OLPC XO2 Laptop unveiled

The One Laptop per Child (OLPC) organization has announced the second-generation version of its XO laptop computer, and it's a beauty. The XO-2 is a slick folding computing device with a shoulder strap that makes it much easier to carry around for children in developing countries. The XO-2 "XOXO" will also introduce a few new ways of interacting and learning with computers, as you'll notice in the photos.

Nicholas Negroponte, founder and chairman of One Laptop per Child deserves credit for continuing his efforts despite all of the challenges OLPC has faced since it was first announced.

“One Laptop per Child and the XO laptop are crucial to the fulfillment of the proposed UN Ninth Millennium Goal: to ensure that every child between the ages of 6 and 12 has immediate access to a personal laptop computer by 2015, said, Nirj Deva, Member of the European Parliament. “It’s only through access to education that young people will be able to develop the skills necessary to compete globally and to develop the solutions required to break the cycles of poverty, disease and malnutrition. Learning unites the child with the world, binds the village into a community, and joins that community to the global village.”

While the current XO laptop costs just under $200, OLPC is aiming for a lower target price of $75 for the XO2 laptop.  The XO-2 will be about the size of a book, or about half the size of the first generation device. It features dual-touch sensitive displays, and can be held like a book while reading, with a right and left page in vertical format. It can also be used as a flat two-screen wide continuous surface in tablet mode. The innovative dual-touch display is being designed by Pixel Qi, a leading expert on display technology.

via | Laptop