Yesterday, a Hong Kong-based company called Cherrypal surprised the world by announcing that it is coming to market with a sub-$100 PC — a long-awaited development in the world of low-end computing. The machine, which is named "Africa," is an ultra-basic laptop with a 7-inch screen, a 400-MhZ processor, and a lithium battery good for four hours of use. According to Cherrypal, Africa is both "environmentally friendly" and a perfect way to give the poor access to the internet. Will the $99 laptop change the world?
At last, it's here: "We've been hearing about the '$100 laptop'...for years," says Jeff Bertolucci at PC World. Finally, it has "materialized." But American consumers should keep in mind that the machine will be "woefully underpowered for the types of Web tasks we take for granted." Nonetheless, it "may have a bright future in the world's less developed regions."
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