OLPC XO-1

From Wiki

OLPC XO-1 Laptop Computer

XO-1

Type: Portable Computer
Size: 9 x 9.5 inches / 23 x 24.5 cm
Serial Number: CSN747016AA
Date of Manufacture: November 2007

The "Portable Computing" section of this website concentrates on items from the beginning of the portable computing era, in the early 1980s. What all those items have in common is they all give the user inexpensive portable computing in a decade where computing was still over-the-top expensive. In the Third World today, even the most basic computing equipment is still over-the-top expensive, even when power is available to make the stuff work.

Though not a child of the eighties, the OLPC XO-1 addresses both problems: equipment expense and cost of operation. It is indeed a worthy addition to the "portable computer" section of the site.

This is what the cool kids in Rwanda, Uruguay, Peru and Afghanistan are sporting this year. This is Nicholas Negroponte's famous $100 laptop, destined to be the 21st century version of the slate that students have been toting to school since the British Empire invaded. (As of this writing, the laptop's cost of manufacture has fallen to USD $180 with the hopes that increased production will drop this cost to the target $100.)

The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project launched a "Give One Get One" program in November and December 2007. Residents of the United States and Canada were permitted to purchase laptops in pairs for $400. One laptop would be sent to the buyer, the second would be put in the pipeline to a third-world country and given to a child there. The buyer could then also write $200 off his taxes as a charitable contribution.

Please check out OLPC's website for the fine details (and for information on how you can support this worthy cause). For the hurried, here are some basic statistics about the unit:

CPU: AMD Geode at 431 MHz (863 Bogomips)
256 MB SDRAM
1 GB Flash RAM (in lieu of hard disk)
7.5 inch / 19 cm (diagonal) TFT display, 1200x900 resolution (200 pixels/inch). When the LED backlight is engaged, the screen is 16-bit color capable. With the backlight off, the screen drops to monochrome in reflective mode. This is sufficient in full daylight and saves a great deal of battery power.
Sealed rubberized keyboard
Capacitive trackpad for use with finger, resistive trackpad for use with stylus
Stereo speakers
Stereo line out
Mono microphone input
Three USB ports
One Secure Digital Card port
802.11b/g WiFi networking
802.11s (draft) mesh networking
Internal condenser microphone
Internal camera, 640x480 pixel resolution
Linux 2.6 kernel, including Xorg X Windowing System and Sugar window management
Educational and productivity applications

The software support isn't completely up to the claims as yet (end of 2007), but here are some intended uses:

Individual and collaborative education and productivity, including word processing, drawing, music sequencing and games. There is an interactive environment for learning the Python language.
World-Wide Web access (when the Internet is available)
Text and video chatting
Mesh networking to allow units to communicate peer-to-peer and to share an internet connection.
VoIP telephony, via the mesh network. The unit will participate in the mesh network even when powered off, allowing voice telephony and packet forwarding at the village level.

The units are made in China which undoubtedly helps keep costs low.