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Breakthrough hardware
=====================
To educate every child in the remotest regions of the world, the XO
laptop's hardware faces stringent constraints. The laptops must be
powerful and responsive to allow writing and drawing, experiments with
images and music, learning from and sharing with the world wide web.
They must be extremely power-efficient, small and light enough for
young children to carry. They must be bright and readable night and
day, always communicating with each-other. And they must be available
to resource-strapped nations for a small fraction of the price of
traditional laptops.
* Have a short blurb about each of the other main pages in this
section (display, network, durable/low power, other hardware,
design, low cost)
* * *
Revolutionary new display
=========================
separate paragraphs on the following:
* power efficient,
* two modes,
* sunlight-readable,
* cheap!
waiting to see if mary lou sends back any feedback to write this part.
* * *
Network
=======
An individual laptop is a potent learning tool, but several laptops
together become instruments of both group collaboration and global
communication. XO's unusually-powerful wireless chips form an
ad-hoc mesh network out-of-the-box, allowing the type of group
participation rarely seen in software activities other than games.
When combined with an internet-connected school server, allow children
to interact with the world.
Mesh network hardware
---------------------
The XO
* Talk about the tech in the wireless devices: lower power, longer
distance.
* New wireless 802.11 spec, automatic discovery, etc. etc.
* Not sure if collaborative software should be listed separately
under this hardware section, or just linked here, and explained in
the software section.
Internet connectivity
---------------------
* Discuss IPV6, etc.
* Discuss any infrastructure having to do with school servers, etc.
* * *
Built for the countryside
=========================
Laptops today are designed to be used indoors: their screens can barely
be seen in the sunlight, their limited batteries keep users tethered to
an electrical socket, their wireless devices only work within 100 meters
of a base station, their internal moving parts can't handle shakes or
drops, and they are vulnerable to dirt and grime. The XO laptop is
ready for desert and jungle, sturdy as a tank and so power-efficient
they can run on human power.
Ready for a hike
----------------
With their ability to run on human power alone, their gorgeous
sunlight-readable displays, and mesh network, the XO laptops, alone or
in groups, can be carried to windswept peaks or secluded valleys. Even
miles away from internet access or electrical outlets, the XOs are
potent learning machines, day and night; during the day, their displays
can be switched to reflective mode, while at night, two LEDs can be
switched on to illuminate the keyboard. The laptops' persistent ad-hoc
mesh network enables students to collaborate even when cut off from
their school servers.
Low-power components
--------------------
For a mobile device in rural areas, low power usage is essential. To
that end, the XO laptop's display, processor, wireless networking, and
storage use far less power than previous computers.
* Preferably mention specific stats on how much power each
component uses. Compare to traditional laptop components. Add
sentence about no moving parts including no fan.
Cutting-edge power management
-----------------------------
To minimize power usage, the XO laptop's software and hardware will
cooperate to an unprecedented degree. After a few seconds of
inactivity, the XO will suspend to RAM, completely shutting down its
CPU. And because the wireless chip and screen can continue
independently, children will never notice. At the touch of a key,
the laptop will spring to life after 50 milliseconds, an imperceptible
delay, continuing as if the CPU had been running all along. For
reading books, with the display in reflective mode, this aggressive
power management will extend battery life to days or weeks, rather than
hours.
Human power
-----------
Because the laptop is so unprecedentedly power-efficient, it can run on
muscle-power when no power outlets are at hand. OLPC is currently
experimenting with various human power systems, including a hand crank,
a pull-cord, and a foot pedal. Even young children should be able to
wind the machine for a minute, and then use it for ten.
Rugged
------
The XO is one of the hardiest laptops ever designed. In a conventional
laptop, the parts most likely to fail are the hard drive, with its
fragile rapidly-spinning platter, and its internal connectors. The XO
laptop completely does away with moving parts such as hard drives and
CD drives, opting for smaller, vastly more durable, solid-state flash
memory. And the laptop has only two internal connectors, a feat
achieved by putting as many components as possible on the machine's
motherboard. For children, this means that the laptop will operate
perfectly on bumpy bus rides, and will be protected against
accidental drops.
But the internals aren't the only thing protecting the XO laptop. Every
aspect of the machine has been carefully engineered to maximize its
durability. Its colorful plastic shell is a sturdy 2.0 millimeters
thick--50% thicker than the standard 1.3 millimeters. The hinge between
display and keyboard is sturdier than usual. And the keyboard surface
is a single rubber sheet, ready to protect against dirt and grime, with
none of the usual gaps between keys.
