The recent shakeups at the top of the OLPC hierarchy have apparently claimed another victim, as OLPC News is reporting that Software and Content chief Walter Bender has just left the project. Rumor is that Nicholas Negroponte is going to transition the OLPC XO entirely to Windows XP to spur sales soon, and Bender is reportedly unhappy about that. What makes this all the more interesting is that when security director Ivan Krstić left the OLPC project last month, he specifically said he was unhappy that the restructuring no longer required him to work with Bender, and said that he could no longer "subscribe to the organization's new aims or structure in good faith." Looks like something's afoot at OLPC, and the old guard isn't happy about it. What say you, NickNeg?
Are OLPC XO keyboards having widespread problems?
The OLPC XO -- it's all rainbows, hugging, and laser beams of learning, right? Maybe not, kind reader. Apparently, users of the the diminutive, educationally themed laptop are experiencing a rash of "stuck key" issues which are causing tons of headaches (and possibly some heartbreak as well). It seems that keys are becoming stuck in activated positions, and / or are being triggered by key presses nearby. The company is aware of the problem, but can't pinpoint a single cause, as the components are made by a variety of manufacturers. For now OLPC is asking customers to RMA the laptops so they can get the repairs they so desperately need, though we're not sure how this is going to play out in the developing areas where the XOs are being rolled out. Well, they can probably just take them to the hospital.
The OLPC XO -- it's all rainbows, hugging, and laser beams of learning, right? Maybe not, kind reader. Apparently, users of the the diminutive, educationally themed laptop are experiencing a rash of "stuck key" issues which are causing tons of headaches (and possibly some heartbreak as well). It seems that keys are becoming stuck in activated positions, and / or are being triggered by key presses nearby. The company is aware of the problem, but can't pinpoint a single cause, as the components are made by a variety of manufacturers. For now OLPC is asking customers to RMA the laptops so they can get the repairs they so desperately need, though we're not sure how this is going to play out in the developing areas where the XOs are being rolled out. Well, they can probably just take them to the hospital.
OLPC XO-2 concept: $75 for dual-touchscreens by 2010?
It’s tricky, as a tech company, predicting how people will react to your latest shiny concept. In OLPC‘s case, I’ve a sneaking suspicion that many will be saying “concentrate on hitting that promised $100 price-point with your current laptop” rather than spending too much time cooing over a render that really looks too good to be true (even for the estimated 2010 launch). The OLPC XO-2 has dual-touchscreens and can be used in traditional laptop orientation, via an on-screen keyboard, or as an eBook with the hinge running down the middle.
As for the current XO notebook, OLPC are starting up their “Give 1, Get 1″ scheme again. As of August or September this year, buyers will be able to get one for themselves as well as have one donated to a child in the developing world. It was originally priced at $399 in the scheme.
As for the current XO notebook, OLPC are starting up their “Give 1, Get 1″ scheme again. As of August or September this year, buyers will be able to get one for themselves as well as have one donated to a child in the developing world. It was originally priced at $399 in the scheme.
Cambridge, Mass., May 20, 2008 – One Laptop per Child (OLPC), a non-profit organization focused on providing educational tools to help children in developing countries “learn learning,” announced today that work is already underway on a second- generation version of its revolutionary XO laptop computer. Leveraging new advances in technology, the primary goal of the “XO-2″ will be to advance new concepts of learning as well as to further drive down the cost of the laptop so that it is affordable for volume purchase by developing nations.
“Based on feedback from governments, educators and most important, from the children themselves, we are aggressively working to lower the cost, power and size of the XO laptop so that it is more affordable and useable by the world’s poorest children,” said Nicholas Negroponte, founder and chairman of One Laptop per Child. “The delivery of the first generation XO laptop has sparked tremendous global interest in the project and provided valuable input on how to make the XO laptop an even better learning tool moving forward.”
