The group Novatium just brought out a basic "NetPC" for US$80.
The market for the poor has become so enticing that Microsoft is preparing to launch a scaled-down software bundle of Windows and Office for US$3 for qualifying governments.
UNICEF, the UN children's fund, is a bright spot for OLPC which is putting its education content on all the laptops shipped.
On a sunny spring day in New York last week, two UNICEF officials were outdoors testing several of the small green-and-white laptops.
"If millions of these are in kids' hands, it will be a very good way to develop our info for them and to hear back from kids in the developing world to know what their needs are," said Erica Kochi, a spokeswoman.
94 teens
UNICEF is sending 94 teens from several countries to Heiligendamm, Germany, on Friday to use the XOs to prepare proposals to present to the leaders of the G8 leading nations meeting there, she said.
"We are using the XO during the summit because these machines connect between them even if there is no Internet," Kochi explained.
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