OLPC XO hardware gets previewed

It's no secret that we here at DailyTechRag are keen on the OLPC project's $100 $175 $188 XO laptop, so it's encouraging to finally see what looks like a final version of the hardware landing in the hands of a reviewer. The folks over at Laptop Magazine decided to stop by OLPC's secret laboratory in Boston and got some hands-on time with the little green device. "At first sight, the OLPC's XO laptop looks like a prop on Nickelodeon's Double Dare," Laptop writes. "It wasn't until we opened the sturdy lid of the laptop, by pulling up the two rubber rabbit-ear-like antennae, that we realized this machine is no toy." Laptop seemed especially impressed by the machine's small form factor ("About the size of a small textbook"), light weight, dual-mode display, sturdy design and green charging options (including a pull-string and a solar panel). The XO tested was not without its share of problems, however, the most notable being slowdown when switching between applications (the OLPC Sugar OS team claims that they're working to remedy this). Despite that minor gripe, it looks like the XO is all set to give students in developing nations more than their money's worth.

For more hands-on impressions of the XO:
- see this preview from Laptop Magazine