OLPC XO-1: The price of free
Summary
This episode of Version History explores the rise and fall of the One Laptop per Child (XO-1) initiative, a $100 laptop designed to revolutionize education in developing nations. Hosts discuss the device’s unique features, such as its durable rubber keyboard and dual-mode screen, alongside the ambitious but flawed vision of Nicholas Negroponte and the MIT Media Lab. The narrative highlights the project’s struggles with manufacturing costs, political complexities, and competition from Intel’s Classmate PC and early netbooks. Ultimately, the story examines the tension between techno-utopian i…
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