The $100 laptop closer to reality

[jkinz at kinz.org (Jeff Kinz)]

On Thu, Sep 29, 2005 at 10:47:06AM -0400, Ben Jackson wrote:
> I checked out their web page (http://laptop.media.mit.edu/) and was
> oogling, they expect to be shipping by mid-2007 with everything kicked
> into high gear mid-2008. However, my hopes of picking one up to fiddle
> with were dashed with the following statement:
> 
> "Please note: these laptops are not in production. They are not --and will
> not be-- available for purchase by individuals."
> 
> Kind of silly, don't you think? I'm not talking about being a greedy
> bastard either (Although I /do/ want one.). There are lots of people on
> low incomes who would be intrested in purchasing one of these, I assume.


It seems so until you realize the extra handling that involves. Instead
of shipping a pallet of 400 or so of these things (No individual boxes
needed, just shrink wrap and a few Styrofoam spacers) to each delivery
point.

Now each box has to be separately packaged, with shock, stress, and
static isolation, duplicate materials in each and then each one has to
be "sold" (website/retail clerking cost) each one has to be guaranteed,
tracked etc ad nauseum.

All those extra people involved have to be paid.

The price just went up to $250.

Can you say "Audrey?"   :-)

> 

-- 
speech recognition software was used in the composition of this e-mail
Jeff Kinz, Emergent Research, Hudson, MA.
??Ya no mas!