OLPC Splinter-Group Promises $75 Laptop Rival
In yet another bizarre twist to the unravelling OLPC saga, former-CTO Mary Lou Jepsen has established a rival company – Pixel Qi – and announced plans to develop and market a $75 laptop using low-power displays she patented while working on the One Laptop Per Child project.
Advertisement
"Spinning out from OLPC enables the development of a new machine, beyond the XO, while leveraging a larger market for new technologies, beyond just OLPC: prices for next-generation hardware can be brought down by allowing multiple uses of the key technology advances" Pixel Qi statement
Despite criticism voiced at her departure from OLPC a fortnight ago, that she was exploiting the not-for-profit ethos of Nicholas Negroponte's initial scheme, Jepsen maintains that she will continue to provide key products to them "at cost", while leveraging commercial applications elsewhere. Pixel Qi sees applications of its technology in mainstream laptops, cellphones and digital cameras.