The importance of a hinge
Of all Design Continuum's concepts, the OLPC engineers and partners were most interested in the designs that more closely resembled a traditional laptop. Yet the machine also had to double as an e-book and be easily portable. So as the designers continued to develop the concept through physical models, they evaluated how each possible architecture would perform in each mode and transform between them. Concept 7, for instance, had a fabric hinge rather than the mechanical hinge typical of a laptop. "It was a low-tech and very low-cost approach," says Kevin Young. "Laptop hinges can cost as much as $20—just for the hinge!" But it was very book-like. Concept 8 explores a more open architecture in which the individual components are assembled like Legos depending on how the device will be used. Concept 9 is the seed that became the "Mitt Romney" model, named for the Massachusetts governor who was present at its unveiling in September, 2005.
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