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[sola]

Since the XO-1.5 casing and connector positions is the same as the XO-1 and generally seems to use very similar components (same battery, same screen ...etc) it seems possible to make the XO-1.5 baseboard compatible with the XO-1.

This would mean that the huge number of XO-1s deployed (more than 100K G1G1 owners and 900K units in country projects) could be upgraded into a much more powerful machine for a small cost.

The XO-1.5 will have similar performance than todays low power netbooks. Admittedly, it will not be the fastest in the leage but it will be in the same category.

This upgrade could transform XO-1 machines into completely usable, responsive browsing devices with acceptable Flash and Java speed.

If anyone has information about this possibility, please let us know.

[mavrothal]

I really wish the XO-1.5 motherboard will become available if is really fully compatible with the XO-1 casing and other components (touch-pad comes to mind).
If OLPC does not want to handle this process for individual users the XO spare parts outlets may be an alternative way to get a hold of the XO-1.5 boards, assuming that OLPC will give its blessing.
Maybe it could follow a G1G1 drive (if it's planed for this holiday season) so will not affect sales and justify availability through vendors, though I do not think it needs any justification.
Would be nice if we could have some input from vendors like XO Explosion and I love my XO on that. (If I missed someone, please add)

OLPC could handle deployment size orders and let locals do the work. The added benefit of that may be some small shops that will do it for a fee,  providing a little spark in the local economy.  
Handy kids could do it for themselves or their friends. This will actually provide another dimension in the OLPC program, engineering. Kids are always curious about the content of closed boxes   and giving them a chance not only to open them but actually explain what's going on and physically intervene would be great. I'm sure that for some kids the seriously improved performance and the availability of  new software and applications will be the lesser benefit of this process!  
In addition at the end of the process a number of fully functional XO-1 boards will be around. Given that they have VGA output, spare parts from the recycling sites (that we actually pay to discard) will transform them in little functional computers! Another little spark in the local economy and and a little help to the environment Or they could enter space age computing, making computer clusters out of the XO-1 boards (he actually won the CERN prize for that!)

It is hard to foresee what would be the problem in making XO-1.5 boards available, administratively, financially, technically or philosophically .
All it needs is some illustrated instructions  a video and a bunch of industrious kids and adults.

[sola]

One possible way of distribution for G1G1 users is to make the XO-1.5 baseboards available through http://ilovemyxo.com or http://xoexplosion.com (just like normal XO-1 spare parts). Those are working channels and ship at good prices (my keyboard replacement was USD12 to ship to Hungary, that is a good price).

Country projects could be served by the traditional channels since they will likely order thousands of baseboards for upgrades in one package.

Now, the philosophy part is easier. Since OLPC is a non-profit organisation, they can simply do the "right thing" and make the baseboard upgrade available.

I fear the technical problems may be more dangerous, especially with the limited budget of OLPC.

[Wayan Vota]

We had confirmation at the XO-1.5 debut that the XO-1.5 motherboards would fit perfectly into XO-1 machines - all the pins and connectors are the same.  You would need to upgrade the power supply as its a higher draw, but that's an external cable.

[mavrothal]

I fear the technical problems may be more dangerous, especially with the limited budget of OLPC.

Would you elaborate on that? What are the technical problems for OLPC in allowing/encouraging/asking QUANTA to sell motherboards to spare parts vendors or deployments?
The alternative would be for OLPC to consolidate the requests and do the distribution authorization, assuring that will not be bootleg machines out there (though I hardly see a problem on that...). But then it could add a handling fee to cover its cost and may be few dollars more...

[sola]

A technical problem may be for example if they change the touch-pad (as it seems to have been done).

The new touch pad may be using a different hw interface than the new.

Or the power supply Wayan just mentioned. If you need to buy a new power supply as well, the upgrade may become too expensive for the country projects and OLPC may drop the whole upgrade idea from consideration.

[sola]

The new touch pad may be using a different hw interface than the old.

[mavrothal]

A technical problem may be for example if they change the touch-pad (as it seems to have been done).

The new touch pad may be using a different hw interface than the new.

Or the power supply Wayan just mentioned. If you need to buy a new power supply as well, the upgrade may become too expensive for the country projects and OLPC may drop the whole upgrade idea from consideration.

Good points
However, as Wayan points above pin connections should be fine. Besides the tablet function of the touchpad was never implemented. So I hope will be OK.
Regarding the Power supply I'm puzzled . If it has a higher consumption and quires higher power (voltage or current) would be a problem. Both because it consumes more and needs more power, bigger batteries, heat dissipation etc and because any investments in solar panels might be  obsolete.  Hopefully this is not the case.
Any OLPC hardware engineer reading this...

[sola]

I am also puzzled over the need for a bigger power supply.

Usually, the battery is also sized for a maximum power ratio. So if the new board requires more than 21 W (this is the maximum I measured when using the XO and charging the battery), than the 20 Wh LiFePo battery may be insufficient for the new board (from the power perspective at least).

However, due to the casing, a bigger capacity LIFEPO4 battery may not fit in, only a LiCo battery (that packs more capacity per cm3) which will not be half as tolerant for heat as the LiFePo pack. So, I think they will stay with the LiFePo battery.

If the new board really consumes more than the old one, a solution may be to decrease the charging power of the battery in order to maximize the power requirement when you use the XO and charging the battery. You will have a longer charge time in cases like this (no big deal). I don't know if the charging circuits are programmable to this extent but it is possible.

[sola]

Correction:
~ 21 W is for charging and using the XO
~14 W peak when only using the XO

[BeninTucson]

Hi all . . .

A pretty exciting time are here at the Tucson homestead. I received my eBay
purchased XO-1 in the mail yesterday.  More on that later.

