The XO is a VERY cool system. Not quite $100 as previously written about in BRT (SATURDAY, MARCH 03, 2007) but, if there's enough interest, Nicholas Negroponte's dream just might come true."In November, you’ll be able to buy a new laptop that’s spillproof, rainproof, dustproof and drop-proof. It’s fanless, it’s silent and it weighs 3.2 pounds. One battery charge will power six hours of heavy activity, or 24 hours of reading. The laptop has a built-in video camera, microphone, memory-card slot, graphics tablet, game-pad controllers and a screen that rotates into a tablet configuration."
If that's not enough, the networking capabilities of this machine is astonishing with it's ability to "mesh" whereby other XO's link up instantaneously with no user action required. Ditto for web connects. Sure, the machine is no speed demon but the size is perfect for kids and the tech is truly elegant, something not considered to be part of the equation when buying a laptop from today's manufacturer. There is no doubt in my mind that savvy hardware companies will cap on this machine to make it suitable for people like me.
As stated before in the March article, if it has a little more speed/memory, comes in black and is a little bit bigger to enable easy typing, it becomes my tote-along in a heart beat given the fact it's tough and light, uses little power and has a battery that can be recharged 2000 times vs. the usual 500 for the ones that power the road rocket used by people all over the world. Pogue is right on about this system. Let's hope two billion kids can get this thing ASAP because it rocks.
When it grows up a bit, I'll buy one too.
One Laptop per Child - $200 will buy and deliver this empowering technology to a child in a developing country. It sounds like a pretty awesome giveback if you ask me.
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