OLPC XO 1.75 laptop introduces ARM processor, touchscreen support

The One Laptop Per Child initiative is on the floor at CES 2001, and they’ve announced some rather exciting news on their official blog — the new OLPC XO 1.75 systems will feature an ARM-based CPU and support touchscreen input. The developer board (above) includes a 1GHz Marvell Armada CPU which consumes just two watts of power, and the new model will feature an 8.9″ touchscreen display.

The company is excited about the possibility for children to interact with their XO without having to use a “jumpy mouse” or “delicate keyboard,” though there’s a lot to be said for more natural interaction with the device, too. It sure didn’t take my 5-year-old long to figure out how to get around my iPod touch, so the addition of touch to the XO should make the devices even easier for children to get acquainted with. As long as the interface is well done, of course.