OLPC XO , formerly known as $ 100 Laptop , Kids Machine , and 2B1 , is a cheap laptop computer is intended to be distributed to children in developing countries around the world, to give them access to knowledge, and opportunities to "explore, experiment and express themselves" (constructivist learning). XO was developed by Nicholas Negroponte, co-founder of MIT Media Lab, and designed by Fuseproject company Yves Behar. This laptop is manufactured by Quanta Computer and developed by One Laptop per Child (OLPC), a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization.
Subnotebooks are designed for sale to the government education system which then gives each primary school child their own laptop. Prices are set starting at $ 188 in 2006, with goals set to reach the $ 100 mark in 2008 and the 50 dollar mark in 2010. When offered for sale in Give One Get One campaign in Q4 2006 and Q4 2007, laptops sell for $ 199.
These rugged, low-powered computers use flash memory instead of hard drives, and come with operating systems derived from Fedora Linux as their pre-installed operating system with Sugar GUI. Mobile ad hoc networks over the Wi-Fi 802.11s mesh network are used to allow multiple machines to share Internet access for at least one of them can see and connect to a router or other access point.
The latest version of OLPC XO is XO-4 Touch.
Video OLPC XO
History
The first preliminary prototype was inaugurated by project founder Nicholas Negroponte and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on November 16, 2005, at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis, Tunisia. The device shown is a rough prototype using a standard development board. Negroponte estimates that the screen itself requires another three months of development. The first working prototype was demonstrated at the Project Task Force Meeting on May 23, 2006.
In 2006 there was a major controversy as Microsoft suddenly developed an interest in the XO project and wanted an earlier open source effort to run Windows. Negroponte agreed to provide engineers assistance to Microsoft to facilitate their efforts. During this time, the project mission statement changed to eliminate the term "open source". A number of developers, such as Ivan Krsti? and Walter Bender, resigned due to changes in this strategy.
About 400 developer boards (Alfa-1) were distributed in mid-2006; 875 work prototypes (Beta 1) sent in late 2006; 2400 Beta-2 machines were distributed at the end of February 2007; full-scale production began November 6, 2007. Quanta Computer, the contract manufacturer, said in February 2007 that it had confirmed an order for one million units. Quanta indicated that they could send five million to ten million units that year because seven countries had committed to buying XO-1 for their school children: Argentina, Brazil, Libya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Thailand and Uruguay. Quanta plans to offer engines that are very similar to XO-1 on the open market.
The One Laptop Per Child project initially stated that the consumer version of the XO laptop was not planned. The project was then established, in 2007 the laptopgiving.org website for live donations and for the "Give 1 Get 1" offer is valid (but only to the United States, its territory and Canada address) from 12 November 2007 to 31 December, 2007. To each computer purchased at a cost of $ 399, XO is also sent to a child in a developing country. OLPC once again restarted the G1G1 program through Amazon.com in November 2008, but has since stopped on December 31 (2008 or 2009).
On 20 May 2008, OLPC announced the next generation XO, OLPC XO-2 which was later canceled for the XO-3 designed like a tablet. In late 2008, the NYC Education Department started a project to purchase a large number of XO computers for use by New York schoolchildren.
The draft received the Community category award from the 2007 Index: Awards.
In 2008, XO was awarded "Design of the Year" at the London Design Museum, plus two gold, one silver and one bronze awards at the International Design Excellence Awards (IDEAs) Industrial Design Society of America.
According to Computer Aid International, in a test conducted in April 2009, this device is classified as the most power-efficient among other information and communication technologies in educational solutions.
Maps OLPC XO
Goal
XO-1 is designed for low cost, small, durable, and efficient. It's shipped with a Slimmed-down version of Fedora Linux and a GUI called Sugar that is meant to help kids collaborate. XO-1 includes video camera, microphone, Wi-Fi remote, and hybrid stylus/touch pad. In addition to the standard plug-in power supply, human power and solar power sources are available, enabling operations away from commercial power grids. Mary Lou Jepsen has listed the following device design goals:
- Minimum power consumption, with design target of 2-3 W total power consumption
- Minimum production cost, targeting US $ 100 per laptop to run millions of units
- The "cool" look, implies an innovative style in its physical appearance
- eBook functionality with very low power consumption
- Open source and free software provided with laptop
Various usage models have been explored by OLPC with the help of Continuum and Fuseproject Designs, including: laptops, e-books, theaters, simulations, tote, and tablet architecture. The current design, by Fuseproject, uses a transformer hinge to change between laptop, e-book, and router mode.
