OLPC Will Launch Next Generation XO-2 Laptop in 2010

XO-2, OLPC's Next Generation Laptop and E-book reader. Photo PCworld.com

Nicolas Negroponte, chairman of OLPC announced today that they will soon launch a next generation touch screen laptop for $75 within the next few years.

The nonprofit One Laptop Per Child is not done yet, wants to produce a second generation version of the current XO notebook. The new XO-2 will boast a touch screen display and will act both as an e-Book reader and laptop.

PC World announced this news about the next version of XO laptop.

Negroponte showed images of XO-2 at an OLPC event at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.



The new XO-2 will be half the size of XO notebook and will have two 16 x 9 touch screen displays. It won’t have a keyboard like its previous version but will have a touch sensitive keyboard with software built in.



Negroponte said that XO-2 will be sold primarily as an e-book reader with the capacity of holding more than 500 e-books. explains that the XO-2 is meant to be shaped like a book and will be first promoted as an e-book to developing nations. But he pointed out that it is much more than an e-book, it is a fully functional laptop.

He told at the event:

Currently developing nations such as China and Brazil are spending $19 per student per year on books…Investing in the XO-2 at $75 should be an easy decision for these countries.

Negroponte didn’t reveal too many details about the XO-2 but he said the price will be $75 per unit. They expect the prices for the display screens to be lower around 2010, so they think they will be able to meet the price target. Currently the XO costs $188 to manufacture one unit.

Negroponte added:

"we are aggressively working to lower the cost, power, and size of the XO laptop so that it is more affordable and usable by the world's poorest children,"

Reporters at the event asked him about the operating system behind the new XO-2, Negroponte didn’t confirm but he said they will be testing both Windows and Linux and may offer dual boot option.

OLPC announced at the event that they will again come up with a promotion of Give One, Get One (G1G1) laptop program. The program will be available next in August in the U.S. and for the first time in Europe.

Children would love to use this new gadget. If Microsoft just sets aside their profit motive for this noble project, this program will be a much bigger success.