LONDON , England ( CNN ) -- For the first time , and for a limited period only , people in North America will be able to get their hands on the XO , MIT professor Nicholas Negroponte 's rugged little laptop that 's designed specifically for children . Children in Cambodia using XO computers . The XO was designed for children in developing countries . And for each cutting-edge XO purchased in the West , another will be given to a child in a developing country . The `` Give One Get One '' scheme , which launches Monday , is part of the One Laptop Per Child ( OLPC ) project to equip the world 's poorest children with a learning tool . For $ 399 , customers can order a laptop for themselves ; bundled into the price is the cost of delivering a second XO to a child a poor country . The laptops , which went into high-volume production on 6 November , go on sale online at 6 a.m. Eastern Time Monday until November 26 . Founder of OLPC , MIT professor Nicholas Negroponte told CNN that the launch of the scheme was exhilarating . `` It must be like a runner 's high , '' he said . `` A lot of muscles hurt . Many people thought we would not get to the finish line . '' Negroponte is convinced that providing children in poor countries with computers is a cost-effective and empowering route into self-learning . In January 2005 , he unveiled One Laptop Per Child , with the aim of building a $ 100 laptop and supplying it in bulk to developing countries . OLPC has come under fire from some quarters for failing to make the laptop as cheap as promised , and some , including Dell CEO Michael Dell , have dismissed Negroponte 's $ 100 aim as unrealistic . But while the cost of the laptops is currently around the $ 180 mark , Negroponte remains determined that his $ 100 machine is attainable once mass production kicks in . The rugged , green-and-white XO is made by Taiwanese company Quanta Computer Inc. , the world 's largest laptop manufacturer and maker of laptops for Apple , HP and Dell amongst others . Quanta will build 40,000 units in the first month , then ramp up production to 80,000 in December and 120,000 in January . The XO uses open-source software and has long battery life , a built-in camera , mesh networking and a simple user interface . It features a screen that 's clearly visible even in bright sunlight , uses a tenth of the power of a conventional laptop and can be recharged by hand when mains electricity is n't available . While the laptop was designed to appeal to children , with its tough exterior , bright colors , touchpad and cute bunny-ear antennae , Negroponte told CNN that expressions of interest in the XO have so far come from a wide range of potential buyers -- and geek blogs are buzzing with anticipation of its release . Some have questioned whether laptops are the answer to the developing world 's problems . But in countries where education is patchy in quality and provision , Negroponte sees the computer as an educational lifeline that could open up opportunities for children to learn independently . `` It is a window of hope , '' he says . `` Education is at the root of eliminating poverty . '' Negroponte has admitted that firm orders from developing countries have not always followed their verbal expressions of interest . `` I have to some degree underestimated the difference between shaking the hand of a head of state and having a check written , '' he told the New York Times in September . `` And yes , it has been a disappointment . '' But Negroponte hopes that the Give One Get One scheme will kick-start more bulk orders for his little green machines . `` It is like an avalanche , '' he told CNN . `` Not much snow needs to slide before a huge avalanche is created . We hope Give One Get One will be like the first pieces of snow . '' It 's the G1G1 link between a child in North America and a child in a developing country that Negroponte hopes will sway people to purchase an XO . `` In the Give One Get One program , the likely recipient in the developed world is a child , '' he explained . `` For that child to be using the same laptop as a kid in Africa is especially meaningful . '' Customers wanting their XOs for the holiday season have been advised to order early : the first 20,000 units should be delivered by Christmas , with their partner computers heading to Peru and Uruguay . Later orders will follow in 2008 . And Negroponte 's message to those considering it as a gift this year ? `` Do n't hesitate . Do n't buy it because it is an inexpensive laptop , '' he told CNN . `` Buy it to join a movement to change the world . '' ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Are you putting in an order for an XO ? Can laptops fill the education gap in developing countries ? Share your thoughts and read others ' views in the Just Imagine forum . For more information on the XO , and to order online , visit laptopgiving.org . E-mail to a friend .
1 Laptop Per Child launches the Give One , Get 1 scheme . For the second time , people can get their hands on rugged , green XO . When North Americans buy a laptop , a second gets sent to a child in a poor country . Scheme is run by Michael Dell , founder of XO .