In keeping with the purpose of endurance and low power consumption, the laptop design deliberately eliminates all motor-driven parts; no hard drive, no optical media (CD/DVD), no floppy drive and no fan (passively cooled device). The ATA interface is not required due to lack of hard drive. Storage is done through the internal SD card slot. Also there is no PC card slot, even though USB port is included.
Crank crank generator inside is part of the notebook in its original design; However, it is now optional-robber in the periphery.
Hardware
The latest version of OLPC XO is XO-4 Touch.
Views
- 1200ÃÆ' â € "900 7.5 inch (19Ã, cm) LCD diagonal (200 dpi) using 0.1 to 1.0 W depending on the mode. The two modes are:
- Monochrome reflective mode (backlight turns off) for low power usage in the sun. This mode provides very sharp images for high quality text
- Backlight color mode, with alternate red, green, and blue pixels
- The XO 1.75 development version for XO-3 has an optional touch screen
The first generation OLPC laptops have a new inexpensive LCD. Then the OLPC laptop generation is expected to use low-color, low-power and high-resolution screens with similar displays to electronic paper.
The display is the most expensive component in most laptops. In April 2005, Negroponte hired Mary Lou Jepsen - who was being interviewed to join the Media Arts and Sciences faculty at MIT Media Lab in September 2008 - as Chief Technology Officer of OLPC. Jepsen developed a new look for the first-generation OLPC laptop, inspired by a small LCD design used in portable DVD players, estimated to cost around $ 35. On OLPC XO-1, the screen is expected to be the second most expensive component (after CPU and chipset).
Jepsen has explained the removal of filters that color the RGB subpixel as a critical design innovation in the new LCD. Instead of using subtractive color filters, the screen uses a plastic diffraction grating and a lens on the back of the LCD to illuminate each pixel. This lattice pattern is stamped using the same technology used to create DVDs. The grille divides the light from a white background back into a spectrum. The red, green and blue components are diffracted to the correct position to illuminate the pixels corresponding to R, G or B. The results of this innovation are in a much brighter display for the amount of backlight illumination: while the color filters in ordinary view typically absorb 85% of the light about them, this screen absorbs a bit of that light. Most LCD screens at the time use fluorescent rear lights that are fragile cold cathode lamps, difficult or impossible to repair, require high voltage power supply, are relatively power-hungry, and account for 50% of screen costs (sometimes 60%). LED backlights in XO-1 are easy to replace, rugged, and inexpensive.
The rest of the LCD uses existing display technology and can be made using existing manufacturing equipment. Even masks can be made using a combination of existing materials and processes.
When turned on primarily from the back with a white LED backlight, the screen displays color images consisting of RGB and grayscale information. When turned on mainly from the front by ambient light, for example from the sun, the screen shows monochromatic images (black and white) consisting of only grayscale information.
"Mode" changes occur by varying the relative amount of the backlight and ambient light. With more backlighting, there is a higher chrominance and color image display. When ambient levels of light, like sunlight, exceed the backlight, the grayscale look is visible; this can be useful when reading e-books for long periods in bright light like sunlight. Backlight brightness can also be adjusted to change the color levels seen on the screen and conserve battery power.
In color mode (when turned on primarily from the back), the display does not use the general RGB pixel geometry for liquid crystal computer displays, where each pixel contains three thin, high rectangles of primary color. Instead, the XO-1 screen provides one color for each pixel. Parallel colors along the diagonal that run from top right to bottom left (see diagram on right). To reduce the color artifacts caused by this pixel geometry, the image color components are blurred by the display controller when images are sent to the screen. Despite the opaque colors, the screen still has high resolution for its physical size; the normal view in February 2007 placed about 588 (H) ÃÆ'â € 441 (V) to 882 (H) ÃÆ'â € "662 (V) pixels in this number of physical areas and supports sub-pixel rendering for a slightly higher perceptible resolution. Philips Research's research measures the color resolution that XO-1 screen effectively perceives 984 (H) ÃÆ'â € "738 (V). Conventional liquid crystal display with the same number of green pixels (green brings most brightness or lighting information to the human eye) because OLPC XO-1 will be 693ÃÆ' â € "520. Unlike standard RGB LCDs, XO-1 screen resolutions vary with angles. The largest resolution from top right to bottom left, and lowest from top left to bottom right. Images that approach or exceed this resolution will lose detail and gain color artifacts. The screen gets resolution when in bright light; this comes at the expense of color (like a controlled backlight) and the color resolution can never achieve a full 200 dpi sharpness of the grayscale mode because the blur is applied to the image in color mode.
