A week ago, Intel announced that it was leaving the OLPC project due to various disagreements between the two groups. OLPC software and content president Walter Bender doesn’t seem too misty-eyed about it.
When asked by ABC News what effect Intel’s departure would have on the program, Bender replied, “Zero. Intel had contributed nothing. They contributed nothing to our current product, the XO. They contributed nothing to our learning models. They contributed nothing to the software. So their going away, so far, is a wash for us.”
So will we see Intel-based XO laptops? Signs point really hard to “no”. Will Walter Bender and Paul Otellini keep the OLPC/Intel bowling team alive, even? Things aren’t looking good for the Pin Benders, unfortunately. It’s a shame because that was probably a pretty good bowling team if it indeed existed (which it probably didn’t).
Laptop Program to Intel: Good Riddance [ABC News]