X-bit labs

OLPC XO Laptop Gets More Expensive.

Category: Mobile

by Anton Shilov

[ 09/17/2007 | 11:13 PM ]

Established back in 2005, the one laptop per child (OLPC) program and appropriate non-profit organization has not yet delivered volume production laptops to countries interested in purchasing laptops priced at $100. But it looks like those states will not be able to get the notebooks for $100, but for $200.

According to a report by Associated Press, the nonprofit OLPC organization that was spun out of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) acknowledged that the devices are now slated to cost $188 when mass production begins this fall. The last price announced in March was $176, whereas $100 was claimed to be a long-term goal. The organization blamed the increase on a variety of factors, including currency fluctuations and rising costs of such components as nickel and silicon. The group said it “was committed to keeping the price from rising above $190”.

Current OLPC XO laptop features AMD Geode LX-700 processor with 433MHz clock-speed and built-in graphics controller, 256MB of PC-2100 (DDR 266MHz) memory, 1GB NAND flash that substitutes hard disk drive, 7.5” screen with 1200x900 resolution, wireless and wired network adapters as well as integrated webcam, microphone, speakers and so on.

The whole OLPC program has face a lot of critics from various industry experts, primarily because of delays, inadequate specifications and some other reasons. Given that OLPC has now became even more expensive than before, it is uncertain whether all of those fifteen “committed” countries will actually buy the device.

It is crucial for MIT’s OLPC to keep the price below $190, as Asustek Computer and Intel Corp. also plan to roll out notebooks for the poor in the range between $199 and $299.