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SolarPC Announces the $100 Personal Computer   Nov 20th, 01:04 UTC A Maintenance Free PC LAS VEGAS, November 18, 2004 -- SolarPC today announced the availability of a $100 PC called the SolarLite. It is a solid-state computer targeted at organizations that require the efficiency of a maintenance free Internet PC. The SolarLite was also created to offer an ecologically and economically viable method to provide information to billions of disadvantaged people around the world. In addition, it serves as a response to last month's challenge by Microsoft's Steve Ballmer for the computer industry to build a $100 PC. In conjunction with the SolarLite announcement, SolarPC circulated details regarding the Global Education Link (GEL) project, an initiative with the goal of giving away a million SolarLite computers to schools in poor countries around the world. The objective of the GEL project is to improve education in third world countries and thereby encourage self-sufficiency and promote world harmony. According to K-12 education specialist Dr. James Johnson, "The Global Education Link project has the potential to break down the barriers that prevent people in the developing world from getting a good education. The recent release of the FireFox Internet browser makes the timing of this announcement extremely auspicious. The open source FireFox browser provides a solid foundation for the development of non-proprietary educational software. It will facilitate the creation of thousands of educational programs that can be distributed to millions of students at no cost. This is a fantastic opportunity to leverage technology that will make the world a better place." "This is the twenty first century equivalent of teaching people how to fish," stated Gary Reynolds, spokesperson for SolarPC, "A standardized, well designed, easy to maintain, low cost PC is the key to unlocking the educational potential of the electronic age. The SolarLite is a fully featured, book sized (9" x 7" x 1.75") machine that weighs approximately three pounds. It features a rugged no-moving-parts design that includes a Compact Flash drive loaded with dozens of software programs, plus links to free development software and educational programs. The design and construction of the SolarLite is consistent with the goal of an environmentally friendly computer. It uses a lightweight, recyclable, aluminum case that has a 20-year warranty. Its VIA chipset based "long-life" motherboard is a "green" lead free product. Like all SolarPC computers, the SolarLite operates on 12 volt DC power and can be run from a solar panel, car battery, or human powered (with a bicycle-based generator). The cool and quiet SolarLite uses approximately 10 watts of energy, just a fraction of what a standard PC consumes. The minimum order quantity for the SolarLite is 100,000 units. Photos and details relating to the SolarLite and the Global Education Link project can be found at www.solarlite.org. SolarLite software is provided by DS Linux, one of the top ten Linux distributions in the world. Additional data about DS Linux is located at: www.dslos.com. More information regarding VIA Technologies can be viewed at: www.via.com.tw. (Submitted by Mike Howard of SolarPC) Return to today's headlines.

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