ONE LAPTOP PER CHILD – MISSION POSSIBLE

The OLPC which was considered and criticized as mission impossible has triumphed and now stands proud by delivering about 600,000 ultra-cheap XO computers to children in the developing countries. The XO is a small but tough netbook sized laptop that has been exclusively designed to educate children. Every component of the XO is custom made to bring children technology as means to knowledge and freedom. It has its own Linux based operating system called Sugar and more than 30 applications which enables to carry out tasks form word processing to making music. The green and white XO may look like a toy but is packed with cutting edge technology that is built to function in remote environments.

The XO has a built in wireless and a display screen that is readable in direct sunlight for students who take classes outdoors. The 7.5-inch screen has dual display mode, one for indoor use and the other reflective mode for outdoors and the switch can be made between the two with just a touch of a button. The display has a toggle that can flip the orientation of the screen and it can also be twisted around on a hinge and folded down onto the keyboard. The display screen also includes 640x480 pixel webcam, microphone, speakers, power button and buttons that can switch to gamming mode. The keyboard is specially designed to fit a child’s fingers and is available in more than eight languages. It can be solar powered and is built with mesh networking capabilities for connectivity in remote locations. These are just a few of its amazing features and it is extremely durable, brilliant and a fun way to bring technology into a child’s world. Following the success of the XO we can soon look forward to a new and improved version of this potent learning tool in XO2. The image on the right shows pictures of the new XO2.