One Laptop per Child

The One Laptop per Child (OLPC) program originated as an ambitious effort to provide one free, Internet-capable laptop computer to every child in the developing world. Since November 2007, the OLPC program has distributed more than 2.5 million laptop computers in approximately 40 countries, although in most countries the program never advanced beyond the trial stage. Although the original OLPC program has largely dissipated after having fallen well short of its original goal, it continues to operate in a small number of countries around the globe. The OLPC program has also had numerous direct and indirect effects on the computer market, most notably with regard to netbooks. This entry discusses the background of the OLPC program, the challenges faced by the program and its supporters, ...