by Trisha Orlando

Created on: January 03, 2008   Last Updated: January 12, 2008

$199 Intel Laptop

In a noble gesture towards furthering education, Taiwanese hardware maker Asustek Computer Inc. is teaming up with Intel Corp. to produce a line of notebook PCs priced as low as $199.

The $199 laptop is going to include an Intel CPU, either a 7- or 10-inch screen, Wi-Fi, a solid-state drive, and Linux or Windows XP.

Sean Maloney, executive vice president and general manager of Intel's sales and marketing group, announced the plan with Asustek Chairman Jonney Shih during a speech at the Computex exhibition in Taipei.

"The entry level notebooks for that will start at $199, street price," Maloney said. "It's totally new. It's going to have the Classmate PC brand on it, but it will be sold and shipped by Asus."

Two models were demonstrated at the exhibition, a $199 and $299 model. The 2 models represent what Intel is now labeling it's "World Ahead" market initiative which would virtually allow anyone around the world a chance to own a personal computer.

That's very generous of Intel and the Asustek Computer Corp to make these affordable computers available to less fortunate citizens of third world countries.

Sounds like a wonderful idea but why only offer them to third world countries at that price? Why not offer them to low income people in all countries?

Oraren't Intel and Asustek feeling quite that noble?

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