One Laptop Per Child: Charity, Prosperity, & Capitalism In The Developing World
by Ryan Smith on August 8, 2007 12:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Laptops
The XO-1 Hardware
Given the conditions that the XO-1 was built to endure, virtually all parts of the XO-1 deviate from traditional laptop designs. Externally, the case needs to be able to withstand harsh environments, including heat and water, requiring that the entire thing be built to standards similar to those of mass-market high-durability laptops (e.g. the Panasonic Toughbook) which strike a balance between usability, cost, and protection. The plastic casing as at least 2mm thick in all covered locations, and the laptop is lightly sealed when packed up for travel. As an added level of durability, the keyboard is completely sealed, preventing the most common destination of spills from getting inside the machine.
Besides the physical requirements of such a laptop, the XO-1 is also built to deal with the logistical problems of where the laptops are intended to go, mainly the power problem. The laptop is already a sub-notebook in size for several reasons, but even most sub-notebooks have a relatively high power requirement, which is a problem when it comes to generating heat, running off of a small battery, and working with an acceptable recharge source. Much of the hardware as a result has been selected for power usage, if not already for physical constraints.
Specifications:
- AMD Geode LX-700@0.8W, 433mhz
- Chipset: AMD CS5536 Southbridge
- Graphics: Integrated
- Memory: 256MB DDR-333
- Mass storage: 1024MB SLC NAND flash
- Display: 7.5" Dual-mode TFT display, 1200 x 900
At the core of the system is AMD's Geode LX processor, a near system-on-chip design that incorporates an x86 processor core along with Northbridge functions and the video controller. As a distant relative of the Cyrix MediaGX processor, performance is in no way notable with the Geode LX, but with the integration of features and a low clock speed of 433MHz it has a very attractive power profile for an x86 chip. Maximum TDP/power consumption is only 3.1W, with an average power consumption measured in milliwatts.
A hard drive is out of the question due to the high power usage, the high costs in manufacturing, and the lack of durability. Instead the system uses 1GB of flash memory as its primary storage, far smaller than a hard drive but also far more suitable for the design. Optical drives are also not included for the same reasons, so external storage is handled via SD cards and USB devices.
Due to the small amount of primary storage, wireless communication has a high precedence on the device and is the main method for accessing data. To that extent the laptop features a Marvell 802.11b/g controller and uses a pair of antenna (the so-called "ears") for best reception. The WiFi controller like the rest of the hardware is also optimized for power as WiFi is another major power drain. We're not entirely sure how it has been optimized but we believe that this is via a reduced transmission rate.
The WiFi module also serves a secondary purpose on the unit, which is the formation of a full-time wireless mesh network. When the laptop is powered down, the WiFi module can stay operational and route wireless traffic so that other laptops in the area can be linked together as part of one large mesh. By having an active mesh children are not limited in who they can wirelessly communicate with as long as they can see at least one other node of the mesh, and it allows all the laptops in the mesh to share internet access in a wider area if it's available. It's one of the more novel elements of the XO-1 hardware, and the OLPC organization estimates a XO-1 can run for an impressive 40 hours in its router mode.
Because the XO-1 is intended to pull double-duty as a laptop and an eBook reader, it has a very unusual screen that is both backlit and reflective. When reflecting light the screen operates as a 1200x900 6-bit grayscale screen, as the reflective layer sits above the color components. This mode uses a minimal amount of power because there is no need to drive a backlight, ideal for use as an eBook. When the backlight is activated the unit can produce 6bit color (assuming that the majority of the light is coming from the backlight), although the design of the color filter is such that the unit loses some of its effective resolution compared to grayscale mode.
The power system of the XO-1 is also worth mentioning, again an example of the rugged design. The initial designs for the XO-1 floated several ways to recharge the unit assuming a regular electrical grid was not available, including an integrated hand crank. The OLPC organization has since then opted to not build in any such charger; instead the unit has a DC input that can handle highly variable voltages (-40V to 40V) so that the unit can safely be hooked up to any number of power sources, including solar or pedals. While the initial units will be shipping with a traditional (albeit well built) NiMH battery, future units are planned to ship with a higher density exotic LiFePO4 battery, once mass production of those batteries begins.
Unfortunately, the OLPC organization missed its initial price target on the XO-1 by a good amount. The goal was $100, but the actual price looks to be closer to $175. While it's only a $75 difference, that amounts to the laptop coming in at 75% more than was intended. Until costs further come down, the XO-1 will likely remain unaffordable to some of the target nations.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
22 Comments
View All Comments
thesafetyisoff - Wednesday, August 8, 2007 - link
A few years back there was a scorpion epidemic in a town in South America. The government hit upon the brilliant idea of importing hundreds of chickens, which prey on scorpions, to take care of the pests. One month later there were still plenty of scorpions stinging people, because the villagers had eaten all of the chickens.Providing laptops to people who don't have electricity, can't read, and have no interest in education is a complete waste of money. Six months after this program is launched most of them will be broken, stolen, or sold. And the ones that are left will probably be under-utilized.
