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`Tech Computing
`OLPC XO-1 (One Laptop Per Child) review: OLPC XO-1 (One
`Laptop Per Child)
`The OLPC XO1 (One Laptop Per Child) ultraportable celebrates its ability to communicate with people around the corner or around the world.
`It's a simple, practical wireless laptop packed with cool new technologies and stued with open-source software
`4 min read
`Why should rich Western kids get all the cool kit? Nicolas Negroponte's ambitious plan to bridge the global digital
`divide has borne fruit at last. The XO1 costs twice as much -- $200 (£100) -- as he'd originally hoped for, and
`lacks the hand-powered crank that would have freed it from the grid completely. But otherwise it's a cyber-hippy's
`dream come true: a simple, practical wireless laptop packed with cool new technologies and stued with open-
`source software.
`> 
`Mrk Hrris
`Jan. 7, 2008 6:55 a.m. PT
`

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`Page 2 of 5
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`OLPC XO-1 (One Laptop Per Child)
`T H E G O O D
`Powerful; simple wireless networking; bullet-proof build; open source programs.
`T H E B A D
`Sluggish graphical user interface; over-complex file handling.
`T H E B O T T O M L I N E
`The OLPC XO1 isn't a substitute for your current laptop -- it's a digital lifeline for children on the margins of our connected world. The fact that it's as cool,
`fun and flexible as it is educational only shows how much thought has gone into its revolutionary design
`It's currently not available for sale to consumers, although Negroponte has said that the UK is in line for a
`'Give 1,
`Get 1' donation programme during 2008.
`Design
`The XO1's primary audience is children, who'll love the bash-it-about ruggedness, textured plastic housing and
`comfortable built-in grip -- no need for a poncy laptop sleeve here. There are dozens of smart design touches,
`from the show-o -- flip-up Wi-Fi rabbit ears that also lock the keyboard in place -- to the simply sensible -- the
`three USB ports are in dierent orientations to suit dierent devices and cables.
`7.5
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`Page 3 of 5
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`Open up the 7.5-inch screen and you're faced with a splashproof ZX Spectrum-like rubber keyboard that's
`definitely on the squashed side for adult fingers. The keys need a good firm press to work, but are very well laid
`out in a PC style, with dedicated volume and brightness buttons -- but no Caps Lock. There have been reports of
`problems with the touchpad, but ours worked fine.
`The screen itself has gaming controls on either side -- a direction pad and four action buttons. There's also a
`button to flip the screen's orientation, as it can rotate through 180-degrees like a tablet, and fold back in over the
`keyboard. In normal use, the screen is a decent full-colour aair that's fine for Web browsing. But pull the
`brightness down to its minimum level and the LCD transforms into an ultra-sharp mono display that looks
`fantastic in full sunlight -- and saves power, too.
`Fetures
`Most new computers are built from the latest components, with a healthy over-performance margin to allow for
`the demands of future software. Not the XO1. A modest MHz processor has to handle operating system,
`software and graphics all on its own, with just MB of RAM to work with, and a mere GB of Flash memory
`storage.
`A key feature is its wireless performance. Not only do you get full 802.11b/g functionality, but also 802.11s, which
`enables mesh networking -- even when powered down. Get within range of another XO1 -- tested at over two
`kilometres in the Australian outback -- and you can piggyback on its Internet connection, swap files or enjoy
`multi-player gaming. There are dedicated buttons to pull up graphical maps of your local mesh 'group' and wider
`wireless neighbourhood.
`Multimedia features are pretty good -- a built-in VGA webcam can capture video at up to 30fps, and the stereo
`speakers are loud, if tinny. The XO1 also uses brand new battery tech -- lithium iron phosphate -- that promises
`to last the planned lifetime of the computer, an impressive five years.
`Performnce
`Forget Vista or even XP -- the XO1 struggles to run Linux under a super-minimalist GUI called Sugar. Supplied as
`standard are basic word processing, paint, calculator, chat, RSS and games software. The browser, based on
`Firefox, is great, and an open source Flash player (Gnash) even lets it work with some rich content Web sites
`(although none that use Java).
`Creative tools are especially well represented. The TamTam music creation suite includes easy to use
`composition, sequencing and even synth tools, and there are numerous programming/scripting gadgets to
`introduce kids smoothly to computing.
`It's easy to download new software from OLPC's online library, and the selection of titles (all free and open-
`source) is growing daily. Loading software and switching between packages isn't seamless however: there are
`delays and crashes.
`

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`Page 4 of 5
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`Because there's no hard drive, the XO1 is completely silent in use and doesn't get hot. Battery life is a healthy
`three hours, depending on multimedia use, thanks to clever new controllers that power down a large portion of
`the chipset when it's idle.
`There should be no problems with viruses, either, as OLPC's new Bitfrost security system forgoes firewalls and
`anti-virus software for built-in restrictions for each program that limits the data it can see and the hardware it can
`control.
`Conclusion
`How to summarise the XO1: Is it an educational tool? A fundamental reconception of computing for the 21st
`century? Or simply a high-tech toy? The one thing it isn't is a normal laptop -- that over-powered portable
`entertainment unit for time-poor executives and bored students.
`The XO1 won't ramp up your digital productivity or amaze you with hi-def visuals. But what it might just do is
`remind you why computers are so cool in the first place. It celebrates its ability to communicate with people
`around the corner or around the world, access information, design programs and manipulate music, sound or
`pictures.
`In short, this is a device for people who want to interact with the world beyond their keyboard. In an era when
`downloading other people's creativity accounts for 80 per cent of all Internet trac, that can only be a good thing.
`Edited by Jason Jenkins
`Additional editing by Shannon Doubleday
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