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One Laptop Per Child founder, Nicholas Negroponte, introduced the design of their next generation low cost XOXO or XO-2 laptop at a day-long media event in MIT Media Lab. The design looks amazing, but it will take until 2010 for them to bring this design to life. They are positive about being able to sell this machine for under $75.
XO-2 laptop has a book like design with dual-touchscreen, and to keep the cost low, they will be using the screens which we find in portable DVD players. When vertically held, the design looks like a book with left and right pages. It’ll doubles up as a hinged laptop or tablet computer when used horizontally. Here’s an excerpt from the official press release:
"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."
People have complained about the lack of tactile feedback on touchscreen based keyboards in products like iPhone. On the brighter side, touchscreen keyboards can be very easily customized for different applications or languages. All in all, XO-2 looks cooler than any standard laptop. Let’s wait and see if they’ll be able to deliver XO-2 for under $75.
[Via: Gizmodo]
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wrote, on May 22nd, 2008
Good News
wrote, on May 22nd, 2008
Amazing stuff. Wish I was a kid again so that I could carry something so cool to school.
wrote, on May 22nd, 2008
Now that’s innovative, and the price is quite interesting too.
wrote, on May 23rd, 2008
Two products, we should all look out for launch time and the price at which they will be launched as against the prices announced - the Indian car Nano and the OLPC laptop. Any takers for bets?
wrote, on May 23rd, 2008
That looks so cool. Can’t see anything wrong with touchscreens, I have been using an iPhone for about a month and it is a dream.
wrote, on May 24th, 2008
I’ll be really impressed, if they can get that under $75. Have they released any tech specs for what it will be capable of?
wrote, on May 25th, 2008
@Top Rated - I know I am not Thilak, but I will reply all the same. I think they are under $75 because if you buy one, then you will have to buy 2, one for you and one for one of the kids in Africa (Ghana maybe) who doesn’t have one and it will be shipped there.
I like the idea of this, but there is no keyboard, which seems a bit weird, well it means you wouldn’t really be able to o work (unless there is a touch keyboard). The thing reminds me of a Nintendo DS, only really high quality.
wrote, on May 28th, 2008
WOW, if this project comes to fruition at the targeted price, it would make a huge difference in bringing litetracy and numeracy education to millions across the globe.