* * *
A digital Swiss Army knife
==========================
Though the XO is designed for children, it is no toy. With a built in
camera, speakers, dual-mode touchpad, and USB ports, the laptop is
fully-featured, and ready for action. A mobile typewriter, photo lab,
recording studio, million-volume library, and instant worldwide post
office, the XO is ready to train the future artists, scientists,
professionals, and statesmen of the developing world.
Built-in camera
---------------
After learning to look through the lens of a camera, the world never
appears quite the same. And soon every child will gain the capability
to
A digital camera is built in to the front of every XO laptop. Able to
capture still photographs or video at 640×480 pixel resolution,
the camera will allow children to share pictures of themselves and their
communities with each-other, and with the world.
Double-use touchpad
-------------------
A single finger makes an excellent pointer, but drawing is easier with
a pen. Thus the XO's extra-wide touchpad can handle both sources of
input. It's middle third is a capacative regular touchpad, just like
those on every other laptop in the world. But the whole touchpad can
also be used with a stylus as a resistive graphics tablet. Children
will be able to easily practice handwriting, painting, and signing their
names using pen input.
Keyboard
--------
The OLPC project has the chance to rethink the keyboard layout for the
first time in decades. Because children in the emerging world have no
preconceptions about keyboard behavior, and because the XO has no
requirement to run decades-old software, expunging obsolete keys from
the keyboard has no ill effects. For instance, the valuable space
where the worthless *Caps Lock* key has rested for 25 years can finally
be reclaimed by the *Control* key. Furthermore, useless keys such as
*Pause* and *Scroll Lock* can be eliminated in favor of a *View Source*
key, which will allow children to view, with a single keypress, the
source code the currently running software. The XO laptop's keyboard
will be localized into the native language of each country, and
children will be able to read and communicate in their native tongues.
* This isn't great; can use a clean up.
Audio in/out
------------
To fully unleash their advanced musical education software, honed
through decades of development at MIT, the XO laptops feature a built-in
microphone, and stereo speakers. When connected to their mesh network,
each laptop becomes an instrument in an entire ensemble. And the laptop
features audio input and output jacks, so if volume is required,
a family's stereo can easily be attached. Moreover, audio input jacks
aren't just for microphones. As general analog inputs, they can be
attached to any kind of sensor, turning an XO into a mobile physics
laboratory.
USB and SD card expansion
-------------------------
Though the laptop is a self-contained learning platform, its
capabilities can easily be augmented by external devices. Three USB
ports can connect the XO with every type of perhipheral device, from
hard drives to printers, digital cameras, and cell phones. An SD card
slot can provide a large increase in the available storage space.
* * *
Kid-ready case design
=====================
Childrens' needs remain unmet by most laptops on the market. Machines
designed for adults are larger and heavier than children can
comfortably carry or use on their laps. Their industrial design is
uninviting. Children need new smaller, lighter, more playful designs,
specifically designed for tiny fingers and smiling faces.
* Put here all the info about the case design history and goals,
small size/weight, colorful, etc.
* ebook mode. kids can curl up with these things under a tree
and read, etc.
* I don't know what we want to say about the industrial design guys,
etc. We should probably link to their pages, try to represent
their thoughts about the process, etc.
* I'm not sure whether we want to discuss issues like laptop tilt,
the handle, the antennae, etc. If such features are going to be
mentioned on the main site, this is the subpage for it though.
* * *
Low cost
========
* Not sure this needs its own section, but it would maybe be useful;
the low cost of the laptops is one of the main hardware selling
points.
* This section, if we include it, can be pretty simple. It would be
nice to just give an approximate breakdown of all the hardware
costs, and a comparison of each component to the amount a similar
component costs on a conventional laptop, along with some total
dollar amounts, where the conventional laptop obviously has some
extra costs associated with MS Windows and so on.