Ryan Smith - Wednesday, August 8, 2007 - link
I think you(and everyone else who has made similar posts) make a good point, but are also in the process missing part of the point of OLPC in the first place.It is true that a lot of effort has been made to design the thing for use in extremely rugged/rural/poor conditions, but the fact of the matter is that's not where the XO-1 is going to end up at the beginning. Most of the nations planning on ordering the laptops are all nations in later states of developing, as opposed to being entirely undeveloped. These people have access to the basics such as food and medical care, and a lesser developed power and communication grid(e.g. you have power at school, but maybe not at home). In these situations there's no needs problem to solve, so the only real issue is of education: will the laptops provide the educational benefit the OLPC organization desires?
By the time the organization is distributing the laptops to the poorest nations and poorest children, we should have an answer to that question, which will make going forward a lot easier.
Sunrise089 - Thursday, August 9, 2007 - link
Ok - exactly. The laptop isn't going into the bush or the desert - it's going to places that can't afford $500, but maybe can afford $175. The problem is THE #^%$#& DESIGN OF THE LAPTOP IS BASED AROUND IT GOING SOMEWHERE IT'S NEVER GOING TO GO!Just looking at this thing, it's terribly obvious that some altruistic but naive designer pictured village children in sub-Saharan Africa or SE Asia using this, and then totally missed the point that the internet connectivity and power access just wouldn't exist.
Then people got a clue, and realized that a cheap laptop would work great in Eastern Europe, or heck, even sub-middle-class America. The problem is those markets need power and storage. They don't need wifi webs or waterproof casings.
I would ask one question to the project if I were given the chance - how does this ridiculous laptop actually serve the needs of the people who will actually be able to make use of it better than a used $175 laptop? The answer is it simply doesn't.
headbox - Wednesday, August 8, 2007 - link
These are people that can't even feed themselves. A laptop will be as useful as a space suit. In Zimbabwe they kicked out all the white farmers to give to the "rightful owners" (because racial diversity is only expected when it means white countries) and the end result was mass starvation because they didn't know basic farming. Do we really expect people living in the stone age to make the leap to the modern era? It took thousands of years of social and technological advancements to get to where we are today... and now we expect an illiterate 3rd worlder to watch an animation on a laptop to bring them up to speed? LOL!Lemonjellow - Wednesday, August 8, 2007 - link
Yes, because animated battles and speeches by the people in those battles can teach children about the effect of the Anopheles Mosquito, steam locomotion, or industrialization on global imperialism and/or the effects of capitalism on the developing worlds in which these children live!
Knowing about a battle means nothing if not taken in the context of it's cause, impacts, and there-for, what-for ,why-for, who-for, how-for, and all-fours (oh, wait no that last one is part of the porn feature)...
While a striped down not-quite-laptop is handy it will never take the place of a good teacher and a well written book, but it is better than the alternative......
of nothing at all...
acronos - Wednesday, August 8, 2007 - link
Trying to take notes on a standard laptop is foolish (not quite so bad on a tablet pc.) The advantage of laptops in the classroom is to complement or even replace books. A truly good teacher is rare. However, software written and developed by a truly good teacher and development team scaled across thousands of schools can make a fairly positive difference. Teachers could choose competing software, similar to the way they choose books now, that complement their teaching style. Very few subjects would not benefit from this. Language - practice pronunciation. math - some of the best ways to learn early math already exist in the form of video games, science - see discovery channel, History - animated battles and speeches by participants ... etc. All of these will hold a child attention much better than a book. In addition, teaching how to truly use google could totally change society.slashbinslashbash - Wednesday, August 8, 2007 - link
"the unit can safely be hooked up to any number of power sources, including solar or peddles."peddle = to travel around selling wares
pedal = a crankshaft system designed to be operated by the feet
saechaka - Wednesday, August 8, 2007 - link
i thought i read that using the kids were using these laptops to view porn. i guess it's good we are giving them a way to see them naked ladies or guys.anyways, my point is that i don't think having a laptop will have a big an impact as having books and good teachers. i'd rather see the money on these laptops being spent on teachers and books
Roy2001 - Thursday, August 9, 2007 - link
I agree with you. Good teachers are more important.Verdant - Wednesday, August 8, 2007 - link
As someone who has tried to use a laptop in a classroom, I find the usefulness of each student having one minimal. Input for most subjects is not natural at all with a keyboard (want to sketch a diagram or anything other than basic text and bullets? - takes more effort than doing so by hand)Not to say that OLPC is not a valid project, just that people need to be a bit more aware of the fact that it will not perform miracles, and I don't think they are that valuable in a lecture situation.
The tablet pc is a good step, but the software available is limited, and such systems are clearly not fiscally feasible for something like OLPC.