There is one aspect of the OLPC that really worries me: the software.

There are alternatives - Pepper Computer's Linux environment runs on the OLPC. It's more mature than the OLPC software, and was designed from the beginning for consumers. It focuses on web browsing and media rather than education, although it's possible to run things like eToys too. Pepper integrates Firefox, MPlayer, Helix, and a number of other open-source projects into something much simpler and easier to use than your standard GNOME/KDE clone of the Windows desktop. If you're at CES, stop by the booth for a hands-on demo of Pepper on the OLPC.

(I work for Pepper)

Another option is bitpass.

Paypal is now cheaper for transactions of more than 50 cents, but bitpass still provides a working solution (and they are cheaper for transactions of less than 50 cents). Bitpass also offers additional functionality for securing content, but it sounds like you wouldn't need any of that.