Negreponte says Intel spurned cheap laptop

THE MAN behind the $100 $150 cheapo laptop said Intel failed to respond when he pitched the idea of a hand cranked notebook but AMD decided to back it within 24 hours.

He had approached Intel for backing but failed to get a response. So then he approached AMD which was quick to back the idea, he said.

Nicholas Negreponte at MIT said that Intel's Craig Barrett and Microsoft's Bill Gate had admitted remarks they'd made about the one notebook per child initiative were unfortunate.

Speaking to CNBC Europe, Negreponte said that from his point of view it was unfortunate too, because when he and his team talked to leaders of small countries the remarks were thrown back in their face.

Intel "technically" doesn't make laptops anyway, said Negreponte. The $300 machine it recently made noises about at the Intel Developer Forum is essentially copying Negreponte's machine anyway but with $150 extra for sales and marketing.

Intel had its chance and didn't join, said Negreponte. But he was still talking to the firm.