Power
- DC input, Ã, Â ± 11-18 V, maximum drawing power 15 W
- 5-cell NiMH rechargeable battery, 3000 mAh minimum 3050 mAh typical 80% usable, charged at 0... 45Ã, Â ° C (no longer used in 2009)
- 2-cell rechargeable LiFePO 4 battery, 2800 mAh minimum 2900 mAh typical 100% usable, charge at 0... 60 Â ° C
- LiFePO batteries contents 4 four cells, minimum 3100 mAh minimum 3150 mAh 100% typical, charge at -10... 50Ã, Â ° C
- External manual power options include crank crank generator similar to the original default (see photo in Gallery, below), but they produce 1/4 of the original power expected, and less than a thousand are generated. A pull-string generator is also designed by Potenco but never mass-produced.
- External power options include 110-240 Volt AC and input from external solar panels. Solar is the main alternative energy source for schools that use XO.
The purpose of the laptop design specification is the consumption of approximately 2Ã,W of power during normal use, far less than 10Ã, W to 45Ã,W conventional laptops. By building 656, power consumption between 5 and 8 watts is measured on a G1G1 laptop. Future software builds are expected to meet the 2-watt target.
In e-book mode (XO 1.5), all sub-system hardware except the dual-touch monochrome display is turned off. When a user moves to another page, another system wakes up, renders a new page on the screen, and then goes back to sleep. Power consumption in this e-book mode is estimated to be 0.3 to 0.8Ã, W. XO 2.0 is planned to consume less power than previous versions, less than 1.0 W in full color mode.
Power options include batteries, solar panels, and human powered generators, which make XO equipment self-powered. 10 batteries can be charged at the school building on the XO multi-battery charger. Low power consumption combined with this power option is useful in many countries where there is no electricity infrastructure.
Network
- The wireless network uses 802.11b/g and 802.11s wireless (mesh) wireless chips Marvell 8388, chosen for its ability to forward packets independently even when the CPU is turned off. When connected in mesh, it runs at low bitrate (2 Mbit/s) to minimize power consumption. Despite the minimalism of wireless chips, it supports WPA. An ARM processor is included.
- An adjustable antenna for diversity reception.
IEEE 802.11b support will be provided using the "Extended Range" Wi-Fi chip. Jepsen said that the wireless chip set will run at a low bit rate, 2 Mbit/s maximum than the higher speed 5.5 Mbit/s or 11 Mbit/s to minimize power consumption. The conventional IEEE 802.11b system only handles traffic within the local cloud of wireless devices in a manner similar to an Ethernet network. Each node transmits and receives its own data, but does not route packets between two nodes that can not communicate directly. OLPC laptops will use IEEE 802.11s to form wireless mesh networks.
Each time a laptop is turned on it can participate in a mobile ad hoc (MANET) network with each node operating in peer-to-peer mode with another hearing laptop, forwarding packets across the cloud. If a computer in the cloud has access to the Internet - either directly or indirectly - then all computers in the cloud can share that access. Data rates across this network will not be high; However, similar networks, such as Motoman stores and projects, have supported email services for 1000 schoolchildren in Cambodia, according to Negroponte. Data rates should be sufficient for asynchronous network applications (such as email) to communicate outside the cloud; Interactive usage, such as web search, or high bandwidth applications, such as streaming video should be possible within the cloud. IP assignments for connected networks are meant to be configured automatically, so no server administrators or IP address administration is required.
MANET builds are still not tested under the current OLPC hardware configuration and environment. Although one goal of the laptop is that all software is open source, the source code for this routing protocol is currently a closed source. Although there are open source alternatives such as OLSR or B.A.T.M.A.N., none of these options are still available in the data-link layer (Layer 2) on the Wi-Fi subsystem co-processor; this is very important for the OLPC power efficiency scheme. Whether Marvell Technology Group, the manufacturer of wireless chip sets and current proprietary software protocol software, will make open source firmware remains an unanswered question. In 2011, it has not done so.
Shell
Yves Behar is the main designer of the current XO shell. The laptop shell is resistant to dirt and moisture, and is built with a 2 mm thick plastic (50% thicker than an ordinary laptop). It contains a rotating screen, reversible, Wi-Fi rubber movable antenna, and sealed rubber-membrane keyboard.
