OLPC project gets another rival

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A company formed by the former One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) chief technology officer has announced plans for a $75 (£38.31) laptop.

The company, called Pixel Qi, shares the same, original OLPC project goal of producing a sub-$100 laptop, but states that it also wants to bring "sunlight readable, low-cost and low-power screens into mainstream laptops, mobile phones and digital cameras" to developing markets.

Pixel Qi founder Mary Lou Jensen left her position as OLPC technology chief two weeks ago with the aim of commercialising technologies she'd helped develop with OLPC.

She worked on hardware development for the low-power, rugged XO laptop at OLPC, which is now selling for more than its original $100 target price, at $188 (£96).

Intel, which last week pulled out of the OLPC project after only joining in July last year, also has a rival to the XO. It's Classmate PC costs about $350 (£117.46) and runs Microsoft software.

Pixel Qi said on its website that, while it will look to make its profit from commercial ventures, it would also continue to work with the OLPC, providing products at cost price.

Jepsen, who is currently attending the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, had not returned a request for comment at the time of writing.

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