Disney and ASUS announce Netpal netbook for kids

Past Disney gadgets may have been heavier on the Disney than the gadget, but we're guessing there'll be at least a few parents out there a little envious of ASUS's new Disney-branded Netpal netbook for kids, which will be available in your choice of "Princess Pink" or "Magic Blue" colors (the latter replete with tiny Mickey Mouse icons). In addition to that eye-catching exterior, each netbook also packs a custom, kid-friendly Disney interface, along with a range of built-in parental controls, and some customizable themes based on Mickey Mouse, Toy Story, Wall-E, and other Disney properties. As you might expect, however, the netbook itself is just a standard 8.9-inch Eee PC, but it is at least available with either a 16GB SSD drive or a standard 160GB hard drive. No word on a release date just yet, but it looks like this one will set you back $350.

[Via GadgetMix.com]

[trainwrecka @ Jun 16th 2009 5:39PM]

Steve Jobs is on the board, so why not a Disney Mac?

[mugupo @ Jun 16th 2009 5:41PM]

Because it cost arm and leg

[fastm3driver @ Jun 16th 2009 5:44PM]

Why are there no green and red Apples? the world will never know.

[Jim @ Jun 16th 2009 5:56PM]

Might see a Disney iPod in the near future. Would make slightly more sense I suppose.

[ethana2 @ Jun 16th 2009 6:06PM]

Apple designers and engineers aren't capable of make a cheap computer.

[darkmax @ Jun 16th 2009 7:38PM]

Now they have gone too far... attack the parents' pocket from their most vulnerable place.

[iphonerulez @ Jun 16th 2009 8:07PM]

What's the big deal about this. All netbooks are built for kids or children-sized adults. They're the only ones who'd put up with slow processors, cramped keyboards and undersized displays for a what's supposed to be a honest-to-goodness notebook computer.

[ben @ Jun 16th 2009 8:56PM]

@iphonerulz

Netbooks aren't just for little kids. It's true that they aren't good for even normal computer use, but they're great for carrying around. In college, I've seen students who have a netbook for taking notes (you don't need a huge screen to do that) and then have a gaming desktop in their dorm room. If they need to do any heavy calculations on the go, they can access the desktops remotely.

[Dking @ Jun 17th 2009 12:59AM]

If apple would be trusted to do this few things would happen and wouldn't :

what would happen : -parents sell their kidney to buy it
- children think there is an apple on the back and bite the laptop

what wouldn't happen: apple's smallest screen size is 13 inch, so they won't be making smaller one for disney
color choice would be limited, because apple doesn't know any materials except ionized aluminium.

[Releaux @ Jun 17th 2009 4:03PM]

@ethana2

"Apple designers and engineers aren't capable of make marketers aren't interested in making a cheap computer."

There... I fixed that for you.

[Releaux @ Jun 17th 2009 4:04PM]

(or would have if Engadget's comment system hadn't stripped out my deliciously funny DEL tags.)

[marmot_egg @ Jun 16th 2009 5:50PM]

DisnEeeeeeeeeeee PC?

[Michael @ Jun 16th 2009 5:54PM]

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee ftw?

[drgambit @ Jun 16th 2009 8:08PM]

There should be a disclaimer on the box that reads 'Cannot run 3D games'.

[hexydes @ Jun 16th 2009 5:52PM]

Because, why pay $300 for a netbook with a black case, when you can pay $50 more for one with a blue Disney case.

This product is how I know we're still not in a depression.

[Teh Lup @ Jun 16th 2009 5:59PM]

Exactly, I mean.. the only reason why any parent would buy this for their child is because it says disney.. and not for the added simple interface and parental control.

I forgot, this is the internet and it is full of haters.

[darkmax @ Jun 16th 2009 7:39PM]

you are in denial.

[pedro @ Jun 16th 2009 5:58PM]

A custom, kid-friendly Disney interface??

Complete with clicking on hidden dongs for bonus conent? Count me in.

[peepeepants @ Jun 16th 2009 6:02PM]

This is disgusting, and at the same time, a really fucking good idea.

[NG @ Jun 16th 2009 6:02PM]

kids should play sand and rocks.. just like most of us.

