A spokesperson for the One Laptop Per Child program reported July 31 that the countries of Nigeria, Brazil, Argentina and Thailand have each committed to purchase 1 million Linux laptops through the U.S.-based program.
Several media outlets reported last week that Nigeria had committed to buying 1 million of the laptops, and others reported (incorrectly) that $1 million worth of computers—or about 10,000 machines—had been requested by the African nation.
OLPC Program Director for Middle East and Africa Khaled Hassounah confirmed to DesktopLinux.com July 31 that Nigeria has indeed committed to buy 1 million machines, and then revealed that Brazil, Argentina and Thailand also have placed similar commitments.
“We have not finalized the deal with the Nigerian government yet, but we are in the process of doing so,” Hassounah told DesktopLinux.com. “The person who announced the Nigerian governments commitment to buying the laptops [Professor Ernest Ndukwe] is a key member of the Nigerian Task Force working with OLPC on bringing laptops to Nigerian children.”
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“We are actively moving ahead with Brazil, Argentina and Thailand. [Other countries] are being considered,” Hassounah said.
The OLPC aims to distribute—free of charge—millions of Linux-based laptop computers, complete with their own power sources, to needy children in developing countries around the world.
/zimages/1/28571.gifRead the full story on DesktopLinux.com: Four Countries Order 4 Million Linux-Powered OLPC Laptops