Commercial Price of '$100 Laptop' Rises, But For a Good Cause

The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) organization has announced a two-week sale from November 12 to November 26, with the objective of catalyzing greater support from philanthropists and generous consumers, as well as emerging nations whose citizens could stand to benefit.

With each new announcement, the price of the originally-dubbed "$100 Laptop" has, in fact, been rising, and that orders from emerging nations are not coming as swiftly as anticipated. As it stands now, the first mass-produced, commercially available XO laptops will be sold at just under $200 USD each, and only in quantities of two. For each sale, one laptop will go to the buyer, and the other will be a tax-deductible donation to a developing country.

According to a press release, the program is designed to promote awareness of OLPC's mission, to encourage the open-source community's involvement, and of course, to get the computers into the hands of children.

"Give 1 Get 1 is a means to trigger greater interest and commitment from governments of developing nations," OLPC's Nicholas Negroponte stated today, "as well as those of wealthier ones who wish to help the poorest and most remote children."

According to the Associated Press, sources say the first 25,000 buyers are guaranteed to receive their XO by the Christmas season. If US demand is high enough, it could mean a better future for OLPC, increased availability of its product, and a step closer to achieving its goal.