$100 Laptop

I remember hearing about this new $100 laptop in my last class, MD 433 (critical viewing of television). Although the previous article I read, Laptop v. Learning, raises concerns about the proliferation of this technology, I think that the OLPC program could be a great help to society.

The One Laptop Per Child non-profit agency strives to make available $100 laptops for impoverished communities. Although the monitor only views in green and white, the computer can run windows and connect (with built in wireless ) to the Internet. Since electricity may be hard to come by in some of these South American communities, the laptop comes with a built in hand crank for generated power!

This technology can be of great advantage for children in becoming technologically literate. Computer literacy is almost as important as traditional literacy in this information age. Knowing how to use computers for researching and writing can further their education and open up job opportunities for many of these children.