Nicholas Negroponte, the man behind the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project has hit out at chipmaker Intel, saying the firm should be "ashamed of itself" for mucking around with OLPC's plans to get affordable laptop computers to children in developing countries.

Negroponte says Intel is selling its competing low-cost kiddie computer "Classmate" for less than cost. He says this is undercutting his own scheme and has hurt his plans "enormously", the BBC reports.

Intel denies the allegations, saying Intel's motives are the same as Negroponte's: to bring technology to young people. It also shrugged off allegations of negative marketing campaigns - that the firm has been distributing leaflets outlining the "shortcomings of the OLPC approach" in developing markets.

CEO Craig Barrett said: "Someone at Intel was comparing the Classmate PC with another device being offered in the marketplace. That's the way our business works." He added that he saw plenty of opportunities for the two organisations to work together.

But Negroponte told US broadcaster CBS that because the OLPC machine is based on an AMD processor, he was caught up in a long running war between the two chipmakers. "Intel and AMD fight viciously," he told CBS. "We're just sort of caught in the middle." ®

Related stories

• IDF Intel Classmate PC turns tablet (21 August 2008)
• OLPC and Microsoft punt Windows-only XO laptop (16 May 2008)
• OLPC's a con - former insider (16 May 2008)
• IDF Intel enrols second-gen Classmate PC (3 April 2008)
• Alabama admits developing country status (6 March 2008)
• Intel walks out of OLPC project (4 January 2008)
• OLPC offers one-for-two to generous North Americans (13 November 2007)
• OLPC wants $200 for its $100 laptop, please (30 October 2007)
• OLPC project goes into production (23 July 2007)
• OLPC czar shames Intel into board seat (13 July 2007)
• OLPC bumps prices, adds Windows capability (30 April 2007)
• You want a $100 computer? For $300? No sale! (14 January 2007)
• Microsoft broadsides African laptop (8 December 2006)
• AMD changes tack on developing-world PC (28 November 2006)
• First pictures of the $100 laptop (24 May 2006)
• Intel to hop on third-world-PC bandwagon (14 March 2006)