Case Sudy - Laptop Per Child
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Case Study:
One Laptop Per Child
[from: Keegan, Warren J., and Mark C. Green, Global Marketing (Sixth Edition), New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.,Prentice Hall, 2011] |[pic] | |
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As director of the prestigious Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Nicolas Negroponte had a unique opportunity to immerse himself in cutting-edge technology development projects. Robotic design, artificial intelligence, holographic video, and educational applications for PCs were just some of the areas the Lab's various departments explored. In 2005, after 20 years at the Lab, Negroponte announced he was leaving to pursue an ambitious vision: bridging the digital divide between developed and developing nations by providing powerful PCs to schoolchildren in sub-Saharan Arica and other impoverished parts of the world. Negroponte named his initiative One Laptop Per Child (OLPC); his goal was to develop a $100 laptop that governments could buy in large quantities and distribute to schools. As Negroponte said, "My goal is not selling laptops. OLPC is not in the laptop business. It's in the education business." In April 2007, Negroponte announced that he hoped to have between 50-150 million children using the new computer by the end of 2008.
The OLPC design team, which included Media Lab veteran Walter Bender, created a computer known as the XO that is rugged enough to stand up to heavy use and abuse. The XO is dust- and water-proof; a small solar panel can be used to recharge the battery. The laptop's high resolution screen displays bright images even in sunlight; other features include a built-in video camera. Wi-Fi connectivity is provided by two small antennas on either side of the screen; some observers have commented that the antennas like ears on a friendly alien-type creature.
To keep the cost down,
Case Study:
One Laptop Per Child
[from: Keegan, Warren J., and Mark C. Green, Global Marketing (Sixth Edition), New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.,Prentice Hall, 2011] |[pic] | |
| | |
As director of the prestigious Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Nicolas Negroponte had a unique opportunity to immerse himself in cutting-edge technology development projects. Robotic design, artificial intelligence, holographic video, and educational applications for PCs were just some of the areas the Lab's various departments explored. In 2005, after 20 years at the Lab, Negroponte announced he was leaving to pursue an ambitious vision: bridging the digital divide between developed and developing nations by providing powerful PCs to schoolchildren in sub-Saharan Arica and other impoverished parts of the world. Negroponte named his initiative One Laptop Per Child (OLPC); his goal was to develop a $100 laptop that governments could buy in large quantities and distribute to schools. As Negroponte said, "My goal is not selling laptops. OLPC is not in the laptop business. It's in the education business." In April 2007, Negroponte announced that he hoped to have between 50-150 million children using the new computer by the end of 2008.
The OLPC design team, which included Media Lab veteran Walter Bender, created a computer known as the XO that is rugged enough to stand up to heavy use and abuse. The XO is dust- and water-proof; a small solar panel can be used to recharge the battery. The laptop's high resolution screen displays bright images even in sunlight; other features include a built-in video camera. Wi-Fi connectivity is provided by two small antennas on either side of the screen; some observers have commented that the antennas like ears on a friendly alien-type creature.
To keep the cost down,