Steve Jobs Helped $100 OLPC Computer — As MS Tried To Thwart It
12:10 pm, December 4th, 2009, Leander Kahney
Steve Jobs portrait by Dylan Roscover.
Steve Jobs quietly advised the One Laptop per Child project, founder Nicholas Negroponte said at the University of Pennsylvania yesterday.
Said Negroponte:
“I got an email from Steve Jobs (the night the laptop was revealed) he said you can’t build it for a hundred dollars, and my answer was oh yes I can. He was actually a very good critic, and each time we got to a point, I did talk to him.”
Of course, Jobs was right (Gizmodo reviewed the OLPC and concluded it was “a piece of shit”) but at least he tried to help, unlike Microsoft. Negraponte said Microsoft tried to “thwart” the project at several turns.
Jobs has a reputation as a bastard. And there’s no public record of philanthropic efforts (if any) but this shows he at least has a little bit of heart.
Via TheDigitalLifestyle.tv and Gizmodo.
Posted by Leander Kahney in Apple, News, Steve Jobs | Comment on this article
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Actually…
Steve Jobs offered OSX to OLPC back when they were looking for an XO laptop OS, but OLPC went Open Source with Sugar instead. The real (possible) news: Apple Tablet will use OLPC screen:
http://www.olpcnews.com/hardware/screen/apple_tablet_to_use_olpc_scree.html
Wayan @ OLPC News, on December 4th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
I’ll bet Jobs donates more than his share to good causes. But he’s intensely private and doesn’t think it’s anybody’s business. I’m sure we’ll learn the truth after his gone. And let’s hope that’s not for a long long long time.
Joseph, on December 4th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
On some level it’s a question of business strategy. If low-end computers spread and catalyze economic growth, some of those newly (relatively) rich entrepreneurs will spend money on high-end computers and electronics — especially Apple stuff.
However, the spread of open source operating systems can only hurt Windows.
Quill, on December 4th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
I think Jobs simply says what he thinks. He gets quite detailed about what is wrong with Windows. This is taken as self serving, when in reality, if MS listened, they too would have a better product.
David A Smith, on December 4th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
The Gates foundation is spending billions to help a lot of worthy causes.
AVR, on December 5th, 2009 at 8:37 am
Personally, I don’t care if the officers of corporations are good people or bad people (within limits). Ballmer is a jackass, but even if he were a saint, I wouldn’t buy a WinMo phone. Same with Jobs – I care little whether he personally is a good person or bad. His personal attributes do not affect my purchase decisions.
And BTW, in case nobody’s noticed, this ain’t your father’s Apple anymore.
They are NOT the company that allows you individuality, or the ability to Think Different. They are a company like Sony, who wants to lock you in and lock you down, beholden to their proprietary methods of dollar extraction. They do not care what YOU think – they care only for methods of maximizing total profits. If their methods coincide with what you want, that is great, but if not, and if they calculate that they will pick up two customers for every one they lose, they will fuck you over in a heartbeat.
iGenius, on December 5th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Wayan’s right — Stevie gets wind of XO & offers OS X to it FOR FREE.
MIT refuses.
XO2’s supposed to be out by now for $100.
It isn’t — out *or* $100.
Golly gee, I wonder why ….?
CaryMG, on December 6th, 2009 at 2:16 am