Nov 07
OLPC XO Laptop Mass Production Started - Finally!
On November 06, 2007 mass production of the so-called $100 laptop has begun, five years after the concept was first proposed. Computer manufacturer Quanta has started building the low-cost laptops at a factory in Changshu, China.
One Laptop per Child (OLPC), the group behind the project, said that children in developing countries would begin receiving machines this month. Last month, OLPC received its first official order for 100,000 machines from the government of Uruguay.
“Today represents an important milestone in the evolution of the One Laptop per Child project,” said Nicholas Negroponte, founder of OLPC. The organisation had reached the critical stage despite “all the naysayers,” he said.
The green and white XO machines pack a number of innovations which make them suitable for use in remote and environmentally hostile areas. The machine has no moving parts and can be easily maintained. It has a sunlight-readable display that allows children to use it outside and, importantly for areas with little access to electricity, it is ultra low power and can be charged by a variety of devices including solar panels.
Although OLPC eventually plan to sell the machines for $100 or less, over the last year, the machine’s price has steadily increased and now costs $188. More at OLPC.