One Laptop per Child, a non-profit organization whose mission is to help every child in the world gain access to a modern education, and chip designer Marvell, have demonstrated a fully functional version of the much-anticipated XO 3.0 – a low-cost, low-power, rugged tablet computer designed for classrooms around the globe – at the Consumer Electronics Show 2012.

The XO 3.0 tablet is based on Marvell Armada PXA618 system-on-chip, 512MB of RAM,  4GB of NAND flash storage and Avastar Wi-Fi SoC.  The device will come with standard 8" LCD or Pixel Qi sunlight-readable displays with 1024*768 resolution. Just like predecessors, the XO 3.0 can be charged directly by solar panels, hand cranks and other alternative power sources. OLPC XO 3.0 will support Android and Linux operating systems.

^{OLPC XO 3.0, image by The Verge web-site}

“We’re proud to introduce the XO 3.0 tablet, showcasing the design, durability and performance features that make it a natural successor for our current laptops, which have been distributed to more than 2.4 million children in 42 countries and in 25 languages. The XO 3.0 builds on many of the technology breakthroughs we made with the XO 1.75, including the use of the Marvell Armada PXA618 processor, resulting in a significant decrease in power consumption—a critical issue for students in the developing world,” said Edward McNierney, chief technology officer of One Laptop per Child.

OLPC XO 3.0 is projected to be released in 2012 for the price of around $100. When does the company start the deliveries is unknown since all OLPC hardware is built to order.

“Marvell is committed to improving education--and the human condition—around the world through innovative technology for Smartphones, tablets and a myriad of new cloud-delivered services. Partnering with One Laptop Per Child is one way we can deliver a revolution where it matters most - to benefit children in some of the poorest places on the planet,” said Tom Hayes, vice president of corporate marketing at Marvell Semiconductor.

Marvell and One Laptop per Child also announced today that the XO 1.75 laptop will begin shipping to customers in March 2012. Over 75 000 units of the XO 1.75 have already been ordered by OLPC projects in Uruguay and Nicaragua. The XO 1.75 uses the Marvell ARM-based Armada PXA618 SoC, which compared to the earlier XO 1.5, maintains performance while using only half the power. The XO 1.75 features a sunlight-readable screen and all the other features and design characteristics of the two previous versions of the XO laptop.

Tags: OLPC, Marvell, Armada, ARM