Intel's '$100 Laptop' Project

BOSTON (AP) _ The nonprofit that aims to seed the developing world with inexpensive laptop computers for schoolchildren has made peace with Intel Corp., the project's biggest and most powerful rival,

Friday, July 13th 2007, 10:06 am

By: News On 6

BOSTON (AP) _ The nonprofit that aims to seed the developing world with inexpensive laptop computers for schoolchildren has made peace with Intel Corp., the project's biggest and most powerful rival, The Associated Press has learned.

The One Laptop Per Child program and Intel said Friday that the chip maker would join the board of the nonprofit and contribute funding.

The nonprofit effort _ known as the ``$100 laptop'' because of the low price it hopes to reach with mass production _ has been trying to line up governments in several countries to buy the machines, which for now cost $175. But competition from Intel's child-focused Classmate PC has made things tough in some countries for One Laptop Per Child.

For example, Intel _ which expects the Classmate's price to fall to near $200 this year _ signed a deal to sell 700,000 of the machines in Pakistan.

One Laptop Per Child's computers will continue to use processors from Intel rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc., but Intel is expected to work with the project on future technical developments.