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XO posts

OLPC shakeup: dual-screen XO-2 out, ARM-based XO 1.75 in

by Donald Melanson posted Nov 3rd 2009 at 12:46PM

OLPC's plans for a dual-screen XO-2 laptop / tablet always seemed a little... ambitious, and it looks like even Nicholas Negroponte himself has now realized that it may be more than the organization is able to pull off at the moment. That word comes from a recent interview with Xconomy, where Negroponte confirms that OLPC has indeed scrapped plans for the dual-screen XO-2, and says it will instead focus on a "model 1.75" that has a design similar to the current OPLC XO but gets a boost from a faster ARM processor. Negroponte isn't completely giving up on the idea of a revamped OLPC, however, and says that model 3.0 will have a "totally different industrial design, more like a sheet of paper." That model apparently also includes "aspirational aspects" like an unbreakable, waterproof enclosure that's just a quarter inch thick, a full color, reflective and transmissive display with no bezel, 1W of power consumption, and (here's the real kicker) a $75 price tag by 2012.

[Via Liliputing]

Uruguay becomes first nation to provide a laptop for every primary school student

by Darren Murph posted Oct 18th 2009 at 12:29PM

Uruguay's been a huge fan of the One Laptop Per Child initiative for quite some time, and while we're still unsure if it's the entity's biggest customer, the aforesaid nation is certainly doing some serious business with Nicholas Negroponte and Company. After the first swath of youngsters received their green and white XOs back in May of 2007, the final smattering of kids have now joined the proud group of laptop-toting tots in the country's circuit of primary schools. You heard right -- every last pupil in Uruguay's primary school system now has a laptop and a growing love for Linux, and we're told that the whole thing cost the country less than five percent of its entire education budget. So, who's next?

[Via Digg, image courtesy of oso]

OLPC gets microwaved, molded into stunning piece of art

by Darren Murph posted Sep 18th 2009 at 9:41AM

We've seen quite a few a) laptops and b) masterpieces in our day, but it's hard to recall the last time that we saw both in the same instance. Have a look at the object above, which is undoubtedly one of the most amazing pieces of laptop art this planet has ever had the pleasure of seeing. Kenny Irwin, known for his post-microwave creations, decided to zap one of the low-cost PCs and then mold it into the OLPCSlug while things were still gooey, all in the name of good publicity and charity. You see, the buyer of this lovely piece will see 80 percent of the proceeds head straight to OLPC, and given that it will also "help keep you safe from forest beasts of unimaginable size," those currently situated in backwoods retreats have an extra reason to plunk down. The only problem? That $26,001 asking price. A can't-miss demo video is after the break.

[Thanks, Robert]

Continue reading OLPC gets microwaved, molded into stunning piece of art

OLPC's XO Generation 1.5 Laptop dances from GNOME to Sugar, on video!

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Sep 17th 2009 at 3:44PM

We know how thrilled you were when you first witnessed the XO 1.5 outpace an overclocked XO 1.0 earlier this month. Still, there's no doubt in our mind that even that level of excitement will soon be overshadowed by the insane craziness you are about to experience in the form of a video showing the newest OLPC machine as it glides softly from GNOME to Sugar Linux environments... and back again. Wild, right? Don't let us spoil it for you -- you can peep the 1GHz powered ultraportable in all its glory after the break.

Update: Whoa, boy. Liliputing was able to get a peek at this unit's motherboard, and they were even kind enough to take us all on a video tour. Enjoy!

Continue reading OLPC's XO Generation 1.5 Laptop dances from GNOME to Sugar, on video!

OLPC's XO Generation 1.5 Laptop handled, speed tested - on video!

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Sep 9th 2009 at 12:14PM

The lucky kids at the OLPC Learning Club DC got paid a visit by a man sporting a beefed up XO 1.5 laptop recently and was kind enough to put on a little show for the group. Featuring a VIA C7-M 1GHz variable speed processor, the update to the classic XO machine promises full screen video playback, faster eToys and scratch animation, more storage for a larger offline library, better image capture and remixing, and an all-around better Java experience. In an admittedly unscientific (but still pretty sweet) side by side comparison, the XO 1.5 (left) was able to boot up and launch eToys (a real memory hog) before the XO 1.0 had booted up all the way -- this despite the fact that the 1.5 was started a little later, and that the 1.0 is overclocked to 500MHz. We're looking forward to seeing more red hot XO 1.5 action as the release date grows nigh -- in the meantime, the video below will have to tide us over. Enjoy!

