The head of the OLPC foundation, Nicholas Negroponte, has unveiled the second generation of the OLPC XO laptop, which will be called the XO-2.
Details about the XO-2’s hardware was short on the ground, but the new system has two touch-sensitive displays. Half the size of the original machine, the XO-2 will offer a foldable e-book form factor. “The next generation laptop should be a book”, Negroponte said.
The XO-2 will offer dual indoor-and-sunlight displays, that, when in vertical format will take the form of right and left pages, but in horizontal mode, will become a a flat, two-screen surface for tablet-esque use.
"Younger children will be able to use simple keyboards to get going, and older children will be able to switch between keyboards customized for applications as well as for multiple languages", is the thinking behind the design.
According to Negroponte, the XO-2 is scheduled to be released in 2010 with a $75 price point, something raising eyebrows in the tech world considering that the original, much less specced model never made it to the $100 price point promised.