One Laptop Per Child Experiencing Growing Pains

The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project is not yet up and walking, but
alas, is experiencing growing pains. George Snell, a spokesman for OLPC confirmed a price hike from the original $100.00 cost to a new $189.00
price tag on Friday. This price hike takes place even before the beginning of any mass production of these so called "bridge to the digital divide"
platforms. A $89.00 price increase on a $100.00 originally priced product
isn't going to go over too well with OLPC customers that were budgeting to
spend $100.00.

There is speculation on the web that this price increase may be the
beginning to the end of any OLPC success. Another "bridge to the digital
divide" option is the "cell phone & Internet service" platform, ala Apple's I-phone. Combining the synergy of the I-phone with a commercially
sponsored cell phone & Internet service may be a better means of reducing
the digital divide. An online social activist at Bryn Mawr College is
campaigning for the use of free cell phone and Internet service platforms
to help reduce the Digital Divide. http://www.idealist.org/en/org/167491-0