Switched Reviews the OLPC XO (the '$100' Laptop)
If you've been following any tech or gadget news at all in the last two years, then you shouldn't really need an explanation on the OLPC XO, but here it goes again anyway. The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) XO started life as a proposed $100 laptop. The small green and white PC is targeted at children in developing nations to help them get the education they need and connect them to the rest of the world.
How it works: The laptop does just about everything any other Linux-based PC can do, such as Web browsing, word processing, games, music, and more. But it's got some extra features that seem suite to the needs of developing nations -- for example, the laptop can also function as an ultra low power Wi-Fi repeater, which means it can potentially extending the range of Internet connections for miles, provided there is a long enough chain of interconnected OLPCs. This can prove to be useful in sparsely-populated rural areas that lack wired Internet infrastructure.
What we like: There is plenty to like about this little device beyond the noble goals of its creators. On the software side, the proprietary Sugar interface is one of the few truly innovative reinventions of the desktop. Describing Sugar and all the ways in which it's different from the standard Windows or Mac OSX desktop interface could fill a lengthy post all on its own. Basically Sugar eschews the traditional desktop metaphor in favor of a simple intuitive interface with a focus on social networking and collaboration.
The OS X Dock like menu at the bottom of the main or 'Home' screen where you launch applications from is pretty much where the similarities end. Instead of a "start" menu and desktop, Sugar has a series of views. The neighborhood view allows you to connect to wireless networks as well as find other XO users and join activities. The "friends" view cuts the neighborhood view down to a more manageable size, showing only your friends and allowing you to invite them to chat or collaborate with you. The home view allows you to launch or switch applications. But instead of a task bar active applications are shown in a ring around a centered icon that represents you. Lastly is the application view which shows the last active application.
Another major departure from computing as you know it is the Journal. The XO has no file manager like Windows Explorer (MyComputer) or Mac OS X's Finder. Instead of drives or folders the Journal is a chronological list of all files downloaded, applications installed, and activities launched. You navigate by narrowing your options via the search box at the top. Installed an application you no longer want? Simply delete its entry in the Journal. Trying to track down a web site you visited three months ago? Search the Journal and you can resume your Browse session right where you left off.
That collaboration extends beyond the usual chat, or document sharing that most office workers are used to. Students can create music together in a suite of applications, called Tam Tam, adding melodies and rhythms to a song even if they're in different countries, or even browse the net together sharing a browser window from separate computers.
As for hardware, this bundle of innovations doesn't disappoint. The dual mode (regular color LCD and high resolution black-and-white sunlight readable mode) screen is brighter and clearer than most photos would lead you believe, though it'll never rival your glossy wide screen Mac Book Pro. The sunlight readable mode is engaged when you turn the brightness all the way down. The backlight is turned off and the screen enters a reflective black and white mode that is not only readable in direct sunlight, but so sharp it looks like print on a page.
The laptop is almost indestructible. We dropped it a couple of feet on to ceramic tiles... not on purpose, spilled chicken grease on it... also no on purpose, and it didn't flinch, not so much as a scratch. The laptop is cased in heavy duty plastic and completely sealed to keep dust and liquids out.
What we don't: This thing is sloooooooooooowwww. So slow in fact most people in the U.S. who got one will never use it for anything beyond showing off how cool it is. The browser takes almost 30 seconds to load, and bringing up Gmail with chat can take almost a whole minute.
Slowing up the whole process even more is the tiny, squishy keyboard. Any one with fingers bigger than a 4-year-old's will have trouble typing on this thing, and tactile feedback is almost nonexistent -- it's hard to tell whether or not the keyboard has registered your key press until the letter shows up on screen, often a few seconds after you've hit the key.
Does it live up to the hype: Yes and no. For the American consumer it's little more than a fun toy, but for the rest of the world it could be revolutionary. Despite its shortcomings, and some bugs, such as the cursor occasionally jumping across the screen, that still need ironing out the innovative hardware, software, ruggedness, and of course low price may deliver on the promise of bringing computers and the internet to those in the most remote and destitute parts of the world.
Price and where to get it: Well at this point it doesn't really matter if you want one or not, if you didn't jump on the Give 1 Get 1 bandwagon back in December, you're SOL... until they start showing up on eBay, though you can still donate money to the cause at laptop.org. Governments can buy them in bulk for $188 apiece.
Gallery: OLPC
Related links:
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