are non-profit entitites. Of course the profit sector is going to be envious of any type of revolutionary product that serves to destroy their customer base. The corporate culture has shareholders to satisfy - so what's in the best interest of the customer is not always the priority.<br /><br />However, as a person working in an administrative environment in within the private school culture, my question is, "What about OUR kids?" If you REALLY want to cause people to sit up and take notice, get these things into OUR kids hands to make them more technology literate, where THEY will enjoy learning and think school is cool, and perhaps have a chance at boosting our nation's international test scores to something near #1 in the world again - at least get us into the single digits (17th in writing and 24th in math in the world - we should ALL be embarassed! Teachers unions need to take a look at the steel industry and the auto industry and learn a little something from what's happened to their rank and file membership). Let's continue to help the rest of the world with revolutionary ideas, while we firmly plant our feet and resist change. There something to be said about having strength enough to bend, but that's a Chinese philosophy (speaking of which, when you get a chance, check out where the laptop you're using was made.)

[Crunchy Doodle]

OK - our kids too

Sure, the XO would be good for fat rich American kids. I got two for my youngest grandchildren on the G1G1 program and they enjoy them (I also gave money for five more). They do need guidance to get the most benefit (they are 4-year-old twins) with my wife and I getting educated on how to make the best use of them. I'm sure OLPC would love to take an order for 1,000,000 units from the Gates Foundation who would distribute them to American children who need them.

[owlgarden]

XO Laptop isn't a commercial venture

I wish these nerds out there would stop regarding the XO as a <br />standard computing device competing against commercial <br />entities. This regard is entirely incorrect-it is an education <br />project which is designed to bring educational resources to <br />developing countries at a substantial reduction in resource <br />acquisition. We FAT americans are used to Public Libraries, <br />internet cafes,television everywhere, and (a sa downside) the <br />subsequent advertising and commercialized software and the <br />expense of commercial hardware. The XO is a wonderful device <br />meant to bring the Highest standards, lowest cost and the <br />fastest way to bring EDUCATION to places where the literacy <br />rates are low and access to information barely existent. I'm so <br />tired of people not understanding the primary function of OLPC. <br />Innovation starts with the exchange of ideas not with profit <br />motivation. Intel shames itself by the way it conducts business <br />in this regard.

[fredtheviking]

Intel is shortsighted

Intel has missed a great opportunity in building a good reputation and building a better name for itself. Althrough, Intel may be able to make more money by thier move, but they lost the moral battle. <br /><br />They should consider the sale of low-cost laptops to developing countrie an opportunity to display good corporate value. It is even worth it to them to lose money. A demonstrate of such goodwill, would give Intel many happy returns for years to come. It is the best kind of adversiting and would do more than any PR firm or adversite adsency could ever do.<br /><br />Now, they best they can do is save face in light being portray as a money-gobbing greedy corporation. Being given such a bad rep, it going to hurt in ways they cannot account for and will not forsee until it's too late.

[daftkey]

Hmmm.

I guess you've never heard of the intel Classmate then, huh?