Its hardware and software innovation make the OLPC machine qualitatively different than the Intel/Microsoft/AMD offerings -- it remains to be seen how they will be received.

One should not view the OLPC machine as a laptop a poor person might buy instead of buying a TV set or food, one should view it as educational infrastructure purchased by the government.

It remains to be seen what sort of software development community forms around the OLPC. If it is substantial and creative, the qualitative difference mentioned above will grow.

Uruguay plans to roll the OLPC out in conjunction with Internet connectivity. I believe that is critical. The value of the OLPC (or any other computer) is significantly enhanced by the complementary infrastructure of the Internet.

Internet connectivity should also be viewed as infrastructure. Yes, many telecenters have failed, but that does not mean connectivity infrastructure is a poor investment. The ongoing lesson of the Internet, since the NSFNET days, is that a relatively small investment in infrastructure can yield enormous returns in investment and innovation at the edge of the network.