Nicholas Negroponte, Co-Founder and director of MIT Media Laboratory, is the brains behind One Laptop Per Child. OLPC's goal was to create the XO Laptop, a low cost device that would advance the education of children world wide. While the initial mission statement was to provide a $100 laptop, increased costs have brought it up to $200 if you're donating the laptop. If you're looking to purchase one for yourself, the cost is $400 for an XO Laptop.

These computers aren't meant to be used like the Asus eee pc is, rather their intended purpose is for education. The design and configuration reflects the desire to optimize this computer as a learning device over all else. It's small size offers portability over a desktop that while cheaper, would require the child having one in the classroom and at home.

Based on the concept of worldwide use, the XO Laptop comes equiped with broadband WiFi which also acts in a daisy chain fashion to provide connectivity where there otherwise wouldn't be. It's power input is also set at 12v so it can be easily converted for use with nearly any power source of that output.

This first model has been put to use in over 10 different countries to test the benefits it will bring to the children using it. With it's entire software base consisting of free open source software, the flexibility to develop country specific uses for the laptop will be easy to accomplish. As it's success has flourished, OLPC hasn't given up on their goal of a $100 system. By fine tuning their existing product, you may just see that becoming a reality from the second generation XO Laptop.

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