Bill Gates apparently doesn’t think much of MIT’s $100 computer project, where the low-cost units are being developed (with some backing of Google) for use in developing countries. At the Microsoft Government Leaders Forum in Washington yesterday, after Gates demonstrated a Microsoft-backed $1000 ultra-mobile PC (UMPC), he promptly launched into disapproval of MIT s $100 computer project, criticizing the size of its tiny little screen. That was noted as particularly ironic since the UMPC screen is just about the same size—7 inches. Said Gates:
“If you are going to go have people share the computer, get a broadband connection and have somebody there who can help support the user, geez, get a decent computer where you can actually read the text and you’re not sitting there cranking the thing while you’re trying to type.
Perhaps a few well-placed billion dollars might put Origami PCs into the hands of those disadvantaged people, Bill, rather than those laughably disgusting $100 hand-cranked units.
