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$100 laptop project gets Intel backing

The non-profit that aims to seed the developing world with inexpensive laptop computers for schoolchildren has made peace with Intel Corp., the project's most powerful rival.

One Laptop Per Child program, the non-profit initiative that aims at helping children in the developing countries become computer literate by offering computers for as low as $100, got a major boost with Intel agreeing to join the board of the nonprofit and contribute funding.

So far Intel had been an obstacle with its chairman, Craig Barrett, deriding the $100 'XO' machine as a mere 'gadget' and with the leading chip-maker selling its own child-focused Classmate PC.

Under the new partnership, Intel and One Laptop Per Child might seek ways to package their computers together for overseas governments. For instance, Intel's Classmate, which has to be plugged in, might be an option for urban settings, while the XO laptops that can be mechanically recharged by hand could go into rural districts.

Walter Bender, who oversees software and content for One Laptop Per Child, hopes the biggest benefit for his group would be Intel's work with the project on future technical developments. That will deepen the pool of software and hardware designers available to perfect the machines.

Interestingly, Intel's arch rival AMD has been a major partner in One Laptop Per Child, along with other big names as Google, News Corp. and Red Hat Inc.

[ Via CNN ]