$100 Laptop Goes Into Mass Production

The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) organization has authorized mass production of the XO laptop, based on the release of the final Beta-4 (B4) engineering model. This triggers the supply chains of 800 parts that come together and rollout off the assembly line in October.



The B4 laptops feature a display that is fully readable in bright sunlight. The display is so clear that it the organization maintains that it comes close to a paper-like reading experience for users. The B4 has a new hinge to allow for an increased tilt of the screen for an improved viewing angle. The B4 machines can be used outdoors in harsh conditions. The case also features a Wi-Fi antenna design that gives the laptop superior Wi-Fi range, and protects it from falls as high as five feet.

The B4 computers can be powered by numerous alternative power sources, including a pull cord, a solar panel, or a solar-powered multi-battery charger at the school. The B4 machines use less than one watt of power when being used as an e-book and can operate for more than 12 hours on its battery.

"There is a lot of debate in technology circles about the cost of bringing laptop computers into the developing world," said Walter Bender, OLPC president of software and content. "But the real debate shouldn't be centered on cost - it should be about design. A computer designed for Western office environments simply won't be able to withstand the conditions found in much of Africa, Asia and South America. Further, children engaged in learning have a different set of needs from a laptop than an office worker."

The B4 machines feature the AMD Geode LX-700 processor, 256 MB of SDRAM, 1 GB NAND Flash and improved keyboard and touch pad, electrical and mechanical enhancements, and an individualized brightly colored XO logo on the back. Children will be able to select from a wide range of colors for the logo so they can readily identify their laptop in a crowded classroom.

"Since the inception of the XO laptop more than two years ago, AMD has been committed to helping the One Laptop per Child program succeed," said Gustavo Arenas, Corporate Vice President, High-Growth Markets and Innovations, AMD. "We are proud to serve as a technology partner to such a noble and life-affecting project. The B4 machine paves the way for a final XO laptop that will change the lives of millions of children - a mission that compliments AMD's own 50x15 Initiative, whose goal is to enable 50 percent of the world's population with affordable, accessible Internet connectivity and computing capabilities by the year 2015."

The B4 laptops will go through a final round of testing by developers, hardware experts, OLPC technical volunteers, and some of the pilot schools around the world already using the B2 machines.