14 DAY TRIAL // I just brought you news that OLPC has announced two new child-friendly tablets at CES 2014. But in order to encourage educational endeavors even further, the organization is bringing out a funny looking laptop which is supposed to woo children into devoting more time to studying activities.
Meet the OLPC XO 4 laptop (produced by Marvell), a lappy that features a handle and can be carried around like a school bag. Don’t expect the XO laptop to be a powerhouse, but the Marvell 1.2GHz dual-core ARM processor does a good job at loading content, albeit it’s a bit laggy when scrolling through lists, reports Engadget.
The XO features an infrared screen, especially designed to accommodate little fingers and the laptop can be used together with a small keyboard.
OLPC also offers a couple of science-friendly accessories to go with the mini-laptop. For example, we have a telescope which can be attached to the XO’s side, taking advantage of the device’s camera.
And for the little ones passionate about biology, OLPC offers a microscope with a base that connects directly to the laptop's USB ports.
Both science-peripherals run Fedora-based software created by the company. Pricing for the laptop hasn't been public yet, but the telescope should come sporting a meager $10 / €7 price tag.