“One Laptop per Child and the XO laptop are crucial to the fulfillment of the proposed UN Ninth Millennium Goal: to ensure that every child between the ages of 6 and 12 has immediate access to a personal laptop computer by 2015, said, Nirj Deva, Member of the European Parliament. “It’s only through access to education that young people will be able to develop the skills necessary to compete globally and to develop the solutions required to break the cycles of poverty, disease and malnutrition. Learning unites the child with the world, binds the village into a community, and joins that community to the global village.”
The first generation XO laptop went into production in early November 2007, and there are approximately 600,000 units in deployment in a number of countries including Peru, Uruguay, Mongolia, Haiti, Rwanda, Mexico, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the US and Canada (as a result of the Give One Get One charitable giving campaign that ran last November 12 – December 31, 2007). Key goals for the XO-2 include:
Cost Reduction – Set in early 2005, the original target price of the XO laptop was $100. Although that target has not yet been met (it is now at $188), it is clear that OLPC must aim for an even lower target price of $75. New developments in display, processor and other hardware and software technologies will make it possible to achieve the $75 target in the future.
Lower Power Consumption – While the first generation XO laptop already requires just one-tenth (2-4 watts versus 20-40 watts) of the electrical power necessary to run a standard laptop, the XO-2 will reduce power consumption even further to 1 watt. This is particularly important for children in remote and rural environments where electricity is scarce or non-existent. Lowering the power consumption will reduce the amount of time required for children to generate power themselves via a hand crank or other manual mechanisms.
Smaller Footprint – The XO-2 laptop will be about half the size of the first generation device and will approximate the size of a book. The new design will make the XO laptop lighter and easier for children to carry with them to and from school or wherever they go. The XO-2 will continue to be in a green and white case and sport the XO logo in a multitude of colors that allow children to personalize the laptop as their own possession.
Enhanced Book Experience – Dual-touch sensitive displays will be used to enhance the e-book experience, with a dual-mode display similar to the current XO laptop. The design provides a right and left page in vertical format, a hinged laptop in horizontal format, and a flat two-screen wide continuous surface that can be used in tablet mode. Younger children will be able to use simple keyboards to get going, and older children will be able to switch between keyboards customized for applications as well as for multiple languages. The dual-touch display is being designed by Pixel Qi, which was founded in early 2008 by Mary Lou Jepsen, former chief technology officer of One Laptop per Children and a leading expert on display technology.
OLPC XO-3 tablet for $75 this year?
The One Laptop Per Child Foundation has so far failed to deliver on its aims of producing a sub-$100 laptop which can, indeed, be made available to every child around the world, no matter their personal circumstances. But that dream could be about to come a reality thanks to shifting focus to the tablet form. In fact, the OLPC XO-3 could cost as little as $75 and arrive by the end of the year.
OLPC project founder Nicholas Negroponte spelled out his vision for the XO-3 last December. And most people thought he was living in Cloud Cuckoo Land. And rightly so, as the idea was for an unbreakable, flexible, plastic tablet that was multitouch and had a dual screen mode, one like the iPad, one like the Kindle. Oh, and it would cost just $75.
However, that fantastical line of thinking is a step closer to being possible thanks to OLPC teaming up with Marvell. This partnership brings Marvell’s Moby tablet platform to OLPC’s efforts. Negroponte thinks this will fast-forward the project by two years, meaning a working prototype will be ready by the end of 2010 rather than the 2012 projection originally given.
The OLPC XO-3 will run on Marvell’s 1GHz ARM-based processors, support Linux and Android operating systems, and have an LCD screen around 9-inches in diameter. It will support Adobe Flash, be capable of playing full HD video, and be just 10.8 millimeters thick. And all of this using a tiny amount of battery life to ensure the tablet can be recharged via solar power or even by winding a crank.
That all seems amazing. Probably a little too amazing. While I can see some of these aims and ambitions being hit, some will surely fall by the wayside. And I still cannot see the $75 price point being manageable either, despite Negroponte’s confidence.
We should know by CES 2011, which is when the XO-3 is due to make its public debut. Personally, I cannot wait to see what OLPC and Marvell can come up with.
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