One Laptop per Child designer Yves Behar (watch his TEDTalk) shares exciting news about the top-to-bottom redesign of the XO laptop — sometimes called the “$100 laptop.” He writes:

With the XO (1.0), we pushed the boundaries of what a laptop could be by lowering the cost dramatically, being green (no heavy metals, lowest energy consumption ever), and a human-driven unique design approach.

Now, with XOXO (2.0), we are challenging what a truly collaborative and creative computing experience could be … a true departure from the traditional keyboard and screen layout, a new way to interface and play with data, information and communication:

– imagine if your learning machine was an un-interrupted screen one could interface with from any direction
– imagine if it was a reading experience just like a book, and at the same time a seamless large visual tablet
– imagine if children could play board games sitting across from each other (or computer games).

The XOXO is a book, a tablet, a board…and yes, a laptop too if that is what you need. The design is still green and white, but thin, simple, and un-interrupted by keyboards, buttons, speaker holes, input devices and visible connectors. And it is soft to the touch, like a piece of luggage, everyday luggage you can take anywhere.

Planned for early 2010, the XOXO should be the next learning object of desire, from Bogota, to Istanbul, to New York.

Read more about the XO laptop and One Laptop per Child >>