[Make your Own 100$ laptop]( http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2005/12/make_your_own_100_laptop.html )

Here’s a piece on how to make your own
100$ laptop involving an Emate. Now I used an
eMate for a few years as my “portable” computer
during a time when I was contracted to various
companies and needed a way to check my personal email. This little green laptop was the best thing at the time (1997-2000) when I used it. I could check my email, surf the web (over phone lines or ethernet). I had the memory updates and a 16 mb pcmcia memory card which at the time was HUGE.
It had Newtontalk installed in it so when i would invoke the calendar program it would say:
“No Meetings Today, No Events Today”.
Plus, on the Bus to work I could play Golf or the
awesome Star Trek Game (both of which I never
mastered since I suck at computer games).
Alas, I sold the eMate (and bunch of other Newton
stuff – I had all the books, and couple of the 100
models) around the time the iPod came out-
I still have and use a 5 gig first gen iPod.
I think this project, however, is kind of rediculous.
I can appreciate the motivation but it will seriously NOT be less than 100$. I doubt the battery in
a used Newton will hold up very well, handcrank
charger or not. It’s a noble idea, but I think
it’s not quite the thing that you’d hand off to
a sub-Saharan (or even a sub-New Yorkian)
schoolkid.