Hintonblogger

Nicholas Negroponte gave the principal keynote at NECC 2006 and spoke about the $100 laptop. He started off by talking about the types of education throughout the world and some of the challenges they face.

*No power
*No Teachers
*No roads sometimes

He gave some economic details about how the laptop was going to be made. He also commented briefly on the criticism he had received from Microsoft and Intel about the laptop. The crowd generally gave him an ovation whenever he mentioned that criticism. Which leads me to ask why people insist on berating Microsoft in particular, especially in the education environment? Most of the people in the room were doing to Microsoft what many in the press have done to Mr. Negroponte, they were berating an idea without understanding the details behind it. The people in that room were booing Microsoft without a clue as to why, because Mr. Negroponte offered no details of their criticism. Could it possibly be that the Microsoft and Intel simply have a different idea of what will work and are different ideas so wrong? Consider what Mr. Negroponte is saying or proposing with his idea? It really is transformational and a potential game-changer. Why should we expect (or disapprove) of companies that see someone threatening their "turf" and react to it, don't we do the same thing in our own lives?