One Laptop Per Child

1. Why did Negroponte do what he did? Why was this necessary?
(Explain his motivation and the factors surrounding the genesis of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC)

When Negroponte and his wife when to visit the school that they established in Cambodia. They saw the children using Panasonic laptops with internet services in a place where there were no books, the children had internet access. These laptops help improve these children lives. With these computers the children had a stronger love for learning, self-empowerment and they brought notice to the schools in the village.

Negroponte saw how these laptops brought this small rural village in touch with the world. In places where electricity is limited, a laptop offers a source of light and puts underdeveloped country in touch with the entire world. Seeing how single equipment can cause a positive change, Negroponte created the One Laptop Per Child program.

2. What were the main marketing challenges and the non-marketing challenges confronting (OLPC)? (Discuss the issues related to the product and concept and the situational and social factors affecting it).

  Negroponte faced several issues with his OLPC program. He would need
high- speed fiber-optic T1 lines to run through the center of villages that struggle with basic necessities. Critics were claming that only wealthy nation could afford it and poorer nations should focus on improving health and providing clean water. The numbers of children that did not have shelter, safe drinking water and had a household income of a dollar a day were extremely high. Critics believe that an inexpensive computer would not be the solution to these problems.

3. How well have they done in overcoming these challenges? (What decisions were made to help resolve the challenges the OLPC faced?)

Negroponte’s MIT team came up with several ideas, but the one that served as the best solution; a laptop with a seven- inch screen that swiveled like tablet PCs. Power was...