PeeWee debuts drop and spill-resistant Pivot Tablet Laptop

At first glance, PeeWee PC's Pivot Tablet Laptop is a formidable rival to the long-standing OLPC XO. Unfortunately, the lofty price tag puts it in a class of its own, but it's still a solid machine for those looking to a learn a bit (or just give their kids a wholesome distraction). Debuting today, the three pound convertible tablet boasts a spill and drop-resistant shell, a carry handle, a presumed 10-inch touchscreen display and a 6-cell Li-ion battery. Within, you'll find a 1.6GHz Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, two USB 2.0 ports, a 60GB HDD, 1.3 megapixel camera, Ethernet, WiFi, Windows XP Home, a proprietary security suite to keep kids from picking up a new favorite stalker and ten age appropriate software and game titles. If your kid's been bugging you for a new netbook, you can quell the squealing by snapping one of these up today starting at $599.99. Full release is after the break.

Gallery: PeeWee debuts drop and spill-resistant Pivot Tablet Laptop

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PeeWee PC Unveils Durable PeeWee Pivot Tablet Laptop for Kids

Spill and drop resistant Laptop features PeeWee PC's proprietary security suite, touch tablet with stylus, and a carrying handle

San Francisco, CA – April 29, 2009 – PeeWee PC (www.peeweepc.com), the leading manufacturer of computer products and accessories for children, is excited to announce the availability of the PeeWee Pivot Tablet Laptop. Weighing in at just 3 pounds, this tiny yet rugged, spill and drop resistant notebook is perfect for children aged 3-10. The laptop features the Intel® Atom™ Processor, a convertible rotating screen and touch tablet with stylus, a free Walt Disney Windows XP Theme, and a 1.3 megapixel webcam that rotates 180 degrees and is perfect for video chatting with moms and dads who have to travel.

PeeWee PC loads each Pivot Tablet Laptop with 10 age appropriate software and game titles for Pre-K, Early Elementary, or Upper Elementary students. PeeWee also includes its proprietary security suite on each laptop, giving parents full control of how and when their children use the laptop.

"We design all our computers to meet the needs of both our young end users and their parents," said Oscar Ferreria. "This means creating products that are both fun and durable, but most importantly, safe. We all understand the drawbacks associated with giving children internet access, and there is no way any child should be browsing the internet without advanced security software."

The PeeWee security software allows parents to limit how much time their children spend browsing the internet (on a daily or weekly basis), block inappropriate sites with any version of any web browser, take screen shots, view browsing history, and even control the laptop remotely. Additionally, the PeeWee security suite also allows parents limit the amount of time children spend gaming and protects the laptop by preventing children from changing system settings.
The PeeWee Pivot Tablet Laptop starts at $599.99 MSRP and is available now exclusively at www.peeweepc.com.

[will @ Apr 29th 2009 2:04PM]

No, no, no. No more atom crapbooks.

[allsighs @ May 1st 2009 10:58PM]

Looking at those girls arms, me thinks the computer should worry more about their gorilla father...

[Templarian @ Apr 29th 2009 2:24PM]

Exactly what I noticed first. It's kind of creepy really.

[Denver_80203 @ Apr 29th 2009 2:33PM]

Plus they really need to get back to work in the kitchen!

[NoPhoneForYou @ Apr 29th 2009 2:34PM]

aww.. mean but funny...

[NoPhoneForYou @ Apr 29th 2009 2:35PM]

@ denver ROFL! they plastic acke is about to get burned!

[giuliop @ Apr 29th 2009 7:46PM]

"Plus they really need to get back to work in the kitchen!"

I don't know, I wouldn't want that much hair in my soup.

[Platinum_Skeet @ Apr 29th 2009 2:07PM]

For some strange reason I thought this article had something to do with Pee Wee Herman....

Probably the Pink Kitchen or the kids excitement expressions...

[Dan Davis @ Apr 29th 2009 2:17PM]

Same here... I thought Pee Wee + spill-resistant = WIN!

[PedoJokerBear (aka Deeznuts) @ Apr 29th 2009 2:46PM]

EXPRESSIONS?!? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

U SAID THE SECRET WORD!!!!

[H0rK @ Apr 29th 2009 2:09PM]

i want whatever they are having

[Scott @ Apr 29th 2009 2:11PM]

does a 5 year old even need a computer? no

[Sam Lowry @ Apr 29th 2009 2:17PM]

Not sure how old you are, but my 5 year old uses computers in school on at least a weekly basis, so a 5 year old with a computer isn't unusual.

[Scott @ Apr 29th 2009 2:30PM]

yeah i used computers in school when i was 5 too but they were apple IIe's and we made the little turtle draw shapes (which was AWESOME)

my friend has a niece that's 6 and a nephew that's 4 and they can play games on the computer and that's about it
they aren't capable of writing a paper or doing research or anything productive so therefor the computer is just a toy

i could see your kids using educational games or something but it's still just a toy

[George @ Apr 29th 2009 2:36PM]

My 6 year old nephew has to run one power point presentation a week. So yes.

[PedoJokerBear (aka Deeznuts) @ Apr 29th 2009 2:47PM]

my nephew is 8 and can type 40wpm, scary i know.

[superhobo @ Apr 29th 2009 3:08PM]

I for one welcome our new childish underlords.

Ok, not really, they're annoying.

[Templarian @ Apr 29th 2009 5:26PM]

When I was 5 I remember playing doom... yea to a 5 year old computers are just fancy toys. It did help me to learn to type at a young age, so its not that bad.

[Col. Readily Apparent Upon Cursory Inspection @ Apr 29th 2009 8:00PM]

Hmm, I've seen it both ways. I just don't want to see them on the internet too soon. There is a thing such as too much information too soon.

