NY Times Review of XO Computer
David Pogue of the New York Times has posted both a written and video review of the XO Computer from the One Laptop Per Child project. Originally called the “$100 laptop”, the device is currently costing $188. The review, however, does a great job of pointing out what a truly revolutionary device it is, and it incorporates many technologies that aren’t available in any other device.
It also illustrates the value of shooting for improbable goals. Nicholas Negroponte has been the target of an enormous amount of criticism and derision for trying to create a $100 laptop. Even now, many are making quite a bit out of the fact that they didn’t hit their target price, and it’s almost twice what they had shot for. However, creating such an incredibly capable machine for $188 would have seemed just as improbable a goal four years ago, and it is a far more sophisticated device than I think anyone would have imagined. I think the XO computer and the technologies it incorporates have the potential to change the face of computing, thanks to the determination of a community of people to reach an improbable goal for the benefit of children.