Because power consumption varies depending on what you're doing.

The XO-1 and XO-1.5 last for about 3 hours with normal use, but that can be extended to about 11 hours if you turn off the backlight (not needed when in sunlight) and wireless radio.

You seem to be applying First World logic to a device meant for the Third World. The XO laptop was designed with a combination of ruggedness, repairability, low power, connectivity, low cost and of course educational value. No other device can claim that, and probably no other device will last five minutes in the developing world without failing for some reason.

With that said, the XO-1.5 models are much better than the XO-1.0 that you have.

Because a kindle is just an e-book reader, and an XO is so much more? You can't expect any kind of interactivity when it takes several seconds for a screen to refresh. Oh, and you can have 3G on an XO if you want - just plug in a USB modem.

Agreed! We (OLPC Australia) put a lot of effort into teacher enablement in Australia. The educationally-oriented design of the OLPC XO laptops and their Sugar UI often make things easier, especially for the children. I've been told stories of children in remote Australia teaching each other with their XOs, and even the teacher! It can change the classroom dynamic for the better.

+1

Speaking for our work in OLPC Australia, we place a high emphasis on teacher enablement.

Your netbook/tablet won't last five minutes in the developing world and/or harsh environmental conditions. There probably won't even be enough electricity so that every child can run/charge their own one. In contrast, XOs are proven in these conditions.

A key but very undersold benefit of the XO and it's Sugar UI is their focus on collaboration, by design. The activities (apps) let kids share and learn together, so they are encouraged to interact.

Teaching them how to fish is an important philosophy underpinning OLPC, but the fact remains that great efficiencies can occur when manufacturing is done at scale. We are not yet at the point where whole computers can be fabricated at home. However, the XO is far more user-serviceable than another computer out there. In many places, repairs are even performed by children.

Linux. Fedora has been ported to ARM in part to support the new XO hardware.

http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Cow_Power which is a subset of http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Battery_and_power

ARM were focused on small mobile devices back in 2005, when XO-1 development began. Their business and technology were not suitable for OLPC's needs.

OLPC is about enabling independent thought and creativity, not pushing vendor lock-in.

Will it last for five years in harsh environmental conditions in the developing world, and be repairable in the field, even by children? How does your proposal actually assist education, both for the children learning and the educators administering it?

The OLPC OS is a variant of Fedora, so it runs Linux out of the box.

I was going to call people about it, but I couldn't find the Gizmo client for Linux.