Input and port
- Keyboard impermeable membrane, adjusted to the location where it will be distributed. Multiplication and sharing symbols are included. The keyboard is designed for small children's hands.
- Five-button cursor control buttons; four directional keys plus Enter
- The four "Game Buttons" (functionally PgUp, PgDn, Home, and End) are modeled after the PlayStation Controller layout (,,,, and).
- Touchpad for mouse control and handwriting input
- Built-in color camera, to the right of the screen, VGA resolution (640ÃÆ' â € "480)
- Built-in stereo speakers
- Built-in microphone
- Audio based on AC'97 codec, with jack for external stereo speakers and microphone, Line-out, and Mic-in
- Three external USB 2.0 ports.
Over twenty different keyboards have been laid out, to fit local needs to customize a standard keyboard for the country in which the laptop is intended. About half of it has been produced for prototype machines. There are parts of the world that do not have a standard keyboard that represents their language. As Negroponte states this is "because there is no real commercial interest in creating a keyboard". One example in which OLPC has bridged this gap is creating an Amharic keyboard for Ethiopia. For some languages, the keyboard is the first one created for that language.
Negroponte has demanded that the keyboard does not contain a caps lock key, which frees up the keyboard space for new keys like a "view source" key in the future.
Under the keyboard there is a large area that resembles a very wide touchpad called Jepsen as "mousepad". The capacitive part of the mousepad is the GlidePoint Alps trackpad, which is in the middle of all three sensors and can be used with fingers. The full width is a resistive sensor which, although never supported by the software, is intended for use with the stylus. This unusual feature is eliminated in the CL1A hardware revision due to an erratic pointer movement. Alps Electronics provides the capacitive and resistive components of mousepad.
Release history
The first XO prototype, shown in 2005, has a built-in hand crank generator to charge the battery. The XO-1 beta, released in early 2007, uses a separate hand crank generator.
XO-1 was released in late 2007.
- Power options: solar panel.
- CPU: 433 MHz x86 AMD Geode LX-700 at 0.8 watts, with integrated graphics controller
- 256 MB Dual (DDR266) DRAM 133Ã, MHz (in 2006 specification called 128Ã, MB RAM)
- 1024 kB (1 MB) flash ROM with Open-source Open Firmware
- 1024 MB SLC NAND flash memory (in 2006 specs called flash memory 512Ã, MB)
- Average battery life of three hours
XO 1.5 was released in early 2010.
- Via/x86 CPU 4.5 W
- Fewer physical parts
- Low power consumption
- Power options: solar panels.
- CPU: 400 MHz to 1000 MHz x86 VIA C7 at 0.8 watts, with integrated graphics controller
- 512 to 1024 MB DRAM 133Ã, MHz Double (DDR266)
- 1024 kB (1 MB) flash ROM with Open-source Open Firmware
- 4 GB of SLC NAND flash memory (expandable, microSD)
- Average battery life of 3-5 hours (varies with active delay)
XO 1.75 began to be developed in 2010, with full production starting in February 2012.
- 2 watts ARM CPU
- Fewer physical parts, power consumption 40% lower.
- Power options: solar panels.
- CPU: 400 MHz to 1000 MHz Marvell ARM Fleet 610 at 0.8 watts, with integrated graphics controller
- 1024 to 2048 MB DDR3 (TBD)
- 1024 TBD kB (1 MB) flash ROM with open-source Open Firmware
- 4-8 GB of flash memory SLC NAND (expandable, microSD)
- Accelerometer
- Average battery life of 5-10 hours
XO 2, previously scheduled for release in 2010, was canceled for supporting XO 3. With a target price of $ 75, it has an elegant, lightweight, and folding multi-touch screen design. Hardware will be open source and sold by various manufacturers. The choice of operating system (Windows XP or Linux) is meant outside the United States. The target price of $ 150 in the United States includes two computers, one donated.
OLPC XO-3 is scheduled for release at the end of 2012. This was canceled because it supports XO-4. It features a solid-color multi-touch screen design, and solar panels on the cover or bag.
XO 4 is a refresh of XO 1 to 1.75 with newer ARM CPUs and an optional touch screen. This model will not be available for consumer sales. There is a mini HDMI port to allow connection to the screen.
The XO Tablet is designed by Vivitar's third party, rather than OLPC, and is based on the Android platform while all previous XO models are based on Sugar that runs on top of Fedora. It is commercially available and has been used in OLPC projects.
