Sometimes Twitter’s requisite 140 character posts are ideal. But sadly it’s suffering from a few technical difficulties, so I’ll post them here instead.

A new OLPC laptop has been unveiled, albeit in conceptual form, and frankly I’m speechless. Its a strange hybrid of a number of recent commercial successes – namely the iPod Touch, Nintendo DS and to some extent, the Asus EEE. It consists of two screens, one of which can function as a keyboard when its in standard laptop mode. It can also be used like a book, partially owing to its lightweight design; or as a gaming device which lays flat on the floor. All this seems very cutting edge at the moment, but considering that the scheduled release date is in 2010, these features may seem basic, or even mundane, when the machine finally gets out of the factory door. And some of the features will undoubtedly be culled for one reason or another – its a reality of most technology projects, but considering the loss of the crank handle on the original OLPC laptop, it would come as even less of a surprise.

One of the key enablers of the dual touch screen technology is the widespread availability of affordable LCD screens. Portable DVD players have driven down the price considerably in recent years. The addition of a membrane to enable touch screen functionality is a simple process, and will add little in terms of cost. So the stage seems set for the next generation to step into the limelight. But the question remains, is this the way that the project should be heading? It seems to me that the new laptop lacks the ruggedness of the current model, and seems altogether detached from what kids need from an educational machine.

Upon announcing the new model, the “give one – get one” scheme was reintroduced, whereby consumers can buy a OLPC laptop. I think this is very telling. It seems as if the OLPC foundation is reorientating itself as a more general purpose provider of computers. By bundling their laptops with features which are attractive to consumers, they will inevitably increase sales in this area. And in some respects this is quite an important goal, because it helps to drive the volumes which’ll keep the unit price low. But this was never meant to be a consumer machine, and resources which would otherwise be used to improve core functionality could be diverted to the bells and whistles that make the machine a more compelling consumer proposition.

I don’t know about you, but is a touch screen keyboard really that attractive? My fingers feel worn after using my laptop’s touch pad for more than a few minutes. If there was one thing which I loved about the original OLPC laptop, it was the keyboard. It was resilient, comfortable, and suitable for little hands. In my experience, touch screens are for fat greasy fingers.