Marketing the "$100 Laptop" (C)

In October 2007, the OLPC reported production delays and missed its shipment date. In early November, the $100 PC finally went into production, with initial shipments planned for Uruguay and Mongolia, and mid-month launched the "Give One, Get One" program. It enabled consumers in the U.S. and Canada, who had the option of purchasing an OLPC for $400, more than double the estimated production cost of $188 for each laptop. Roughly half of the $400 amount went towards purchasing an OLPC for the consumer, while the other half went towards financing a laptop for a child in a different country. The program was popular and extended. But just as things were looking up for the non-profit, Intel resigned from OLPC's board in early January 2008 and announced that it would no longer be partnering with the nonprofit corporation. According to Intel, the move was a result of pressure it received from OLPC to stop marketing its own low-cost Windows-based laptop, the Classmate.