[Shadeshi_Bondhu] ] Laptop at $100 still too costly for poor nations: UN

At $100, a laptop is still beyond the reach of children in many poor
nations, the United Nations has told a renowned computer scientist,
who is behind the highly ambitious `One Laptop Per Child' scheme.

`Even if the cost was only $100 per child, that is more than most
developing countries, especially the least developed countries, can
afford,' the UN under secretary general, Cheikh Sidi Diarra, said.

`In many LDCs, for example, the amount spent on a child's education
in primary school is as low as $5 a year when teachers' salaries are
excluded', he said on the display of a $100-laptop here.

The `One Laptop Per Child' project, which is the brainchild of
Nicholas Negroponte, founder of Massachusetts Institute of
Technology's Media Lab, was launched in 2005. Diarra said it was
important for Negroponte and his partners to understand any concerns
the member-states may have, such as affordability.

He also lauded the scheme's organisers for their efforts despite the
scepticism the idea faced initially. `While many challenges remained
before the project's vision could be realised, it is clear it could
make a major contribution to the socio-economic development of the
world's poorest nations', Diarra said.

The laptop demonstrated here had a sunlight-readable display. It
contained no moving parts, could be powered by solar, foot-pump or
pull-string chargers and housed in a waterproof case.

Citing that some developing nations had not followed their verbal
agreements with concrete orders, Negroponte has launched a `give one,
get one' scheme allowing individuals to buy two laptops at a pre-
determined price and have one of the laptops sent a child in the
developing world. __._,_.___

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SB: Home of the Bangladeshi Teens & Youths
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

-> Official Website: http://www.ShadeshiBondhu.com
-> Group's short url: http://Group.ShadeshiBondhu.com

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SB: Friends' Family
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___