Hardware: Input, Processing, and Output Devices - Principles of Information Systems - page 118

The Nokia N80 smartphone can
function as a phone, camera, FM
radio, or e-mail device, and allows
you to send text messages with
audio and video clips.
(Source: Courtesy of Nokia.)
Transportation, one of the nation's largest railroads, uses DT Research's WebDT 360 to
enable train conductors to monitor systems while onboard and communicate with stations
for real-time updates. The WebDT 360 has improved operations efficiency and worker
productivity. 51
Low-Cost Laptops The mission of the nonprofit One Laptop per Child (OLPC) associ-
ation is to provide children around the world with new opportunities to explore, experiment,
and express themselves with the help of a low-cost laptop priced at about $100. OLPC was
founded by Nicholas Negroponte of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and includes
a wide variety of members from academia, the arts, business, and the information technology
industry. Negroponte states: “It's an education project, not a laptop project.” 52 The first
version of the laptop, the OLPC XO, was made available to third-world countries in 2007.
OLPC launched a “give one, get one” campaign in North America, asking consumers to pay
$400 for an XO for themselves and a “free” XO to be given to a child in a developing country.
The bright green computer is designed to be extremely rugged and durable with child-friendly
features including an easy-to-use interface. See Figure 3.17.
Figure 3.17
The OLPC XO Laptop Computer
(Source: Courtesy of fuseproject.)
For-profit computer manufacturers have also recognized the tremendous market for
low-cost computers. Taiwan's Asus produces a $300-$400 basic laptop called the Eee. Intel,
in collaboration with local manufacturers in the developing world, is producing a $300 laptop
for use in schools called the Classmate PC. 53 Mary Lou Jepsen, founder of low-cost laptop
company Pixel Xi, says, “The computer industry has been able to keep the price flat by
focusing on gazillion-gigahertz machines running really bloated software, and that's worked
for years since the IBM PC revolution.” 54 Will the development of low-cost, limited-
capability laptops drive software manufacturers to develop simpler, less resource-intensive
programs? What will happen to the current market for relatively high-priced laptops?