XO Software
Although the website currently states that XO is running Fedora 6, according to /etc/redhat-release the version on the device we're using is Fedora release 7. The OS includes most of what you would expect from a core installation.
However, one big difference is the user interface, which is based on a GUI known as Sugar. The jury's still out on this unique concept for a UI, but the whole thing is written in Python and is very customizable. There really is no easy way to properly describe it, so if you're interested, download the LiveCD (http://wiki.laptop.org/go/LiveCd).
Included with the core OS and its GUI are a small collection of programs meant to serve as a starting point for XO users:
- A browser built on Xulrunner (Gecko)
- AbiWord for document processing
- Email and chat clients
- Games
- Graphics programs
- Music creation suites
- A unique and entertaining collection of programming tools that provide an introductory environment for learning how to code
This device is no super computer, but it does provide a lot for its price. Granted, the hardware could be a bit more powerful. Nevertheless, the Sugar interface and the included applications could make the device more attractive to educators and kids than a default Ubuntu system on a similar piece of hardware.