Designs for a slim line tablet PC have been unveiled by the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) organisation, with plans to sell the touchscreen tablet for ‘well below US$100’ by 2012.
The XO-3 is replacing the XO-2, another concept design that was a dual screen e-book-like device intended to replace the original XO but which failed to materialise.
With one single flexible sheet of plastic that the OLPC claims is durable, ‘unbreakable’, and will house a 12-inch screen, the XO-3 is only in concept stages at the moment and will not be ready for market until at least 2012.
The XO came out of a philanthropic effort on founder Nicholas Negroponte’s part but while it was originally dubbed ‘the US$100 laptop’ it soon increased in price to US$200 and amongst some of the roadblocks encountered was competition from former chief technology officer Mary Lou Jepsen who started a spin-off company called Pixel Qi, also aimed at selling laptops to developing nations but while claiming to keep costs below US$100 per unit.
XO-3 designer Yves Behar said that it will have a 800MHz processor, a built-in camera and use induction based charging.
Meanwhile, before the XO-3 comes on the market Negroponte said that there will be two upgrades of the XO-1 on the market soon with upgraded Flash memory and the second one to have an 8.9-inch touchscreen.
By Marie Boran
