Portugal Orders 500,000 Intel Classmates

The low-cost Intel classmate PC has received a big boost with an order for 500,000 machines from the Portuguese government.

The Portuguese government wants to have many more laptops available for elementary school students, and that’s making Intel rub its hands in glee. According to AP, Portugal has placed an order with Intel for 500,000 of its Classmate low-cost laptops. Under the deal, Intel will be technology adviser to Portugal’s Ministry of Public Works, Transportation and Communications – the Ministry co-ordinating the laptop distribution.

The machines will be distributed over this next school year, and parents will have a choice between Linux and Windows OS. Intel spokeswoman Agnes Kawn also claimed that Intel had already shipped “hundreds of thousands” of Classmates to 30 different countries.

That would put Intel far ahead of its low-cost competitor, One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), which has only racked up orders totaling 600,000 machines to date for its $100 (actually $188) laptop.

No financial details on the Intel deal were given.