OLPC Project (Finally!) Demoing Real Live XO 3.0 Tablet at CES

Well, if Duke Nukem Forever finally came out, why not the XO 3.0? OLPC founder Nicholas Negroponte has announced that the nonprofit will be showcasing the next version of the OLPC at CES this year.

The OLPC, or One Laptop per Child, initiative aims to put cheap, durable computers into the hands of impoverished schoolchildren. The thinking goes that, with computers and internet access to foster learning and skills, underdeveloped regions might be able to fight their crippling economic woes. The first generation of OLPC’s, released in 2007, featured mesh networking so that one internet hotsopt could host an entire community, a long lasting battery, and a low power screen that was readable in daylight.

The XO 1.0 recieved criticism for being only marginally useful to students. Despite that, it has sold millions worldwide, being used by governments in classrooms. The original goal of the computer, a $100.00 laptop that could be given to every student to own, was not realized.

The XO 3.0 aims to change that. Based on a developer board by Mavell, which provides the CPU, GPU, ram and everything a tablet motherboard would need, the OLPC Initiative aims to try again, this time in a tablet form factor. When it was first announced, most people saw it as a foolish dream that, like with what happened with the XO 1.0, could not possibly meet project goals.

We will soon find out, however, if Nick has finally managed to create a killer tablet for less than $100.00 when he finally unveils it at CES.