OLPC XO-1

Operating System:: Fedora-based (Linux) with Sugar GUI
Weight:: 3.5 lbs, about the size of a textbook
Processor:: 433 MHz X86 AMD Geode LX-700 at 0.8W
Memory:: 1024 MB of SLC NAND flah memory
Price:: started at $188.00 and decreased to $100.00
Year:: 2007

The OLPC in the name stands for One Laptop per Child, the non-profit organization that devised the concept for the OLPC XO-1 laptop. Together with the manufacturer Quanta Computer and representatives from the academia and industry arenas, OLPC designed this inexpensive laptop and distributed millions of them to children of developing countries to provide them with the opportunity to access knowledge beyond their reaches and to explore learning in a fun responsive way. Introduced in 2007, the XO-1 cost around $100.00 and for a limited time a promotion offered a Give One, Get One sale for $199.00 if you bought one and donated one to the organization.Considering the extreme conditions in the countries that would be receiving the laptops, the XO-1 was designed to be very durable and to use little power. The shell is dirt and water resistant and is virtually drop proof since it is constructed with a 2mm thick of plastic which is 50% more thicker than the average laptop. The keyboard was also sealed with rubber so it too is water resistant. The antennas for WiFi are also made out of rubber and fold inward to complete the rounded case and protect the ports.

To allow usability far from a power grid, the XO-1 runs on minimal power, consuming only about 2W of power during normal use, and can last on its rechargeable LiFePO4 battery for an average of 3 hours. Other power options include: a small charger, solar power, a hand-crank generator, and even a bike generator. Another power saving feature is its low-cost 7.5 LCD screen that has a transforming ability to change from a back-lit full color mode to a low-power e-book mode that is monochrome and reflective in sunlight.

Although features like a disc drive, a cooling fan, and a hard drive were omitted, there are plenty other features that make this computer efficient. It has a hinge that allows the user to rotate the screen in its standard laptop setup, and can change to e-book and gaming formats. It runs on a flash memory and has a unique WiFi mesh networking system that allows the computers to operate on a peer-to-peer network. As long as one computer in the cloud is connected to the internet then the whole network can share access. Other features include: a stylus/touch pad, built-in camera, speakers, and microphone. @ http://one.laptop.org/