Libya to buy $100 laptops for every child

LIBYA IS planning to purchase 1.2 million "$100 laptops" for its kids to use, the New York Times reported.

The $250 million deal with the One Laptop Per Child project would cover the cost of the laptops and the necessary servers, Internet infrastructure and training, the organisation said.

Nicholas Negroponte a computer researcher at MIT who dreamt up the machine met with Gaddafi to promote the idea. He said the first test laptops would arrive in Libya in Novemeber.

All Libya's school kids should have one each by June 2008.

The machines are to be built by Taiwanese computer maker Quanta Computer Inc. and currently cost around $150 each. µ

L'INQ
NYT