If the first OLPC XO laptop was considered a fashion item, just think how popular this thing will be. Of course, at the moment it’s only a little bit more real than fairy dust, and the idea that it will cost $75 in 2010 is laughable, but you have to admire the project’s ambition. At half the size of the original OLPC, the new XO DS (as I’m calling it) will sport dual touchscreens and draw only 1 watt of power.
Now, call me pessimistic, but something here is going to have to give. Either the price, the power, or the features will not be as described today. Still, it’s a sexy little device and possibly more practical than the original.
Picture jacked on short notice from HardOCP.
“the idea that it will cost $75 in 2010 is laughable, but you have to admire the project’s ambition. ”
I know what you’re getting at, Devin, but there’s really not much admirable about this project. Nic Neg has proven himself a loudmouth cowboy better at pissing rich people off than helping poor ones, and the whole thing has been marred by delays, more delays, price increases, and “big vision” getting in the way of “useful ways of helping the world.”
These images look cool, but smack more of Vanity Project than Teaching Kids to Build Better Villages
Or maybe I’m too pessimistic.
Oh I’m with you, man. And after that thing last week where Negroponte basically said “this is about moving units,” well, we always knew this wasn’t a charity program.
However, it is often the case that good things happen in spite of AND because of projects like this. So although it is a vanity project and a lot of hardware manufacturers are trying to get lucrative government deals… if in the end a few kids get a good laptop that helps prepare them for the current century, than it was money better spent than on plenty OTHER vanity projects.
And there’s no such thing as too pessimistic in this world… :)
This thing is a divider away from becoming the greatest Battleship gaming rig ever!
I agree with you and call major, big time bullshit on this. Their first ‘100′ dollar laptop probably could have been done, but even with that it doesn’t cost 100 dollars. Its more like $200 right?
So for them to claim that they are going to add two touchscreens, and use only a watt or power is SUCH utter bullshit.
Yeah it does seem more like a publicity stunt than a caring gesture towards 3rd world countries.
OLPC is a very important initiative
They are using the program for collaborative research that will result to powerful computing machines in the future. One example is the high tech LCD technology which was commercialized by its inventor who later built a company with it. I learned that the LCD technology consumes less power but still shines bright even under direct sunlight.
As long as it is does not have XP anywhere near it I’ll pay a premium for it and buy the poor kid one free.
LOL
It seems so silly for them to try to upgrade an existing product that has failed to do what it originally promised. They’d have done better to keep working on the XO till it did what Nick said it would back in ‘06.