To prevent damage from dust or water to the 2-lb. laptop, the keyboard and expected three USB ports will be sealed. The computer will be designed to require just 2 watts of power.

The laptop will sport a 500-MHz AMD x86 chip, which Negroponte called "a damn good processor."

Negroponte admitted to being wedded to a design where a crank is attached to the laptop itself, but he said more recent designs attach the handle to the AC adapter, which puts less physical stress on the computer. The OLPC is also considering designs where children can power-up their computers using either a cord similar to one used to start a lawnmower, or pedals.

The low-power 7-by-4-in. LCD screens will be the most innovative part of the notebook. In black-and-white mode, the 1,110-by-830-pixel, backlit screen will be readable under direct sunlight. In color mode, the screen will revert to 640 by 480 pixels.

The latest designs, viewable at www.laptop.org, also sport fold-out antennas that double as rabbit ears that "make everyone smile," he said.