OLPC resumes 'Give One Get One' program

The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project will resume its "Give One Get One" program, in which consumers will buy for $400 a rugged green-and-white computer and donate a second one to a child in a developing country, reported the Associated Press.

OLPC founder Nicholas Negroponte announced the return of the donor program this week as he disclosed plans for second-generation XO computers. Negroponte was quoted in the AP report as saying that by 2010, OLPC aims to unveil a smaller, more energy-efficient XO version with two touchscreens and a price tag of $75.

The group has so far sold 600,000 XO computers for $188 each. The second run of the donor program will start by midyear and will be open to buyers in Europe and the United States.

Last week, AP also reported that Microsoft Corp. and OLPC have agreed that XO computers could run Windows OS as an option. XO computers have a homegrown interface that is built on Linux OS.

The option for XO computers to have Windows will begin limited runs next month. It will cost $18 to $20 more than the original version—$3 of which is for Windows and the rest covers hardware adjustments, like an additional memory-card slot, required to make Windows run.

In the report, Negroponte said OLPC hopes to sell "dual-boot" XOs, allowing users to have Windows and Linux and choose which to run each time. An additional $10 will be added to the price tag for the dual-booth machines.