[IAEP] [support-gang] Questions about the new XO Tablet and Software

[C. Scott Ananian]

These questions deserve a complete response, but I don't have all the
answers myself.  (I'm "OLPC Foundation", not "OLPC Association".)

The short version of the story is that OLPC-A has licensed out the XO name
to two groups, in an effort to increase the penetration of the OLPC ideas.
 One group created the "XO Learning" environment, which is a skinned
version of Android loaded with a bunch of licensed educational software
(from sesame street, little pim, etc).  The other group created the "XO
Learning tablet", which is to be sold in large quantities at Walmart.  The
"XO Learning tablet" runs the "XO Learning environment", and I think the
idea is that eventually there may be multiple hardware licensees running
the "XO Learning environment" being sold by various retailers.  This would
allow price competition to bring down the price of educational tablets for
1st world retail sale.

The software isn't really "by OLPC", more like "inspired by and licensed
from OLPC".  That said, it doesn't look half-bad in the demos.  I'm
cautiously optimistic this might get some good educational content in front
of another 200,000 or so kids.  Fingers crossed...
  --scott

-- 
      ( http://cscott.net )
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