CES 2013: OLPC XO Learning Tablet Launched by Vivitar

The One Laptop Per Child organization has been fairly quiet for the past few months, but then again it never actually made a habit of speaking up very often. Instead, it waits until it has a new product for sale, like now.

Still, OLPC won't actually be selling the product now on show at CES 2013. Instead, a provider of photographic, audio and optic devices called Vivitar will sell it.

The tablet is called XO Learning Tablet and is the culmination of a project that OLPC started three years ago.

It isn't the flexible, sheet-like gadget that the foundation originally envisioned, but it is a match in all other respects.

The official press release doesn't talk about the hardware of The XO Learning Tablet, although it did invest quite a few words into the learning software covering ages 3 to 12. The “Learning” name actually comes from the Learning software suite.

Children can choose dreams that have to do with professions and make vague ideas of what they would do after growing up.

For those who just need hardware details though, OLPC was nice enough to release a new laptop as well, called XO 4.0 touch.

This notebook uses a Marvell ARMADA PXA2128 multicore application processor (with hybrid-SMP technology running at 1 GHz), the Marvell Avastar 88W8787 highly integrated SoC, and Neonode touch screen technology with multi-sensing capabilities.

“We are pleased to be launching XO Learning and the XO Learning Tablet. OLPCA pioneered the inexpensive netbook for learning, and that concept remains viable today, particularly with the new touch screen version,” said Rodrigo Arboleda, chairman and CEO of OLPCA Association.

“The XO 4.0 is still the only laptop that is designed for children. It is reparable by a child with only a screwdriver. It now has the latest Marvell hybrid-core processor and Noenode’s latest touch screen technology.”