Government Council Proposes $11.2B USD "A Kindle in Every Backpack" Initiative

From DailyTech: There have been many drives across America aimed at putting a computer in the hands of every child. However, across America many children lack many essential educational tools, such as a graphing calculator. Efforts to trump up donations for such hardware haven't received the same high profile as the computer drives.

Now the Democratic Leadership Council believes it has a solution to children lacking the tools needed to succeed -- buy them all Kindles. The DLC proposes giving the nation's 56 million K-12 schoolchildren a Kindle each, at a modest taxpayer expense of $11.2B USD (assuming a unit cost of $200, with the Kindle 2 currently retailing at $299 on Amazon).

Government leaders believe the costs could fall to $80 per unit by 2012. However, another key problem is its hard to read textbooks on the smaller 6" screens -- 10" screen units, like the Kindle DX, which currently retails for $489 would likely be required. Another problem, jokingly suggested by some, which could turn serious is the potential of the children smashing the relatively fragile units.

A-Kindle-A-Child certainly sounds catchy and certainly has Amazon drooling, but the proposal requires some serious thought and contemplation.

In other Kindle news, according to Mobile Today, Amazon is close to finalizing a deal to distribute the Kindle in the UK. Amazon is reportedly "close to finalizing a launch date" and is in "advanced negotiations with a mobile operator for an MVNO" -- likely T-Mobile or O2. The units are reportedly being manufactured by Qualcomm, which is also securing a carrier. They will reportedly feature both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity.

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