2010-05-29

A Next-generation One Laptop per Child (OLPC) XO Tablet





Negroponte: One Laptop Per Child is now a $75 Android Tablet

The former head of MIT's Media Lab said the next OLPC device, the XO-3, would be a 9-inch tablet made by Marvell and running Google's Android OS.

The first OLPC was an underpowered, 'designed-by-committee' laptop that cost at least double of what it was supposed to.  Most importantly, didn't adapt to the needs of the children who used it.  For instance, it didn't have a method for non-Latin characters to be input.  It was also made of plastic and had moving parts that would often break in rugged environments.

At CES in January this year, that will change, according to Nicolas Negroponte.
The new OLPC devices will take the lead from Apple's iPad but use Google's (GOOG) Android OS, at least initially.   The keyboard will be virtual and be able to adapt to different languages.


One Laptop per Child and Marvell Join Forces to Redefine Tablet Computing for Students Around the World

Marvell and OLPC Empower Education Industry to Revolutionize the Classroom Experience through Advanced, Affordably-Priced Tablets

Cambridge, Mass. and Santa Clara, Calif., May 27, 2010 – One Laptop per Child (OLPC), a global organization whose mission is to help provide every child in the world access to a modern education, and Marvell, a worldwide leader in integrated silicon solutions, have agreed to jointly develop a family of next-generation OLPC XO tablet computers based on the Marvell® Moby reference design. This new partnership will provide designs and technologies to enable a range of new educational tablets, delivered by OLPC and other education industry leaders, aimed at schools in both the U.S. and developing markets. Marvell is also announcing today it has launched Mobylize, a campaign aimed at improving technology adoption in America’s classrooms. 
 

Marvell backs ambitious $100 OLPC tablet



The backbone of the XO-3 will be an ARM processor (likely the Marvell Armada 610), with initial models running a version of Google's Android OS. As with the OLPC laptop, these initial models will be sold within developed nations, subsidizing the less-expensive $75 version (running the open-source, educational Sugar OS) distributed to children and institutions supported by the foundation.

In the accompanying video, OLPC founder Nicholas Negroponte also boasts that the tablet will eventually include an adaptable screen that can be optimized for both indoor viewing and direct sunlight, though the earliest models will be designed around a glass screen. An iPad-besting thickness of 10.8 millimeters is also claimed.

OLPC's Negroponte says XO-3 prototype tablet coming in 2010

One Laptop Per Child project founder Nicholas Negroponte said that the organization is accelerating its development of the XO-3 tablet computer and will have a working prototype by December 2010, two years ahead of projections. Negroponte said the final product would cost US$75.



CNET TV Loaded: Morning Edition: One tablet per kiddo




Sources
OLPC XO-3 Dream Tablet May Come True After All
http://gizmodo.com/5549053/olpc-xo+3-dream-tablet-buoyed-by-marvell
Negroponte: One Laptop Per Child is now a $75 Android Tablet - Google 24/7 - Fortune Tech
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/05/27/negreponte-one-laptop-per-child-is-now-a-75-android-tablet/
OLPC-Marvell Partnership_FINAL.docx
http://laptop.org/en/utility/press/olpc-marvell.shtml
Marvell backs ambitious $100 OLPC tablet | Crave - CNET
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20006211-1.html
YouTube - OLPC's Negroponte says XO-3 prototype tablet coming in 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILMzuS2qZfc&feature=player_embedded#
YouTube - Morning Edition: One tablet per kiddo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcqmGs5B0BU

Related
One tablet per kiddo | Loaded - CNET
http://cnettv.cnet.com/8301-13991_53-20006249-10391624.html
Marvell backs Android-based OLPC XO-3 tablet | Mobile Devices | ZDNet UK
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/mobile-devices/2010/05/28/marvell-backs-android-based-olpc-xo-3-tablet-40089076/
One Laptop Per Child to Produce $100 Tablet
http://mashable.com/2010/05/27/olpc-xo-3/
OLPC's Negroponte Says XO-3 Prototype Tablet Coming in 2010 - PCWorld Business Center
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/197324/olpcs_negroponte_says_xo3_prototype_tablet_coming_in_2010.html
One Laptop Per Child Revamps Tablet Plans - Forbes.com
http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/26/olpc-ipad-apple-technology-negroponte.html?boxes=Homepagechannels
XO-3 update: OLPC and Marvell partner to design a line of tablets | One Laptop per Child
http://blog.laptop.org/2010/05/27/xo3-marvell-and-olpc/
One Laptop per Child (OLPC), a low-cost, connected laptop for the world's children's education
http://laptop.org/en/index.shtml
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