Gizmodo has been running a fascinating series looking at the successes and failures of the OLPC project, designed to get innovative computers into the hands of millions of children. The group never quite managed to bring the price of the XO Laptop down to the mythical $100 price point. And orders have been substantially lower than anticipated.
But Nicholas Negroponte and his little laptop that could certainly sparked a revolution. Without the OLPC, it’s unlikely that we would have the Intel Classmate PC, the Asus Eee PC, or any of the dozens of cheap ultraportable consumer-oriented laptops that make life worth living.
If you’ve got some time on your hands, you should check out parts 1, 2, and 3 in the series.