[TareX @ Jun 16th 2009 6:03PM]

I think the OLPC with Sugar OS/UI is still better...

[VS Dude @ Jun 16th 2009 6:07PM]

Not if you're Disney and you want kids to not have problems with the Disney.com web site or Disney software or be able to use some Disney USB device. The web has become too much of an entertainment media to be satisfied by some stripped-down OS offering basic functionality. You can get away with that on a cell phone but not anything else resembling a computer.

[ethana2 @ Jun 16th 2009 6:07PM]

What operating system is it running?

[ben @ Jun 16th 2009 8:59PM]

XP, unfortunately.

[Matthew McKenzie @ Jun 16th 2009 6:09PM]

Good idea...problem is that most kids play webkinz which doesn't play to nice with that screen resolution without some tweaking. Nice idea since I was looking for some "disposable" laptop for the kids to play on instead of my expensive computer. Though $350 isn't quite disposable but is far better then $1000 plus computer.

Time will tell.

[Jeremy @ Jun 16th 2009 6:09PM]

Wow how times have changed.

[Fanfoot @ Jun 16th 2009 6:13PM]

Good idea. SSD probably the better choice for a small child of course.

[willxcore @ Jun 16th 2009 6:15PM]

i'm not buying this unless it's signed by the jonas brothers

[CraigJ @ Jun 16th 2009 6:49PM]

They will only sign it if you promise to wear a purity ring. Even then Mickey might still kick you in the nuts.

[G @ Jun 16th 2009 6:17PM]

Why would kids need netbooks anyway? It's not like they need to take them to school or anything.


They can just use the home PC like we did. We didn't have any fancy netbooks in the old days...

[mugupo @ Jun 16th 2009 6:34PM]

in my school date, we has to wait 5 minutes for apple to boot up, 2-3 minutes annoying dial up sound.

[acx6204 @ Jun 16th 2009 6:23PM]

LOL really?

[Scott Magoon @ Jun 16th 2009 7:00PM]

Major problem... Netbooks tend to have screen a resolution of 1024x600. The online sites/games my kids play, including Webkinz and Disney's Club Penguin, are built in flash with fixed VGA resolution. Anything less than 1024x768 won't work for these sites. This Disney-branded netbook will not work with my kids' favorite Disney-owned online game.

[drobolover @ Jun 16th 2009 7:17PM]

You can run the Eee PCs at 1024x768 though.

[telepheedian @ Jun 21st 2009 12:10AM]

@drobolover: not very well.

[rsm @ Jun 16th 2009 7:04PM]

So I guess the OS for this thing will be Disney Ubuntu Netpal Remix?

[jspeed04 @ Jun 16th 2009 7:32PM]

Excuse me, but the very first post should be asking,

"who buys this kind of shit?"

[taseko1 @ Jun 16th 2009 7:39PM]

The Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus.

[Shariq Chudhri @ Jun 16th 2009 7:59PM]

Biggest problem: Its mad ugly, MAD ugly

[Shariq Chudhri @ Jun 16th 2009 8:00PM]

It looks like a plastic piece of crap...unfortunately

[iKurt 7 @ Jun 16th 2009 8:04PM]

I hope it doesn't run Windows. Anything but Windows. Please.

[marmot_egg @ Jun 16th 2009 9:18PM]

This would totally be a great computer if ASUS didn't suck.


Too soon?

[iroydude @ Jun 16th 2009 9:33PM]

but can it play crysis?!

[mockidol @ Jun 16th 2009 11:53PM]

This is not a bad idea.

I work at a place where I sell netbooks quite often and more commonly than not the purchases are parentes buying them for children because they're cheap so if the kids break it, well, better than losing a $800 laptop.

[glenn s @ Jun 17th 2009 2:54AM]

This is a coup for Asus to be able to partner with Disney. They're a real player now. Right up there with HP and Dell. The specs are irrelevant. This is all about marketing.

[telepheedian @ Jun 21st 2009 12:13AM]

As far as marketing goes, this is a huge step forward for Asus. I think they're finally realizing that marketing actually does matter if you want to play in the big leagues.