Software
Countries are expected to remove and add software to customize the best laptops with local laws and educational needs. As provided by OLPC, all software on laptops will be free and open source. All core software is meant to be translated into the target country's languages. The underlying software includes:
- The Fedora Linux version is split up as an operating system, with students receiving root access (although it usually does not operate in that mode).
- Open Firmware, written in Forth variant
- A simple, custom web browser based on the Gecko engine used by Mozilla Firefox.
- A word processor based on AbiWord.
- Email through web-based Gmail service.
- Online chats and VoIP programs.
- Python 2.5 is the main programming language used to develop "Activity" Sugar. Several other interpreted programming languages ​​are included, such as JavaScript, Csound, eToys versions of Squeak, and Turtle Art
- Music scrambler with digital instrument: Jean PichÃÆ' Â © TamTam
- Audio and video player software: Totem or Helix.
Laptops use the graphical user interface Sugar, written in Python, above the X Window System and Matchbox window manager. This interface is not based on a typical desktop metaphor but presents a program and document icon display as well as a map-like view of a nearby connected user. The current active program is displayed in full screen mode. Many Sugar core interfaces use icons, bypassing localization issues. Sugar is also defined as having no folders in the UI.
Steve Jobs has offered Mac OS X for free to use on laptops, but according to Seymour Papert, an emeritus professor at MIT who was one of the founders of the initiative, the designers wanted an operating system that could be tinkered with: "We refuse because it's not open source. "Therefore, Linux is selected. However, after an agreement with Microsoft, the laptop will now be offered with Windows XP along with an open source alternative.
Jim Gettys, in charge of laptop system software, has asked for programmer re-education, saying that many apps use too much memory or even leaked memory. "There seems to be a common mistake among programmers who use good memory: on hardware today it is often quicker to recalculate the value than to have memory reference to get precomputed values.A full cache could cache hundreds of cycles, and hundreds of times the power consumption of the instruction that hits in the first level cache. "
On August 4, 2006, the Wikimedia Foundation announced that a static copy of the selected Wikipedia article will be included on the laptop. Jimmy Wales, chairman of the Wikimedia Foundation, said that "The OLPC mission is in line with our goal of distributing free, encyclopedic knowledge to everyone in the world, not everyone in the world has access to broadband connections." Negroponte had previously suggested he wanted to see Wikipedia on a laptop. Wales feels that Wikipedia is one of the "killer apps" for this device.
Don Hopkins announced that he created a free and open source port of the game SimCity to OLPC with the blessing of Will Wright and Electronic Arts, and demonstrating SimCity running on OLPC at the Game Developer Conference in March 2007. SimCity's free and open plan source confirmed at the same conference by SJ Klein, content director for OLPC, who also asked game developers to create "frameworks and scripting environments - a tool their children can use to create their own content."
The laptop's security architecture, known as Bitfrost, was introduced publicly in February 2007. No password required for regular use of the machine. The program is assigned a specific bundle of rights at the time of installation that governs their access to resources; users can later add more rights. Optionally, laptops can be configured to request a lease from a central server and stop functioning when this lease expires; This is designed as a theft prevention mechanism.
The pre-8.20 software version was criticized for its poor wireless connectivity and other minor issues.
Implementation
XO-1 was nicknamed ceibalita in Uruguay after the Ceibal project.
Reception and review
The hand crank system for turning on the laptop was abandoned by the designers shortly after it was announced, and the internet-sharing approach of "net" underperformed and then dropped. Bill Gates of Microsoft criticized the quality of the screen.
Some program critics would prefer less money spent on technology and more money spent on clean water and "real school". Some supporters worry about the lack of plans to teach students. The program is based on constructivism, which is the idea that, if they have the tools, children will know how to do things themselves. Others want children to learn the Microsoft Windows operating system, rather than the lightweight OLPC Linux derivative, with the belief that children will use Microsoft Windows in their careers. Intel's Classmate PC uses Microsoft Windows and sells for US $ 200 to $ 400.
The project is known as a "$ 100 laptop", but initially cost US $ 130 for a bare-bones laptop, and then the price went up to $ 180 in the next revision. The solid-state alternative to hard drives is sturdy, meaning laptops can be dropped at lower risk of damage - though laptops are more damaged than expected - but they are expensive, so machines have limited storage capacity.
See also
Note
References
- Laptop Repair Service
External links
- Official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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