The rise and fall of prices is inevitable as emerging technology arrives and older technology becomes obsolete. A great example of this is personal computers. When PCs first hit the streets, they carried a pretty hefty price tag. For example, in 1981, IBM released a personal computer that started at around $3045. If you adjust that price to today’s market, it would be more like spending $6,125! Luckily, though, the prices are somewhat lower. Today, you can get a reasonably good portable PC – a laptop – for around $1,000. So, as you can see, owning a PC today is significantly less expensive than ever before. However, even with the significant price drop, there are still hundreds of thousands of people without access to a personal computer; the price is simply too costly. But what if someone told you that a $100 laptop is in the works?

Image courtesy Mike McGregor/OLPC XO, the $100 laptop

The $100 laptop (also known as XO) -- or more appropriately the $145 laptop -- isn’t for the average American consumer, though there’s no doubt certain domestic communities could benefit from such a bargain. The mission of the initiative, aptly named "One Laptop per Child," (OLPC) is to place a laptop computer in the hands of kids around the world. According to the non-profit association’s Web site, here’s the rationale behind the project: "Laptops are both a window and a tool: a window into the world and a tool with which to think. They are a wonderful way for all children to learn learning through independent interaction and exploration," said Nicholas Negroponte, co-founder of the MIT Media Lab. The laptops will be purchased by governments around the world and then distributed by their ministries of education. The immediate mission is to reach the children of developing and undeveloped nations, though a commercial equivalent to the inexpensive machine isn’t entirely out of the question.

Hey – I want one, too! Face it, the XO is super cool. We know what you’re thinking because we’ve been thinking the same thing – “When can we get one?” Well, it turns out that’s up in the air at the moment. The main goal of the “One Laptop per Child” project is getting the XO in the hands of children in developing countries. Some would-be consumers are advocating a “buy two, get one” campaign, where you’d buy two laptops – one for yourself and one for a child in a developing country. But right now, the people behind the XO aren’t buying that idea.

Negroponte and associates hope that the cost will gradually reduce over time, ending up somewhere around $50 by 2010. XO has ample processing power and features given the scope of its purpose. The Linux-based machines will come with a dual-mode display monitor and both a full-color transmissive DVD display and a reflective black and white display readable in sunlight. Currently, the laptop is powered by a 366 MHz AMD processor (although earlier versions packed a 500MHz AMD Geode processor), 128 MB of DRAM and boasts 512MB of flash storage — not a lot, but certainly enough for saving simple files. Each machine will also have multiple USB ports (which could be used for more storage) and built-in wireless networking, so they can be used to create a small local network with “neighboring” laptops. And, finally, a video/still camera, an SD card slot, stereo speakers, a line-out jack and a microphone complete the setup. Inexpensive satellite dishes and servers would provide Internet access. It’s amazing that you can get all of this for about $148.

Image courtesy Design Continuum/OLPC The prototype crank design

If you think the price-point is innovative, wait until you hear how the device is powered; a relatively low-cost, rechargeable (and recyclable) nickel-metal hydride battery handles the job. OK, that’s not super special, but what about this -- turns out, part of the power is provided by an unlimited natural resource -- good old elbow grease. Originally, an attached hand crank was going to provide back-up power – six minutes of cranking would power the laptop for about an hour. But, the most recent plan has ditched the crank in favor of a pulley system. Designers at Squid Labs LLC have created a pull-string battery charger system that reportedly resembles a yo-yo.

Image courtesy Mike McGregor/OLPC The screen can be folded for storage or flipped for ease of use.

The "practically indestructible" machine, so far, has been presented in a rainbow of colors, including yellow, orange, blue and, most recently, neon green. Reportedly, the various colors have been used to distinguish design phases. However, moving forward to mass production, color schemes will most likely be tied to, or assigned by, the countries that are purchasing the machines. To date, those countries that might want to refer to a handy Pantone® color guide are Argentina, Brazil, Libya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Thailand and Uruguay.

Now, if they’d only package a LifeStraw® and some PermaNet® bed netting with the XO – that would be just about perfect!