Continue reading OLPC's XO Generation 1.5 Laptop handled, speed tested - on video!

Oddly humble Negroponte lists OLPC's failures, calls Sugar a 'mistake'

by Tim Stevens posted Jul 21st 2009 at 7:14AM

The noble goal of a $100 laptop for developing nations has come to fruition -- but of course at a higher cost and later date than expected. One Laptop Per Child has succeeded in delivering 900,000 XO laptops into the hands of kids, but that's a far cry from the many millions expected and Chairman Nicholas Negroponte is pulling no punches in describing what went wrong. He's still bitter at Intel, claiming it worked to "spoil the market," and angry about many nations cutting back on large deals. But, he isn't just lashing outwardly, calling the custom Linux-based operating system that runs the XO, a "mistake," saying "Sugar should have been an application" of the sort it has now morphed to be with Sugar on a Stick. Too little too late? OLPC has already made massive staff cuts and sales from the Give One, Get One program dropped 90 percent last year. With machines like the EduBook selling for $160 to institutions and able to run common operating systems, we're not seeing the future get any more bright for this little green guy.

[Via Slashdot]

PeeWee debuts drop and spill-resistant Pivot Tablet Laptop

by Darren Murph posted Apr 29th 2009 at 2:00PM

At first glance, PeeWee PC's Pivot Tablet Laptop is a formidable rival to the long-standing OLPC XO. Unfortunately, the lofty price tag puts it in a class of its own, but it's still a solid machine for those looking to a learn a bit (or just give their kids a wholesome distraction). Debuting today, the three pound convertible tablet boasts a spill and drop-resistant shell, a carry handle, a presumed 10-inch touchscreen display and a 6-cell Li-ion battery. Within, you'll find a 1.6GHz Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, two USB 2.0 ports, a 60GB HDD, 1.3 megapixel camera, Ethernet, WiFi, Windows XP Home, a proprietary security suite to keep kids from picking up a new favorite stalker and ten age appropriate software and game titles. If your kid's been bugging you for a new netbook, you can quell the squealing by snapping one of these up today starting at $599.99. Full release is after the break.

Gallery: PeeWee debuts drop and spill-resistant Pivot Tablet Laptop

Continue reading PeeWee debuts drop and spill-resistant Pivot Tablet Laptop

India bids mythical $10 laptop adieu, turns to OLPC

by Tim Stevens posted Apr 28th 2009 at 7:54AM

What's worse than a $10 laptop that winds up costing $30? A ~~$10~~ $30 laptop that's not really a laptop at all. India is shrugging off the disappointment surrounding its apparent failure to bring home-grown tech to its youth, but thankfully isn't giving up on the kids, ordering a whopping 250,000 OLPC XO laptops. Waiting this long to drink the Negroponte Kool Aid means 1,500 schools will get the latest and greatest models, featuring VIA C7-M processors and bumped up storage. The plan is for a total of three million portable computers for Indian schools this year, and while it's unclear just how many will be little, green, and different, that's a whole lot of lappys regardless.

XO Generation 1.5 promises some beefed up internals while we wait for XO-2 to change everything

by Paul Miller posted Apr 18th 2009 at 4:11PM

We're pretty stoked to see that upcoming dual-screen sequel to the XO, OLPC's promised XO-2. Until then, OLPC is sprucing up the insides of its current design with a new VIA C7-M processor that can be clocked between 400MHz and 1GHz depending on the task at hand. Alongside the new processor the "Generation 1.5" model will sport a hot new VX855 chipset that can handle 3D graphics, HD video, and general management duties, and should be able to do it with a smaller footprint and less power consumption. The screen will likely remain the same, but might be tweaked slightly to improve brightness and efficiency, and the whole package should be built with components that will be more likely to drop in price. Developers should get the main board by May, with prototypes for testing going out in August and we suppose wide availability sometime after that.

