Uruguay orders 100,000 $100 laptops

Uruguay has placed the first official order for 100,000 of the $100 laptops for children.

The One Laptop Per Child organisation admitted that it had had trouble securing concrete orders and hope that the South American country’s order will boost consumer confidence in the program.

The machines are aimed at children in the developing world and have already been tested on a trial basis in several countries. The XO laptops, as they are known as, were originally meant to cost under $100 but over time the cost increased and is now at a stable $188.

The organisation had also planned to see the laptops distributed in bundles of 250,000 but this has also changed with varying distribution methods with one of these being a special charity donation-deal for individuals. Regular Joes can purchase the laptops starting the 12th of November but they must also buy a second one to donate to a child in a third world country.

Uruguay plans to have a laptop for every child in the country by 2009 with the country planning to order 300,000 more of the XO laptops in the near future.