OLPC confirms tablet on the way

The One Laptop Per Child project may be about to issue a tender for graphic designers after deciding its next piece of hardware will be a hybrid laptop/tablet “next-level innovation machine.”

The organisation behind the green machines unveiled a prototype tablet at CES, after issuing a roadmap way back in 2009 that promised 2012 delivery of an all-new model dubbed the “XO3”.

There's a hint of frustration that the year is now more than half over in the blog post announcing the tablet, which says "The next iteration of the XO will finally have a fully armed and operational tablet mode.” The next iteration also has a new name: it's now called the XO Touch.

Swedish outfit Neonode has scored the gig to provide touchy-feely screens, and said through a canned statement by CEO Thomas Eriksson that it is “honored” to work with OLPC as “Our company philosophy is to contribute to a better and happier world, and we have the opportunity to do so by supporting OLPC’s mission.” Erkisson also slotted in some stuff about this deal validating Neonode's technology, but that was even less appetising than the stuff we did quote.

OLPCA CEO Rodrigo Arboleda may also have you reaching for a bucket, as he explains the XO Touch won't be driven by screen alone and will be a machine “... which combines the best features of laptop and tablet, into a next-level innovative machine.”

Which brings us back to our graphic design speculations as it appears the OLPC crowd may need to rename itself "ONLIMPC".

Or should we keep that acronym on ice until the Olympics big global sporting contests taking place in London right now are over? ®