OLPC plans 75 dollar laptop

Tech News

May 21, 2008, 19:32 GMT

San Francisco - The One Laptop Per Child Project has unveiled its latest creation - a slim-line touch screen computer that it says will sell for just 75 dollars when it is released in two years time. That might seem a little ambitious since the organization's current model, the XO, which was touted for years as the 100-dollar laptop, currently sells for 188 dollars. The non-profit organization was formed to bridge the global digital divide by building low-cost laptops for students in developing countries. The project has been hampered by poor sales, sparked in part by concerns that its innovative Linux-based operating system might be a disadvantage in a Windows-dominated world. Last week a Windows-based version of the laptop was released. The XO 2.0, as the new laptop will be called, is smaller and lighter than the current model and is designed for students who, in some cases, must walk miles to and from school. 'Being small is very important,' said OLPC founder Nicholas Negroponte in a statement Wednesday. 'The current one is a little too big; it's a little too heavy.' The XO 2.0 features a touch-screen keyboard that can double as a second display when the device is turned on its side like a book, allowing use by more than one student at a time. The second display doesn't add significant cost to the XO 2.0 because mass production of portable DVD players has lowered prices for display screens.

View blog reactions

If you liked this story please support M&C and Buzz the site on Yahoo.

Latest Headlines in Tech

Talkback

There are currently no comments for this article. Be the first to comment! (no registration required)

Latest from M&C Blogs

Is Sarah Palin a saviour or a strange choice? - Global Eye on September 2, 2008 8:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (22) | TrackBacks (0)

Obama: the gloves come off in Denver - Global Eye on August 29, 2008 6:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Biden: good choice or admission of Obama's weakness? - Global Eye on August 25, 2008 6:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (15) | TrackBacks (0)

Upside-down House - The World in Pictures on August 4, 2008 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (13) | TrackBacks (0)

Church of our Lady in Dresden, Germany - The World in Pictures on August 4, 2008 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)

Giant Orange - The World in Pictures on July 15, 2008 5:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Tech

OLPC plans 75 dollar laptop

Tech News

Latest Headlines in Tech

Talkback

Latest from M&C Blogs

Similar articles

In Monsters and Critics

Corporate

The Fine Print