While countries such as Bangladesh started micro-credit programmes in the 1970s, low population densities in many areas of rural Latin America have meant that micro-credit schemes have been seen as economically unviable in the region.

BBC: Low interest loans for Latin Americans

Like the OLPC laptop, the decTOP's innovations come out of a drive to bring computers and the Internet to rural Africa and Asia: Data Evolution acquired the machine's hardware from Advanced Micro Devices, whose "50x15" program seeks to take 50% of the world's population online by 2015.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Micro-credit is one reason for the fall in poverty in Bangladesh, from 59% of the population in 1991-92 to 53% in 1995-96.

ECONOMIST: The other government in Bangladesh