
Negroponte Unveils 2nd Generation OLPC Laptop: It’s an E-Book - nickb
http://www.xconomy.com/2008/05/20/negroponte-unveils-2nd-generation-olpc-laptop-its-an-e-book/
======
xirium
10 days ago, I wrote "In two years, we'll probably have a device which is a
mix of laptop, mobile telephone and Nintendo DS. It would be a clamshell
design with two 11 inch screens with the bottom one being touch sensitive." (
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=186508> ).

I had something like one of the OLPC's mock-ups (
[http://www.xconomy.com/2008/05/20/negroponte-unveils-2nd-
gen...](http://www.xconomy.com/2008/05/20/negroponte-unveils-2nd-generation-
olpc-laptop-its-an-e-book/xo-20-laptop-concept-showing-touch-screen-keyboard/)
) in mind.

------
notdarkyet
Wow, this is actually a huge turn away from the direction that the original
OLPC took. The fact that it will cost only $75 to make is extremely
impressive. Somehow I find this hard to believe that they are going this
route. How long could the battery life be for a device that has two huge DVD
lcd's? This announcement really reflects the intentions of Negroponte and
maybe he never really had 3rd world counties children in mind. I have to
imagine that it would be tough to learn to touch type using a touchscreen with
no tactile response mechanisms.

~~~
xirium
> Wow, this is actually a huge turn away from the direction that the original
> OLPC took.

Yes, and possibly premature. I hope Nicholas Negrponte doesn't repeat Adam
Osborne, who boasted so much about the features of his Osborne 2 that few
purchased his Osborne 1 and it bankrupted his company. "It is said that in
1983, Adam Osborne bragged about two advanced new computers his company was
developing. These statements destroyed consumer demand for the Osborne 1, and
the resulting inventory glut forced Osborne Computer to file for bankruptcy on
September 13, 1983." -- <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Osborne>

> I have to imagine that it would be tough to learn to touch type using a
> touchscreen with no tactile response mechanisms.

A variant of the DynaBook ( <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynabook> ) was
supposed to have a vapourware transparent piezo matrix over the screen to
provide a tactile response. Alan Kay, who conceived the DynaBook, has been
involved with the OLPC Project.

------
pdubroy
I really doubt that touch typing on a touchscreen is feasible, especially for
young children who have limited motor abilities. The existing XO keyboard is
hard enough to type on as it is.

