OLPC to debut $75 tablet prototype at CES 2011

An artist's impression of the OLPC XO-3 tablet

The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project has said that it will have a prototype of its XO-3 tablet computer ready by December, and will show off the device at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.

OLPC founder Nicholas Negroponte explained that the $75 (£52) device will be aimed at children in western markets, and will combine features from laptops, Apple's iPad and Amazon's Kindle.

"The $75 mark. We're going to hit it. That's not a problem," he said in an interview with IDG. "What is a problem is when will we get plastic? We really want this to be 100 per cent plastic, unbreakable and almost extruded from a machine."

The XO-3 will use an ARM processor, and feature a screen of 9in or more. The operating system is expected to be Android, but Negroponte said that it should just be considered a Linux device.

He also said that he is "praying" for a dual-mode display which is able to work in sunlight, saying that this will be one of the device's most important features. The dual screen will be essential if the tablet is going to be used inside and out.

The OLPC project has not been without its setbacks. The organisation implemented staff cuts during the recession, and has faced problems with competitors.