Intel, Asustek announce plans for low-cost laptop

06 Jun 2007

San Francisco: Intel Corp. has detailed plans to team up with the world''s largest maker of computer motherboards, Asustek Computer Inc., to make a notebook PC costing as low as $200, and would cater to the education segment in developing countries.

Intel, the world''s largest chipmaker, has distributed laptops to children in developing countries for years, but is yet to adopt mass production along the lines of another group, the One Laptop Per Child Foundation.

According to the plan, the low-cost PC would be a full-fledged, low-end notebook, as opposed to OLPCs green-and-white plastic, kid-friendly laptops be powered by hand cranks when electricity is not available, which cost about $180 each.

The OLPC Foundation announced last month that it expected to commence delivery of millions of its low-cost notebooks in October. It is the foundation''s most ambitious attempt yet to provide the devices, which analysts say could shape PC industry growth in developing countries.

Intel''s laptop will use a lower-end microprocessor. It will most likely have 7- or 10-inch diameter screens, plus either traditional or a flash memory hard drive, and wireless connectivity. One model will cost about $100, with others going up to around $400 or $500 range. It will use either a variant of the freely available Linux operating system or will run Microsoft Corp.''s Windows XP.