Marvell and One Laptop per Child showcase XO 3.0

Marvell and One Laptop per Child demonstrated a fully functional version of the much-anticipated XO 3.0, a low-cost, low-power, rugged tablet computer designed for classrooms around the globe.

''The XO laptops have been distributed to more than 2.4 million children in 42 countries and in 25 languages. It builds on many of the technology breakthroughs we made with the XO 1.75, including the use of the MarvellARMADA PXA618 processor, resulting in a significant decrease in power consumption, a critical issue for students in the developing world,'' said Edward McNierney, Chief Technology Officer of One Laptop per Child.

''Partnering with One Laptop Per Child is one way we can deliver a revolution where it matters most to benefit children in some of the poorest places on the planet. Marvell has been with One Laptop per Child from the start and we're doing whatever it takes to help the organization realize its mission of providing meaningful educational opportunities to the 500 million school-aged children around the world,'' said Tom Hayes, VP of corporate marketing at Marvell semiconductor and a member of the OLPC advisory board.

The XO 1.75 incorporates the Marvell's ARM-based ARMADA PXA618 SOC processor, which compared to the earlier XO 1.5, maintains performance while using only half the power. It also features a sunlight-readable screen and all the other features and design characteristics of the two previous versions of the XO laptop.

The laptop will begin shipping to customers in March 2012. Over 75,000 units of the XO 1.75 have already been ordered by OLPC projects in Uruguay and Nicaragua.