Laptop Organization to Create a Tablet Computing Device
In a bid to make a stronger impact in the tech world, the non-profit organization One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) is entering the tablet PC market with the upcoming release of the XO-3.
The tablet, set to be unveiled at CES 2011, is expected to hit the market by 2012. OLPC has received fresh funding of $5.6 million from Marvell, a chip and electronic component maker, to help facilitate the development of the XO-3.
The XO-3 is expected to run on the Google's Android operating system, marking a departure from the Linux-based operating systems used in previous XO devices. This decision could help OLPC tap into the vast Android app ecosystem, potentially increasing the tablet's appeal.
However, the success of the XO laptops has been disappointing compared to the Intel's Classmate PC. Sales figures suggest that the XO laptops have not been as popular, with only 1.4 million units sold, significantly less than the numbers shipped for the Intel's Classmate PC.
Despite this, OLPC remains confident in creating a tablet for the mass market. The organization is planning to move towards the development of more mainstream products, possibly motivated by the lack of impact made by the XO laptops.
The XO-3 tablet is intended to offer superior performance while keeping costs minimal, a challenge that OLPC has faced in the past with the XO laptops. The initial venture to develop the $99 XO laptops did not make a significant impact, with the final product costing around $199.
As of now, there are no recent official announcements detailing the finalized development plans or the operating system that will be used on the new XO tablet. The Marvell's Moby device is likely to serve as the base for the XO-3 tablet, but this is yet to be confirmed.
Stay tuned for more updates on the development and release of the XO-3 tablet from One Laptop Per Child.
- With the impending release of the XO-3, One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) is venturing into the tablet PC market, hoping to move away from the underwhelming sales of their XO laptops and increase their appeal by tapping into the Android app ecosystem.
- As OLPC expands their product portfolio to include the XO-3 tablet, they aim to offer superior performance at minimal cost, a challenge they faced with the XO laptops, where the initially planned $99 price point ultimately settled at around $199.
