OLPC eyes ARM processors for the XO-2

According to an interview in PC World, the OLPC crew are looking to adopt ARM processors for the next iteration of their feel good laptop. Its extremely low power draw and the system on chip possibilities make this move a no-brainer, until you consider the fact that plans for the XO-2 call for a dual-boot Linux / Windows machine -- as of yet, Microsoft has declined to make a full-blown Windows OS for ARM. Then again, as Nicholas Negroponte states, the newest OLPC machine is still 18 months away, and "a lot can change with regard to Microsoft and ARM" in that time. We hope it does -- we would hate to see the Third World's computing needs left to those $10 laptop guys. You know what a disaster that turned out to be!

[Via OLPC News]

[ZSX @ Mar 12th 2009 11:19AM]

Isn't Windows CE or Windows Mobile a full blown OS for ARM?

[Andir3.0 @ Mar 12th 2009 11:49AM]

If you consider CE or WinMo "full-blown" then I don't know what to say.

[John Lisherness @ Mar 12th 2009 11:19AM]

Although "Windows Embedded CE*" isn't a "full-blown Windows OS for ARM", it could fit the bill for everything the OLPC does. This is especially true if you consider the role of "cloud computing".
*that's the proper name for it now:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsembedded/en-us/products/windowsce/default.mspx

[scootinger @ Mar 12th 2009 11:34AM]

Windows CE is a POS...why use it when a complete Linux distribution for ARM can be custom-tailored quite easily? There's no good reason to use Windows on the OLPC...quite sad to see them selling out to Microsoft.

[joeybeast @ Mar 12th 2009 11:28AM]

Can't they just buy 1st gen eee and sell it to 3rd world countries?
Serious waste of money.

[anexanhume @ Mar 12th 2009 11:30AM]

I think it is fantastic to see Intel seeing stiff competition from a market segment they weren't even a part of until recently. Unfortunately, things do not look rosy for AMD, but if ARM can stay strong, they can leverage their more efficient ISA into new market segments.

I'm really hoping the cortex A9 has as much muscle as the numbers claim it does.

[TareX @ Mar 12th 2009 11:30AM]

Eigh...t...een... mo..nt..hs.... away??

That is a lot.

[Pfanne @ Mar 12th 2009 11:42AM]

they'll go with wintel anyways...
why should they be able to resist both intels and microsofts calls for a x86 based netbook, when they gave in to microsoft alone with there first product!?

[Pfanne @ Mar 12th 2009 12:03PM]

*their

[cb88 @ Mar 12th 2009 12:08PM]

MIT ... Stuck in the past...

Ubuntu us rolling out full on ARM support... why not just use that if it were optimised for the platform it probably wouldn't even be as bloated as the x86 version of Ubuntu

Nobody seen the Pandora... they and Nokia are doing awesome things with handhelds not to mention the beagleboard which is acutally a Desktop ARM system

[cloud858rk @ Mar 12th 2009 12:43PM]

I've been following Pandora and it looks awesome.

[TheStupidOne @ Mar 12th 2009 12:53PM]

Windows CE POS, someone please refresh me on how long did it take for the nix community to get some implementation of OpenGL and a decent web browser on mobile ARM devices again? I rank CE with as actually among the few OSs M$ got right the first time such as Windows NT4 and 2000. For one thing its a more "full blown" OS then WinMo, it just never got any drastic updates and no user based features were really added because it is now slated as more of a development platform.

[Down @ Mar 12th 2009 12:50PM]

Anyone else JUST realise what OLPC stood for? I just did.

[superdave @ Mar 12th 2009 12:51PM]

the olpc project has really been disappointing to me.

[tlite722 @ Mar 12th 2009 2:34PM]

why is everyone bagging on windows? the XO itself is a POS...its great PR for supporting companies but here's a newsflash...unlike the goofy org that is touting it, all the supporting companies are FOR PROFIT. can't subsidize a money loser forever no matter how good it makes you feel in this or frankly any economy. no need to wait for 18 months for XO2...for profit netbooks will render this outfit moot in 12 months...

[Benson @ Mar 12th 2009 3:25PM]

Sure, but an XO running Windows on an x86 processor is POS^3, where an XO running whatever Linux-based OS on ARM is only POS^1.

The only thing that made me want an XO1 (and that not enough to buy one, in the end) was that awesome diffraction-grated monochrome-hires-reflective / color-lowres-transmissive display. For a while, it was one of the two awesomest gadget screens around, rivaled only by the uber-dense 800x480/4.1" on the Nokia 770/N800/N810. (This was actually new and exciting even as late as the N800, although these days the Touch HD and a few other smartphones have comparable displays.)

I wound up getting an N800 (ARM, Linux, and the other awesomest screen), and even an upgraded XO display will have a hard time competing with the screen in Fujitsu's U820 for my gadget lust. And, IMHO, any XO that people won't pay double for won't work out -- as you say, it does have to be profitable for the manufacturers, and I don't see the government funded XO projects working out. Unless they switch to ARM (probably ditching Windows along the way), _and_ come up with a some exclusive killer tech to make the XO2 a new geek must-have, it can't compete.

[seth @ Mar 12th 2009 5:29PM]

I think for-profit laptop makers getting below $100 is a total Win for OLPC.

[Ron @ Mar 12th 2009 2:44PM]

the best hing is: ARM = dutch for poor

[Benson @ Mar 12th 2009 3:28PM]

And what is "hing" Dutch for?

[Ron @ Mar 12th 2009 3:34PM]

well it was a typo but : hing translated is hang.