Austin: Intel, world's largest chipmaker has unveiled a new mobile personal computer designed to provide affordable, collaborative learning environments for teachers and young students.
Codenamed "Eduwise", Intel Corp. Chief Executive Paul Otellini said the $ 400 machines will feature built-in wireless and will be able to run Microsoft Corp's Windows or Linux operating systems.
"What we want to do is accelerate to un-compromised technology for everyone in the world" Otellini said during a demonstration at the World Congress on Information Technology in Austin on Wednesday.
"No one wants to cross the digital divide with yesterday's technology" he said.
The flip open "Eduwise" computer includes a handle, light blue accents and snaps shut like a purse. Special software allows students in a classroom to view presentations, take tests and interact individually with their teachers using a built-in wireless connection.
The cheaper PCs are part of a USD 1 billion investment by Intel over the next five years to promote the use of computers in schools, cafes and other public spots in developing countries, Otellini added.
Non-profit "One Laptop Per Child" association of professor Nicholas Negroponte of Massachusetts Institute of Technology hopes to begin providing the laptops to millions of children in India, China, Egypt, Brazil, Thailand, Nigeria and Argentina by early 2007.
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