From X To O: Questions and Answers
Well, I have no topic for Q, so here is my pick of five Frequently Asked Questions from the OLPC site:
- Who is behind these XO laptop computers?
- The XO laptop computer is being developed by One Laptop per Child, a non-profit organization founded by MIT professor Nicholas Negroponte and a team of educators, developers and technologists dedicated to educating children in developing countries with the goal of eradicating poverty. One Laptop Per Child is based on principles expressed by MIT Media Lab Professor Seymour Papert in the 1960s, and later elaborated upon by Alan Kay, and complemented by the principles articulated by Nicholas Negroponte in his book, Being Digital. Partner corporations including Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Brightstar, eBay, Google, Marvell, News Corporation, Nortel, Quanta, Chi Mei Group, Red Hat, and SES Astra are involved in this initiative.
- Why do children in developing nations need laptop computers?
- Nicholas Negroponte (OLPC's Chairman and founder) thinks of the XO laptop not as just a piece of equipment, but as an educational opportunity. Laptop computers can be a window and a tool—a window into the world and a tool with which to think. Computers are a wonderful way for all children to learn through independent interaction and exploration.
- How is it possible to get the cost of the laptop so low?
- First, by dramatically lowering the cost of the display. The first-generation computer will have a novel, dual-mode display that represents improvements to the LCD displays commonly found in inexpensive DVD players. Second, we have also worked to get the fat out of our software systems. In other words, our laptop computers operate more efficiently. The XO’s operating system is based on a free and open source version of GNU/Linux. Third, One Laptop per Child is a non-profit organization that is not obligated to any investors. Finally, One Laptop per Child uses large scale orders to minimize marketing and distribution costs and to bulk order components to drive prices down.
- Does my laptop come with a hand crank? Solar panels?
- The Get One XO does not ship with any human powered device or solar panel, which are designed to support the XO laptops shipped to developing countries. Future peripheral availability is discussed on the Product News page. In addition to plugging the laptop into an electrical outlet (110-240 volts AC), the XO laptop can take a DC input ranging from 11 volts to 40 volts, a range that’s far more flexible than most portable devices. The XO laptop is remarkably energy efficient, generally using only 5-10 percent of the average wattage of a standard laptop.
- How long does the battery last?
- Battery life is approximately 3 to 6 hours, depending on which Activities are used. The sleep feature is not enabled in software provided on XOs shipped starting December 2007. A software upgrade early in 2008 will support suspend/resume sleep features, for much improved battery life.



