Intel to Make Cheap Flash Laptop 202
sien writes "In a similar vein to the One Laptop Per Child computer Intel have announced that they intend to produce a similar cheap laptop using flash storage.The entry of Intel and the declaration that Microsoft intend to get Windows running on the One Laptop Per Child machine suggests that there may be a general market for a cheap, robust laptop without hard drive or optical storage."
Strange new world. (Score:4, Insightful)
Robust? (Score:4, Insightful)
I think it's too expensive. (Score:3, Insightful)
Plus, it's too big to be a PDA, too small to be a usable laptop. Maybe a decent movie player, but that seems about it.
Cheapness aside.... (Score:5, Insightful)
No sense. (Score:4, Insightful)
As a third world country, why should I buy this for $400 when I can buy OLPCs for like $150?
As someone in a first world country, why should I buy this when I can buy a REAL laptop for $400 or under thanks to sales, rebates, the used/refurbished/surplus market, etc?
As for the optical drive, this made be think that I use mine for two things: ripping CDs and installing software. I can see why someone wouldn't need on in an OLPC type situation (or where they want to sell these), not to mention that they are fragile (relative to flash memory and other parts of the computer).
$400 is not cheaper than $100... (Score:4, Insightful)
*profitable* Market? (Score:3, Insightful)
Microsoft/Intel cannot lose the Windows mindshare, marketshare, niche market, quarterly analysis, exposure, or allow the embarrasment of missing a potentially revolutionary nascent technology or low-budget competition.
How much is the exposure worth? Brand imprint? Visual or Process (how to do things) imprint? Said to be lots.
They would do the project(s) at a loss.
Things Could Get Interesting (Score:5, Insightful)
If that actually happens, and then if, by some remote chance, refunds for the Microsoft Tax were suddenly made mandatory (by a state's law, say, Massachussetts). Wowee-Zowee. Free laptops for everyone, courtesy Mr. Gates!
(I'm not holding my breath)
MjM
What's cheap about flash? (Score:2, Insightful)
I like the idea of a cheap laptop for the world masses, I just don't see how this fits the requirements.
Cheers,
Paul C.
Sr Developer
http://www.jbilling.com/ [jbilling.com] - The Open Source Enterprise Billing System
Re:why? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Robust? (Score:2, Insightful)
In my experience, the 2 weakest links are the disk and the hinges of the screen. Personally, I've only had disk problems, but looking back at the company laptop problems I've seen, the hinges (that is: including the electrical connections inside) probably come close in second place.
In terms of "what can you do about it that the customer is willing to pay for", the disk is by far at the top of the list. Apart from the complete newbies, customers do understand that there are major risks involved in disk failure. They also feel the heat and hear the noise. So they're willing to fork over a few extra greenbacks to get a no-heat, no-noise, no-mechanical breakage replacement solution. There's no way you're going to convince them to pay more for better designed more robust hinges, however. Besides, no vendor will want to admit to having done a bad job on those in the past.
no market (Score:3, Insightful)
Microsoft are just trying to establish/maintain a monopoly on schools software. They are trying to brainwash kids into the microsoft mentality so they've got customers for life.
Re:why? (Score:5, Insightful)
Those of us who actually want to help the third world are against simply giving them food. If you're going to give them anything, you give them what they need to produce food. Otherwise people just have more babies because they're healthier, they're even further beyond their ability to feed themselves, and now you have MORE mouths to feed. Or children to die of starvation.
Giving them computers, if done properly, is giving the gift of education. The only way out is through.
Windows + Flash HD = early failure (Score:5, Insightful)
My point... (Score:3, Insightful)
400 dollars is still 400 dollars, whether for a scaled down laptop or for a full-blown laptop.
Re:Um...ya, (Score:3, Insightful)
On the other hand, I have a full-size external keyboard, an email client, a web browser, the ability to use quite a large number of off the shelf software packages, many of them free or open source, and a full blown SDK available from the OS vendor.
It may not technically be a laptop, but I'd be interested in hearing your take about the things the make the OLPC more of a laptop than my 8125? After you get past form factor, I think it's going to be kind of hard.
BTW, can you guess why I wouldn't include a Leapfrog? No open programing support. If you can't write programs for your general-purpose computer, then it's not a general-purpose computer.
Re:CF-based systems and swapping (Score:2, Insightful)
Another alternative would be to use a combination of fast RAM, a main CF storage drive, and a smaller, easily replaceable CF card that acts as a go-between for the fast RAM and the main CF storage drive. The idea would be that you can replace the CF card when it gets burned out after a couple hundred thousand write-erase cycles of doing document caching and perhaps temp internet file caching. Last time I checked, a 512MB flash card was going for under ten bucks, who cares if you replace it once a year?
Also, as time goes on, flash memory is getting cheaper, more durable, with more write-erase cycles. Having an easily replaceable CF card for caching your editable files and internet crap would be a big bonus in the ease-of-upgrade category. You might reach a point where you CAN use the CF drive as a swapfile, and can cut down on the more expensive fast RAM in future models of the laptop.