OLPC Hands-On Shows You Still Get Plenty For Your $188

Reading LAPTOP Magazine's hands-on experience of the OLPC (formerly the $100 laptop, currently the $188 laptop) the one thing that leaped out at me was the ease of networking.  Designed for use in areas sometimes disconnected from the internet, the OLPC relies on mesh networks of interconnected units that – if their experience is anything to go by – blows networking on "grown up" computers out of the water.  One-click to create a shared environment - magic!

Still, the OLPC is more than just an easily-linked mini-notebook; it's looking to be a gadget wasted on the kids!  While it'll get its (un)fair share of negative press for the 88% price jump, if this initial hands-on report is anything to go by they've put a whole lot of thought into making something as innovative as it is solid.

"The XO laptop left us wanting not only more hands-on time but a machine of our own. Its altruistic purpose, along with its blend of convenient collaboration tools, clever hardware, and innovative operating system makes this machine worthy of the global recognition it's receiving. In its own way, the XO is more of a catalyst for technological change than Apple's iPhone" LAPTOP Magazine

Hands-on with OLPC's XO [LAPTOP Magazine]