Ever since Intel started work on the Classmate PC, they’ve been on a collision course with the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project that declined their processors years ago. While the OLPC’s XO suggests that students need flexible, open-source software and affordable hardware, Intel’s philosophically divergent Classmate PC ups the hardware ante–and the price to boot. Which approach will educators in developing nations find most appealing? We may find out soon: government officials in Brazil are currently evaluating both the XO and the Classmate PC and are expected to choose one of the machines for nationwide deployment in schools. Ars Technica compares the specs and software side-by-side and offers a glimpse inside what considerations officials in Brazil may be weighing.

For more on the XO and the Classmate PC:
– see this article at Ars Technica