|
 What are the odds for Intel Corp
and One Laptop Per Child Project to get back together? Well, on one hand, Intel
claimed reaching a “philosophical impasse” which makes further collaboration
almost impossible, but on the other hand, it supports the idea of helping
children in developing nations, through its own platform known as “Classmate PC”.
It’s been a controversial
collaboration from the beginning, as both Intel and OLPC came from highly
criticizing each other’s actions to joining forces for a common good. Just over
a week ago, Intel announced its withdrawal from the OLPC project, which wasn’t
exactly the best image move for them. OLPC representatives were not available
for comments following the announcement, but days later, Negroponte said he
would welcome Intel back.
According to a PCWorld
interview, Nicholas Negroponte, chairman of the OLPC organization, said: “It
was very fortunate what happened with Intel and I hope there’s a way of
rebuilding it in the future, because there’s no interest in OLPC pushing Intel
out. It just is not in our interest. Our goal is to get to as many children as
possible.”
Well, if that should be the
case, than OLPC and Intel most certainly want the same thing: to help needy
children. The only issue now is how to
make the two projects, One Laptop Per Child and Classmate PC, co-exist, as
Intel spokesman related to the press in a last week interview that “OLPC has
asked Intel to end our support for non-OLPC platforms, including the Classmate
PC.”
“The picture that painted was
one of OLPC being anti-competition, which is ridiculous. We’d like to see many
laptops out there as possible and kids have the widest choice possible,”
Nicholas Negroponte said to the same source. Well, with OLPC not undermining
Intel’s efforts any longer, and denying it ever did, there might still be a
chance for future collaboration, although Intel is not that optimistic about
it, claiming that the differences they’ve had in the past may interfere with a
future common project.
|
