One-Laptop-Per-Child to Use ARM CPUs: Will Windows XP Follow?
The One-Lap-Per-Child (OLPC) project no longer wants to depend on x86 processors, but is moving to the power-saving ARM CPUs some time in the future. Only thing is, ARM isn't supported on Windows XP.
It hasn't even been a year that OLPC chairman Nicholas Negroponte and Microsoft announced the first laptops with Windows XP. Since then a few things in the OLPC project have changed: its staff was cut by a half and development of the Sugar open source interface was turned over to the community. According to the project, they're concentrating more on the XO-2.
They also seem to be doing a 180-degree turn. According to a recent PCWorld article, OLPC wants the XO-2 to go on ARM processors in place of the Geode chip from AMD used in the XO-1. OLPC's chief technologist Ed McNierney feels that the XO-1's 5-watt power consumption is still too high and that they can save further with the ARM chip for the XO-2.
Unfortunately, Windows Mobile is the only Microsoft OS using the ARM CPU, not even for XP. Negroponte is now in talks with Microsoft about an appropriate Windows port: "Like many, we are urging Microsoft to make Windows – not Windows Mobile – available on the Arm. This is a complex question for them," as he reported to PCWorld.
Comments
comments powered by DisqusSubscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
Linux Mint 22.2 Beta Available for Testing
Some interesting new additions and improvements are coming to Linux Mint. Check out the Linux Mint 22.2 Beta to give it a test run.
-
Debian 13.0 Officially Released
After two years of development, the latest iteration of Debian is now available with plenty of under-the-hood improvements.
-
Upcoming Changes for MXLinux
MXLinux 25 has plenty in store to please all types of users.
-
A New Linux AI Assistant in Town
Newelle, a Linux AI assistant, works with different LLMs and includes document parsing and profiles.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Released with Minor Fixes
The latest Linux kernel doesn't really include any big-ticket features, just a lot of lines of code.
-
EU Sovereign Tech Fund Gains Traction
OpenForum Europe recently released a report regarding a sovereign tech fund with backing from several significant entities.
-
FreeBSD Promises a Full Desktop Installer
FreeBSD has lacked an option to include a full desktop environment during installation.
-
Linux Hits an Important Milestone
If you pay attention to the news in the Linux-sphere, you've probably heard that the open source operating system recently crashed through a ceiling no one thought possible.
-
Plasma Bigscreen Returns
A developer discovered that the Plasma Bigscreen feature had been sitting untouched, so he decided to do something about it.
-
CachyOS Now Lets Users Choose Their Shell
Imagine getting the opportunity to select which shell you want during the installation of your favorite Linux distribution. That's now a thing.
XO-2