A Computer For Every Child: THE $100 LAPTOP

THE $100 LAPTOP

Matthew Mahon for TIME

Nicholas Negroponte

O.K., so his big brother John is Director of National Intelligence and delivers daily briefings to the President. But Nicholas Negroponte, 62, is trying to reach a far more challenging audience: the world's poorest children. The co-founder of M.I.T.'s Media Lab and former Wired columnist took a leave from academia last year to build a computer--a laptop so cheap that developing countries could buy them by the millions to help their kids leapfrog into the 21st century.

It's an ambitious project, but the charismatic Negroponte has a persuasive pitch and a knack for fund raising. With the support of the U.N.,...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!