Michael Sherlock » one laptop per child http://michaelsherlock.com A Touch Of Youth Sun, 22 Apr 2012 20:13:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 The XO-3: A $75 Touch Screen Tablet http://michaelsherlock.com/2009/12/26/the-xo-3-a-75-touch-screen-tablet/ http://michaelsherlock.com/2009/12/26/the-xo-3-a-75-touch-screen-tablet/#comments Sat, 26 Dec 2009 23:11:40 +0000 Michael Sherlock http://michaelsherlock.com/?p=589 The one laptop per child (OLPC) concept was originally a $100 laptop designed for third-world countries in need of a technological infrastructure. The idea was simple: make low cost, easy to use laptops to help the children expand their horizons. Although the cost never reached the $100 price point, the computer did launch and has helped millions of users around the world. The new design, the XO-3, looks even cooler with it’s $75 projected price tag.

The concept design is slimmer than the iPhone and measures 8.5 by 11 inches, has a full color screen with a built in camera, and an 800MHz processor. It’s body is made of waterproof flexible plastic, has a multitouch screen, and is backlit. The prototypes for this device are expected to be built in 2010 with an estimated launch in 2012.

Lead by MIT professor Nicholas Negroponte’s nonprofit effort, the OLPC has a bright future. However, can we actually expect an XO-3 at the $75 price point? Speaking to Forbes, Negroponte said, “We don’t necessarily need to build it, we just need to threaten to build it.” The quote makes sense because these concepts will surely impact other manufacturers tablet designs but the future of the XO-3 clearly isn’t cut and dry.

In any case, imagine the impact this device could have. Communication between villages and towns would increase dramatically. The internet would be unlocked for people who have never been exposed to its power. Conversely, the internet we know and love could give us access to a completely new way of life. It’s simply mind blowing to consider the possibilities the XO-3, or similar device, could have on society. It may never come to fruition, but hopefully a product in this niche does make an appearance.

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