ARM Powered OLPC XO-1.75 Laptop Is Faster Than X86

Charbax writes "Not only is power consumption halved to less than two Watts and price of the motherboard reduced, the performance of the next generation OLPC Laptop is actually better for running full Fedora Linux compared to x86. Here's a video interviewing OLPC's CTO, Edward J. McNierney, where he explains how and why OLPC's world class engineers are making this change of CPU architecture. If OLPC XO-1 threatened Intel enough to start the netbook market and has reached two million poor kids in third-world countries thus far, XO-1.75 may help start the ARM-powered Linux laptop market. Do you think Fedora/Sugar will do, or should OLPC attract Chrome OS and Android solutions for education to get faster help from the big boys of Silicon Valley in bringing Linux software successfully to the next billion PC/laptop users?"

Re:I want ARM power!

[Charbax]

I also filmed a 14" 2Ghz ARM Cortex-A9 laptop at CES, see here: http://armdevices.net/2011/01/07/nufront-arm-powered-laptops/ [armdevices.net] In Europe Toshiba has released the best looking ARM Cortex-A9 Tegra2 Powered 10.1" Laptop, it's available for 160 euros for new (sub $200 retail price, consider Europeans pay approx 25% taxes). The only problem with that Toshiba AC-100 is current lack of decent laptop-oriented software, the Android that's loaded on it is not mature enough and Toshiba is very secretive about software update status. That Toshiba AC-100 has been rooted and impressive hackers have loaded Ubuntu on it but it's buggy for now, sound doesn't work yet for example, and it's risky to install, some people have bricked their units doing it. Shuttleworth said at recent Ubuntu conference that the Toshiba AC-100 is his favorite device. Much more may be coming soon in ARM Powered laptop segment. You can follow my site if you want news, or even post your news on it if you find something.

Re:Android for the masses

[asnelt]

I don't think Android would form the right basis. It was basically designed to be an entertainment consumption OS. It is not designed for IT productivity which would be an important part for kids in third-world countries (not the only one but an essential part). The goal should not be to create countries of consumption drones.

Re:I think you may be over stating things...

[Charbax]

The $100 has always been target that can only be reached once more than 6 million units are mass manufactured, that was always the original idea. Intel tactics though, it has been proven in official state letters, successfully blocked OLPC from reaching countries like Nigeria, China, India, etc. But even though they "only" sold 2 million laptops to children in some of the poorest places in the world, you can find plenty videos online http://olpc.tv/ [olpc.tv] , see how the kids and teachers are using those daily, it's a huge success. I mean comon, OLPC may have deeply changed the lives of 2 million families in more or less very poor third world countries. Sure enough, it'd be better they reached 2 billion kids by now, by they I mean OLPC or anyone else in the industry. It's all about lowering cost and lowering power consumption of laptops and also bringing internet everywhere.

Why android over standard Linux?

[chipwich]

As I've watched Android dominate the tablet market, I'm bothered by the fact that these devices do not give root access without "jailbreaking". Isn't Android a major step toward the very scary world of "Trusted Computing"? That is, the hardware manufacturer, government, or whoever else has power can deny the ability for a user to run a program (or all programs!) at whim. Right out of the box, the user is denied permission to use their hardware in the way that they see fit.

I feel much more comfortable with a full Linux distro that empowers its users, rather than makes them comfortable with someone else holding the keys to their machine. Besided, android hardly seems compatible with the "open" goals of OLPC. A full distro would take advantage of a real JVM and a much richer software eco-structure instead.

Wrong Target.

[crhylove]

I don't want Windows. I don't want Sugar. I don't want Fedora. I don't want Ubuntu. I don't want Anroid with their crappy market.

I want Linux Mint. It's faster, more stable, and more feature filled than any of those OSes out of the box. Dead simple, my mom was even a convert, and it is rock solid. I put Mint on a machine, and never get a tech support call back, which is exactly what I want.

Mint and Forget. And in this case I mean forget the other operating systems. Linux year of the desktop should be 2011, and it should be Mint version 10 which is incredible.

Don't flame me or troll me until you've installed it on 3 or 4 machines. It will shock you. I literally haven't hunted for a driver since the new mint came out. Not one. On about 20 different machines.

The only post format chore I have to do in Mint is make video files default to VLC, change the shortcuts a bit in the start menu, and install audacious and delete rhythmbox. It already has Firefox, Open Office Write, Brasero, Pidgin, and almost every other program an end user needs. Oh, except for Skype. I have to install that often as well.

Re:Android for the masses

[c0lo]

I would prefer to see OLPC provide a path from the XO to a full blown Linux distribution that does not require children to learn a new UI.

Since when being in a position to learn new things is bad for a kid?

Note that it is not the knowledge that's important, but rather to "flex that muscle" involved in learning and make learning (and, if possible, critical thinking) a constant through the life. Something that the westernalized "civilizations", so blinded by efficiency/cost-reduction, have lost the focus long ago - I'd venture to say for as long as 1950-ies [wikipedia.org]. No wonder the "taming" process now called "education" is seen by the kids like a burden and also as a "cost" by the society in general.

No wonder a constructivist like Negroponte, in addition to a very low price, took another radical step: to make the OLPC not feel like a pure laptop but as a tool for leaning. A disputable choice, as there are many other choices leading to the same result, but at least the mission is very well defined [laptop.org]:

To this end, we have designed hardware, content and software for collaborative, joyful, and self-empowered learning. With access to this type of tool, children are engaged in their own education, and learn, share, and create together. They become connected to each other, to the world and to a brighter future.

Also, some other quotes from Negroponte's personal vision:

It's an education project, not a laptop project.

Laptops are both a window and a tool a window into the world and a tool with which to think They are a wonderful way for all children through "learn learning"

.