Negroponte raps about OLPC 2: 'designed as if we were Google'

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Jan 29th 2009 at 1:31PM

Well, our interest was certainly piqued by that OLPC XO-2 mockup that surfaced yesterday, and now the Guardian is saying that the hardware development will take place open source. This is certainly fitting with the company's idealistic ethos, and it'll be interesting to see what other companies bring to the table as the reportedly $75 dual-screen device gets closer to real reality. "The XO-1 was really designed as if we were Apple," Nicholas Negroponte says in the interview. "The XO-2 will be designed as if we were Google - we'll want people to copy it. We'll make the constituent parts available. We'll try and get it out there using the exact opposite approach that we did with the XO-1." He let a few details slip too, saying that it will be dual touchscreen, with one of the displays featuring a touch-sensitive, force-feedback, haptic keyboard. When asked how he feels about the possibility that other companies might profit from all this hard work developing the laptop of tomorrow? "I wouldn't complain." Class act, that one. Bravo.

[Via Make]

OLPC "refocuses" its mission, cuts staff by 50%

by Donald Melanson posted Jan 7th 2009 at 8:58PM

We've already seen quite a few shakeups at OLPC, but it looks like things have taken a considerably more drastic turn today, with Nicholas Negroponte himself announcing that the organization is "refocusing its mission" by cutting its staff by about 50% and giving the remaining 32 folks a cut in pay. But that's not all, OLPC will also apparently be "passing on the development" of the Sugar OS to the community, and it'll be increasingly shifting its focus toward the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Northwestern Pakistan as it spins off its operations in Latin America and Africa. Negroponte does say, however, that OLPC will continue to focus on the development of its second generation platform, and it apparently even hopes to bring the cost of the laptop down to zero for the least developed countries. Hit up the link below for the complete announcement.

[Via OLPC News]

Amazon's Give 1, Get 1 OLPC XO program now live

by Thomas Ricker posted Nov 17th 2008 at 3:35AM

You know the drill: for $399 you buy one OLPC XO laptop and a second is sent to a child somewhere in the developing world. Same deal as last year only now with the help of Amazon's powerful retail reach. Devices begin shipping in about 30 days -- a bit longer outside the US. Naturally you can also just gift the $199 laptop direct to a kid of OLPC's choosing. About the quickest way to become a donor short of meeting a hotel stranger in possession of roofies and a bathtub full of ice.

[Via PC World]

Read -- US site (live)
Read -- UK site for rest of world (limbo)

Europe also getting a taste of OLPC sugar on Monday

by Thomas Ricker posted Nov 14th 2008 at 7:04AM

The OLPC, Give One Get One program is heading to Europe on November 17th -- the same day the deal kicks off in the US. Thanks to the Amazon hook-up, 27 EU nations as well as Switzerland, Russia, and Turkey can grab an XO laptop at a cost of about £268 / €313. That's one XO running Sugar (not XP) for you and one for a child in a developing nation... other than your own.

Confirmed: Kids like Sugar better than XP

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 24th 2008 at 8:02AM

It's hardly a scientific test, but when a Cnet editor's 8 year old daughter was given the choice between an OLPC XO laptop running Windows XP or the Linux-based Sugar UI, Sugar was the winner. As Cnet points out, either OS when properly incorporated into the teaching curriculum should serve the children of developing nations equally well. Only one, however, promises to prepare our youth for middle management.

P.S. Amazon's Give One, Get One program will be limited to Linux according to Cnet and confirmed in the OLPC Wiki -- no dual-boot for you Santa.

[Thanks, Justin G.]

Brazilian exhibition shows off low-cost laptop prototypes of old

by Darren Murph posted Oct 14th 2008 at 9:20AM

Hard to believe it's been over two years since we wrapped our noodles around the Intel Eduwise and the OLPC XO, and while the average Atom-powered netbook has practically swiped the limelight, the low-cost laptop still holds a special place in our hearts. So it's with great joy that we present this mystical tour through the genealogy of the Classmate PC. On hand are a number of prototypes, a non-working mockup and a version of the Eduwise that actually retains the bulk of its hardware in the rear of the LCD. Heck, there's even a bright blue convertible in there that could probably give Doom a run for its money. Unfortunately, the writeup is in translated English, but chances are the images will do the bulk of the speaking to your soul.