January 9th, 2008
Next up: The $75 laptop
Nicholas Negroponte faile to create the $100 laptop. One Laptop Per Child’s XO laptop sells for just shy of $200. But now an OLPC spin-off says a $75 laptop is within reach, PC World reports.
Former CTO Mary Lou Jepsen has spun out a new company, Pixel Qi, which is aiming at creating a $75 laptop, she writes on the company website.
Pixel Qi is currently pursuing the $75 laptop, while also aiming to bring sunlight readable, low-cost and low-power screens into mainstream laptops, cellphones and digital cameras.
Spinning out from OLPC enables the development of a new machine, beyond the XO, while leveraging a larger market for new technologies, beyond just OLPC: prices for next-generation hardware can be brought down by allowing multiple uses of the key technology advances. Pixel Qi will give OLPC products at cost, while also selling the sub-systems and devices at a profit for commercial use.
She told IDG that she left to commercialize technologies she invented with OLPC, including a display system optimized for low-power operation. Prices for next-generation hardware can be brought down by allowing multiple uses of key technology advances, she wrote.
As CTO of OLPC, Jepsen was responsible for hardware development for the rugged and power-saving XO laptop, designed for use by children in developing countries. Some people charge her with taking advantage of OLPC or alternatively of jumping a sinking ship.
