A team of US-based researchers, backed by a billionaire, have re-invented the computer in an attempt to revolutionise education in the developing world.
The engineers who designed the energy efficient laptop have thrown out a whole host of conventional ideas in order to produce a computer that will be useful in nations where electricity is in short supply.
Prototype laptop
Dubbed the $100 laptop, though the first models are more likely to cost $170, the light and robust machine outwardly resembles a toy but look inside and it reveals itself to be a very serious device.
At its heart is a processor running at 433 Mhz - fast enough to write an essay, surf the internet, or make a video call.
Power saving
This is throttled back so it stays cool on its own without the need for a power guzzling fan. It is the first of many tricks that ensure the battery can power the laptop for 13 hours.
More energy is saved by removing the need for a backlight on the display. It uses natural light so it can be read in brilliant sunshine.
The coup de grace is that when the computer goes to sleep and the CPU is hibernating the screen is still readable.
Data design
The engineers have also re-thought storage.
"One of the things in laptops that take up a lot of power is actually the hard drive. It is actually spinning around as a motor. It just uses up a lot of power," said OLPC designer Chris Blizzard.
"...there are no moving parts that require motors. It also has to do with reliability but it is mostly to do with power at this point.
"And there is a storage chip that is on the motherboard where you put your files instead of a hard drive."
Students with laptops at a school in Nigeria
Field testing of the laptops was done in Nigeria and Brazil
The XO operating system for the OLPC is custom built and adapted from Linux to slash the amount of power the chip requires. It uses applications which make far fewer demands on the processor than in a conventional computer.
The laptop is expected to be used in schools so educational programs feature heavily in its software roster.
It also has onboard programs familiar to even the most sophisticated users in the developed world, like a web browser, adapted from Firefox.
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