Regarding the current XO-1.5 discussion here . . .

It only makes sense that the new motherboard fits the old box. The XO-1 case is injection molded plastic and, as Wayan or Mike noted elsewhere, it would cost OLPC tens of thousands of dollars to retool the molds. "Make the new motherboard fit the old box" someone wisely said in the R&D department. OLPC is broke and they would have been absolutely insane to do otherwise.

As others here have so eloquently explained, there are a multitude of practical
and altruistic reasons why OLPC could - should - make 1.5 upgrade parts available
to both third world participants and previous XO-1 G1G1 donors (and, yes, even
lowlifes like me who bought G1G1 machines second hand on eBay) . . . they could
make a helluva lot of money and buck a decades-long industry-wide trend of supplying new internals for old enclosures. The latter cuts down on landfill eWaste AND provides an opportunity for youngsters in the third world to learn skills in making upgrades on
their own.

It all makes perfect sense but, then, anything on the business side of OLPC
- up till now - defies logic. Witness turning up their noses at foreign education ministers when their orders weren't large enough in mid 2007 and a G1G1 program with limits so fantastic to the consumer that it boggles the imagination. Is it any wonder that their
2008 G1G1 program flopped so badly? Asus, Acer and the like must have been
laughing all the way to the bank. OLPC has got a chance to really turn it around this year and do it right but it remains to be seen if they can put 2 + 2 together for 2009 and actually save themselves.

Here's a list of parts that seem to be different between the XO-1 and XO-1.5

* motherboard

* screen (the newer one, apparently, being more efficient than the old)

* touchpad (single button instead of two)

* green colored power and battery release buttons (same injection mold die but doing this instantly distinguishes 1 from new 1.5 machines in the field  . . . good thinking here)

and now . . . new external power/charging  supply (same connector, I hope!)

Did I leave something off? Let's keep a running list of this stuff, folks 

Meanwhile, I was pleasantly surprised to read some piggybacked information on the OLPC News blog last night regarding the Norhtec Gecko Edubook . . .

http://www.norhtec.com/products/gecko/index.html

. . . $200 retail, 2W power consumption, runs on 8 AA batteries ( a product screaming
"power me with Sanyo Eneloops or other similar low-self-discharge NiMHs") and available for any human with a valid credit card  . . . and not just for double the price
over the Christmas holiday. Hmmm . . .

I really want the the XO-1.5 to succeed. But they better get off their high horse for late 2009 and let their vendors stock 1.5 upgrade parts or, I'm afraid, they won't be around
for 2010 to make that "double iPod Touch" XO-2 thingamajig.

Ben in Tucson

[CobyHoff]

That Gecko EduBook looks fascinating!  It also looks like you can order one right now, which of course I am now sorely tempted to do.  I would prefer, however, to upgrade my 2007 G1G1 to a 1.5 motherboard.  I really hope that OLPC allows the sale of upgrade Mobo's.  I don't know about other G1G1 participants, but my enthusiasm for OLPC has certainly waned since I initially paid $400 for an under-powered machine in the hopes that it would help change the world.  I feel like Negroponte et.al. have crapped all over the hopes/aspirations/enthusiasm of those of us that were initially fired-up by him.  Maybe there is still hope!  I may be a sucker, but here's to the XO 1.5! (raises a glass)

[sola]

@BeninTucson
I agree that OLPC has only a few chances left to get their act together before they go out of business.
Selling the XO-1.5 baseboard upgrade would be a good start. Selling the XO-1.5 publicly with a decent markup would be an even better second step.

@CobyHoff
You are not alone when feeling less enthusiastic about OLPC than at the first G1G1. It is sad to see OLPC making so many mistakes.
I believe the XO-1.5 should have been the first machine they release, together with a decent desktop Linux.
The whole Sugar nightmare with the underpowered Geode could have been spared. Of course it is easy to be clever in hindsight.

[eden]

I like my XOs.  I would still like my XOs with 1.5 motherboards.  (I might even love them.)  Or I would like a complete XO 1.5, all ready to go.  I'd like to be able to present an XO to others and not be flustered that it takes so long to start activities or have it hang with more than two or three things open.  I would be glad to have more room to install software.  I would be thrilled to have the RAM and processor power to do crazy things like (more) quickly compile software (or even a kernel  )  I'd like to have a system that doesn't require a blood sacrifice to install a different distribution. 

If the Powers at OLPC are reading this, please release the 1.5 to the public.  I would do a Give 1 Get 1 again because I believe in the idea and because the XO has been a useful tool just for me and an upgraded XO would be even more useful to me. 

[sola]

I believe there is no chance for a successful G1G1 program again. The last G1G1 was a complete, utter failure (although shipping and handling would have been done by Amazon so could have even worked).

OLPC can generate XO sales only if they go completely public and start selling to everyone without questions and stupid volume requirements. To be honest, nobody understands their sales tactics (only selling to developing world countries which, in fact, cannot afford anything, especially now in the middle of the economic crisis).

They should come to terms with the fact that, at least currently, the real market for their machines is the developed world. If they don't act now, the Classmate and friends will simply take this market. It is laughable, but even in my country (Hungary), the first school projects are done with the first Classmates (even worse machines than the XO-1) instead of XOs just because OLPC couldn't manage making the XO-1 available.

As everyone says that a decent $50 markup on top of the XO-1.5 production&distribution&warranty costs would be acceptable in the developed world and make the XO selling like hot cakes. A huge number of people would buy XO-1.5s for say $250 because with a normal Gnome/Linux desktop, it IS a usable machine ( browsing, video playing and ebook reading, even in sunlight).

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