* * *
Specifications
==============
Physical dimensions
-------------------
* Dimensions: 193mm x 229mm x 64mm (as of 3/27/06---subject to change)
* Weight: Less than 1.5 KG (target only---subject to change)
* Configuration: Convertible laptop with pivoting, reversible
display; dirt- and moisture-resistant system enclosure
Core electronics
----------------
* CPU: [AMD Geode GX-500@1.0W][25] ([datasheet][26])
* CPU clock speed: 366 Mhz
* Compatibility: X86/X87-compatible
* Chipset: [AMD CS5536 South Bridge][27] ([datasheet][28])
* Graphics controller: Integrated with Geode CPU; unified memory
architecture
* Embedded controller (for production), ENE KB3700:
Image:[KB3700-ds-01.pdf][29]
* DRAM memory: 128 MiB dynamic RAM
* Data rate: Dual - DDR266 - 133 Mhz
* BIOS: 1024KB SPI-interface flash ROM; LinuxBIOS open-source BIOS;
Open Firmware bootloader
* Mass storage: 512 MiB SLC NAND flash, high speed flash controller
* Drives: No rotating media
[25]: http://www.amd.com/us-en/ConnectivitySolutions/ProductInformation/0,,50_2330_9863_9864,00.html
[26]: http://www.amd.com/files/connectivitysolutions/geode/geode_gx/31505E_gx_databook.zip
[27]: http://www.amd.com/us-en/ConnectivitySolutions/ProductInformation/0,,50_2330_9863_9864%5E13054,00.html
[28]: http://www.amd.com/files/connectivitysolutions/geode/geode_lx/33238f_cs5536_ds.zip
[29]: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Image:KB3700-ds-01.pdf
Display
-------
* Liquid-crystal display: 7.5" Dual-mode TFT display
* Viewing area: 152.4 mm x 114.3 mm
* Resolution: 1200 (H) x 900 (V) resolution (200 dpi)
* Mono display: High-resolution, reflective monochrome mode
* Color display: Standard-resolution, quincunx-sampled, transmissive
color mode
* Special "[DCON][30]" chip, that enables deswizzling and
anti-aliasing in color mode, while enabling the display to remain
live with the processor suspended.
[30]: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/DCON
Integrated peripherals:
-----------------------
* Keyboard: 70+ keys, 1.2mm stroke; sealed rubber-membrane key-switch
assembly
* [Keyboard Layouts][31]
* Layout pictures - [US International][32], [Thai][33],
[Arabic][34], [Spanish][35] , [Portuguese][36], [Nigeria][37]
* Cursor-control keys: five-key cursor-control pad; four directional
keys plus Enter
* Touchpad: Dual capacitance/resistive touchpad; supports
written-input mode
* Audio: Analog Devices AD1888, AC97-compatible audio codec; stereo,
with dual internal speakers; monophonic, with internal microphone
and using the Analog Devices SSM2211 for audio amplification
* Wireless: Marvell Libertas 88W8388+88W8015, 802.11b/g compatible;
dual adjustable, rotating coaxial antennas; supports diversity
reception
* Status indicators: Power, battery, WiFi; visible lid open or closed
* Video camera: 640x480 resolution, 30FPS
[31]: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_Keyboard_layouts
[32]: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Image:Keyboard_layout.jpg
[33]: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Image:Keyboard_thai.jpg
[34]: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Image:Keyboard_arabic.jpg
[35]: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Image:Keyboard_argentina.jpg
[36]: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Image:Keyboard_brazil.jpg
[37]: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Image:Keyboard_nigeria.jpg
External connectors
-------------------
* Power: 2-pin DC-input, 10 to 25 V, -23 to -10 V
* Line output: Standard 3.5mm 3-pin switched stereo audio jack
* Microphone: Standard 3.5mm 2-pin switched mono microphone jack;
selectable sensor-input mode
* Expansion: 3 Type-A USB-2.0 connectors; SD Card slot
* Maximum power: 500 mA (total)
Battery
-------
* Pack type: 5 Cells, 6V series configuration
* Fully-enclosed "hard" case; user removable
* Capacity: 22.8 Watt-hours
* Cell type: NiMH
* Pack protection: Integrated pack-type identification
* Integrated thermal sensor
* Integrated polyfuse current limiter
* Cycle life: Minimum 2,000 charge/discharge cycles (to 50% capacity
of new, IIRC).
* [Power Management][38] will be critical
[38]: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Power_Management
BIOS/loader
-----------
* [LinuxBIOS][39] is our BIOS for production units; Open Firmware is used as the bootloader.
[39]: http://www.linuxbios.org/index.php/Main_Page
Environmental specifications
----------------------------
* Temperature: somewhere in between typical laptop requirements and
Mil spec; exact values have not been settled
* Humidity: Similar attitude to temperature. When closed, the unit
should seal well enough that children walking to and from school
need not fear rainstorms or dust.
* Altitude: -15m to 3048m (14.7 to 10.1 psia) (operating), -15m to
12192m (14.7 to 4.4 psia) (non-operating
* Shock: 125g, 2ms, half-sine (operating) 200g, 2ms, half-sine
(non-operating)
* Random vibration: 0.75g zero-to-peak, 10Hz to 500Hz, 0.25 oct/min
sweep rate (operating); 1.5g zero-to-peak, 10Hz to 500Hz,
0.5 oct/min sweep rate (nonoperating)
* 2mm plastic walls (1.3mm is typical for most systems).
Regulatory requirements
-----------------------
* The usual US and EU EMI/EMC requirements will be met.
* The laptop and all OLPC-supplied accessories will be fully UL and
is RoHS compliant.