Olpc

Thin-client approach by NComputing undercuts OLPC in classrooms

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:06:26 -0400

California-based NComputing announced earlier this week that they will be providing computers to some 5,000 schools in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh--dealing yet another blow to the beleaguered XO laptop by OLPC (One Laptop Per Child). NComputing adopts a thin-client approach and uses a clever combination of both hardware and software to enable a single PC to power up to 30 terminals. Users get their own display, keyboard and mouse, giving them a user experience akin to that of a dedicated terminal. The steep savings on hardware bodes well for school districts looking to give students a computing environment that is as "real world" as possible.

For more about this topic:
- check out this article from TechNewsWorld

Related Article:
Windows XP comes to OLPC

XO laptop coming via Amazon

Paul Mah — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 03:53:01 -0400

The OLPC foundation will begin offering its XO laptop for sales through giant online retailer Amazon. This comes in the wake of an earlier stream of problems with its "Give 1 Get 1" (G1G1) initiative, which saw canceled orders due to various hiccups stemming from production delays and delivery problems. Certainly, this will allow the OLPC Foundation to tap into Amazon's vast experience in logistics and order fulfillment. For those who are not aware, the OLPC's G1G1 scheme entails consumers being charged $398 for two units of the XO. One unit will be delivered to the consumer, while the other unit will be donated to needy children in a developing country.

To read more about the G1G1 scheme:
- check out this article from The Tech Herald

OLPC unveils 2.0 version of its laptop

Paul Mah — Wed, 21 May 2008 04:23:30 -0400

OLPC founder Nicholas Negroponte unveiled the foundation's second-generation laptop at the MIT Media Lab--a day-long media event on Tuesday. The surprise here is that it uses dual-touch screens much like a fold-up electronic book with only a touch-sensitive software keyboard that can be brought up on one of the panels as necessary. In fact, it will be marketed to developing nations as an e-book reader that also works as a simple notebook PC.

At the presentation of the new device, Negroponte said the second-generation laptop was designed based on what the OLPC has learned over the past few years. "The book experience is key," he said. This new XO laptop is expected to be out by 2010, where it likely will be kept to just $75 by using screens built for portable DVD players. No information is available at the moment about whether it would be able to run Windows XP, which was announced for the XO-1 last week.

For more about the second generation XO laptop:
- check out the Xconomy article