Intel proposes "Community PC" for rural India

For the second time in as many days, Intel has come up with a proposal to challenge the One Laptop Per Child project, this time offering up a plan for what the company calls the "Community PC." Unlike the $400 Edu-Wise mini-laptop Intel showed off in Brazil yesterday (pictured), the Community PC is being designed to target the specific needs of a developing region, in this case rural India. The new platform would be ruggedized, would be able to withstand extreme temperatures, and would be able to function using alternative energy sources, such as car batteries (though not, apparently, a hand crank). According to reports, Intel will work with local manufacturers in India, such as Wipro and HCL, the latter of which says that the first versions could be available within 30 days. The Community PC is expected to sell for about $550. The relatively high price is expected to be mitigated by plans to provide the computers in public-access kiosks, rather than as individually owned units, allowing entire communities to contribute to the purchase price.