ZDNet.com report of remarks made at a Microsoft “Government Leaders Forum” in Washington the other day.

Gates once again let known his feelings of disdain for the $100 laptop, Nicholas Negroponte’s proposed appropriate technology for the developing world. Gates dismissed the proposed machine’s lack of hard disk, tiny screen and hand crank power supply.

“If you are going to go have people share the computer, get a broadband connection and have somebody there who can help support the user, geez, get a decent computer where you can actually read the text and you’re not sitting there cranking the thing while you’re trying to type,” Gates said.

Gates questioned the choice to skip the hard disk, saying that hardware is a small part of the cost. Network connectivity is more expensive, he said.

He did not explain how you get broadband into, say, rural Somalia. But then, he’s a Big Picture man.