[radarskiy @ Apr 30th 2009 5:32PM]

Do you even need a laptop? No.

[Allen @ Apr 29th 2009 2:14PM]

That girl is unneccessarily excited.

[JAmerican @ Apr 29th 2009 5:51PM]

She sees her dad with McDonalds off camera.

Badabadaba I'm Lovin' It.

[evillawngnome @ Apr 29th 2009 2:15PM]

Did anyone else notice that these kids have ludicrous amounts of arm hair? Seriously, they make me feel young, and they're five year old girls.

[skyblaze @ Apr 29th 2009 5:37PM]

you didn't hear? they wanted to emphasize that the proceeds go to endangered wildlife foundations

[Josh @ Apr 29th 2009 2:17PM]

"so how old are you?"
"8"
"18? alllll right..."
"mom!!!"
"i like where this is going...giggidy giggidy"

[lainofthewired @ Apr 29th 2009 2:19PM]

Drop resistant? Maybe. But with a hinge like that I'm sure a kid could come up with a way to drop it that would break it.

[brotato @ Apr 29th 2009 2:21PM]

I'm just trying to figure out how they fit a Asus Rampage X58 motherboard in there. O_o

[michas_pi @ Apr 29th 2009 2:29PM]

"My first Goatse"

[john @ Apr 29th 2009 2:32PM]

Isn't that just the CTL 2go Tablet? (the convertible tablet version of their netbook)

[Mike @ Apr 29th 2009 2:34PM]

Wow. Buying one of these would make up for a lot of poor parenting! The problem is you'd have to buy one for each girl and another one for the arm hair.

[Chris Are @ Apr 29th 2009 2:40PM]

"Girls stop screaming it's just a damn laptop! Gah!"

[superhobo @ Apr 29th 2009 2:43PM]

A $700 netbook for 5 year olds? No.

[monoverb @ Apr 29th 2009 2:52PM]

My son would rip that screen from its hinges in less than 1 minute.

[AT7 @ May 1st 2009 11:38AM]

that is one of the downsides of the Orangutan adoption program

[Gregg @ Apr 29th 2009 2:51PM]

Engadget writer: "a presumed 10-inch touchscreen display"

PeeWeePC website: 8.9' LCD, 1024 x 600 Touch Screen

http://www.peeweepc.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=70&idcategory=2#details

Don't sweat it. I know a small operation like Engadget can't afford the team of researches it would take to actually go to the product website and click "Technical Information".

[Joe @ Apr 29th 2009 3:23PM]

Who else here thinks that naming a product intended for children after a sex offender may not be such a good idea?

[Col. Readily Apparent Upon Cursory Inspection @ Apr 29th 2009 8:06PM]

Didn't he just get caught spanking it in an adult movie theater?

[Jason C. @ Apr 29th 2009 3:58PM]

The kid closer to the camera has hairy arms....

[Wicker24 @ Apr 29th 2009 4:04PM]

Oh Jesus Christ!!! He wasn't molesting abnormally hairy children, he got caught Jaggin it in a theater.

[Wicker24 @ Apr 29th 2009 4:05PM]

@Joe

[misecia @ Apr 29th 2009 7:34PM]

Wasn't the guy who played PeeWee herman an paedophile?

Anyone else find this a bit disturbing?

[Rico @ Apr 29th 2009 8:08PM]

Oh I want one. It has a handle and is touchscreen and spill proof! The kids will never get it back. Drop my 32 gb thumbdrive. Kick back eat my nachos and guzzle beer and not worry about messing up the laptop.

[phail @ Apr 29th 2009 8:07PM]

if the handle comes off it actually doesnt look too bad.

[Goodman @ Apr 30th 2009 6:00PM]

The handle does come off, though I actually really dig the handle. It's the same as the CTL 2go Convertible (aka the Intel Classmate Convertible). I got mine off the web from CTL for $500.

[cb88 @ Apr 29th 2009 8:38PM]

"Supports Linux (ETA April 2009) "

price tag is still too high though and I believe openDNS has free content filtering http://www.opendns.com/solutions/homenetwork/parental/

and It would take a smart kid to hack out of a guest account and modify the DNS settings

Personally If I had kids (5 younger siblings and a multitude of cousins already) I would wait for the arm netbooks to hit the market since they won't run windows or x86 viruses at all...(in theory they could get viruses but itn't likely at all.. and Linux viruses tend to be stupid since they can't do much once they run) and Since flash has been ported arm linux there are a load of educational flash games and it wouldn't be hard to get together an educational game programming community

So basically this is a good solution for people that don't want the best for thier kids and don't want to bother with adding a personal touch ... meh

[Erwin Coumans @ Apr 29th 2009 9:11PM]

Yes, this is just a rebranded version of the Intel classmate tablet PC, also available as CTL 2go tablet. The CTL 2Go tablet goes for $499, and it is a great machine for that price.

http://www.ctlcorp.com/v4/p-715-ctl-2go-convertible-classmate-pc-89-laptoptablet-with-hard-drive-with-windows-xp-home.aspx

[yode @ Apr 29th 2009 9:18PM]

inb4 shoop of goatse on screen / pedro bear

[jspunited @ Apr 29th 2009 10:48PM]

Looks like CLASSMATE pc.... to

http://www.ctlcorp.com/v4/p-715-ctl-2go-convertible-classmate-pc-89-laptoptablet-with-hard-drive-with-windows-xp-home.aspx?affiliateid=10060&gclid=CL7n-8LHl5oCFQOuFQodbW5p-g&

look at it...
total ripoff

[Joseph Lee @ Apr 30th 2009 12:09AM]

BLU-RAAAAAAAYYYYY!!!!!!

[Giles @ Apr 30th 2009 4:11AM]

This is also branded as a 'Fizzbook Spin'.

I have one on my desk at this moment...