Blog Juice for Educational Technology

The $100 Laptop web site now has a list of FAQs. Responses are from Nicholas Negroponte, founding chairman of MIT’s Media Lab. Two samples:

Why do children in developing nations need laptops?
Laptops are both a window and a tool: a window into the world and a tool with which to think. They are a wonderful way for all children to “learn learning” through independent interaction and exploration.

When do you anticipate these laptops reaching the market?
Our preliminary schedule is to have units ready for shipment by the end of 2006 or early 2007. Manufacturing will begin when 5 to 10 million machines have been ordered and paid for in advance.

This is starting to get exciting! I wonder if 25 years from now we’ll be looking back on Nov. 17, 2005 (the debut of the prototype) and declare it as important as the advent of Gutenberg’s press?