The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) foundation has been completely focused on building a computer at the lowest possible cost to spread the computer wisdom in developing countries. The goal was to design a computer that would not cost more than 100 USD and even if the final result, XO-1, was more expensive than so, it hopes to lower the costs of the next generation XO laptop. It has now revealed that circuit manufacturer VIA is one of the new additions to XO Gen 1.5 that through new hardware will lower the price of OLPC's portable computer.
The update of XO has ditched AMD's Geode processor in favor of a VIA C7-M processor that will operate at frequencies from 400MHz up to 1GHz. When the computer doesn't require much power it downclocks to 400MHz and there it consumes only 1.5W.
VIA will pair the C7 processor with its just new VX855 chipset that houses everything from HD video decoding to 3D graphics and multi-channel audio. Since all is housed in a single chip it reduces power consumption and cost in one swift motion. OLPC will also upgrade the network chips and the OLPC operating system.
"Overall, the target is to match the Gen 1 XO-1 in power consumption while making aggressive suspend easier, and in price (while changing to components which are more likely to decrease in price). It is likely that both goals can be met."
OLPC OX Gen 1.5 will become available to software developers and testing in August 2009, when it will appear in the hands of the needing is uncertain. XO Gen 1.5 is not the same as XO Gen 2.0 that recently appeared.
OLPC XO-1
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OLPC picks VIA for next generation XO laptop
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