MIT's $100 Laptop Survives Criticism

Microsoft has released the UMPC (Ultra-Mobile PC) and Intel is releasing a third-world server designed to be the centerpiece of a third-world village's computing. These developments more than anything show how worried the top software maker and top hardware maker are about MIT's plan to develop a lightweight, energy-efficient laptop for third-world education that can be bought for as little as $100. So it should be no surprise that they are heavily criticizing the effort, trying to blunt the effects of a major new competitor not using either of their products. But John Negroponte, the designer, remains unfazed.