Free computers want buyers

Hong Kong company Asiatotal is set to release"iT" -- a computer intended to be given away for free to users in the up-and-coming parts of the developing world, starting this month with Brazil. Unlike the One Laptop Per Child project, it's not meant as a tool for education; the iT computer is very much meant as a way to connect users to retailers. In fact, the iT is in almost every respect the Bizarro-world opposite of the $100 Laptop -- and a provocative challenge to those who would bypass the market to bring information tools to the global poor.

Via Jaimas Cascio, who suggests an ambivalent ‘wait-and-see’ approach to the project. The interesting caveat to the iT are its quick-connect sponsorship keys. When touched these 'sponsored' and solely 'owned' hot-keys take you directly to the corporate sponsor’s site.

Here’s to hoping that Asiatotal reads about the $50 iBooks in Richmond before deciding on their distribution strategy for Brazil.

Update 1: More commentary over at BoingBoing, where Cory agrees with Jaimas' criticism that the iT's lacking technical capabilities and flexibility diminish its potential.

Update 2: Cyrus Farivar doesn’t believe the $100 laptop will be possible. He also discusses the failed $99 Netpliance computer, the poor showing of India’s Simputer, AMD’s $199 Personal Internet Communicator, and Palm’s $100 Z22. Steve Sailer reminds us of the Sinclair, which retailed for about $99 back in 1984.